Aria sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her stomach. A dull ache had been nagging her all morning. She had tried to ignore it, telling herself it was stress, too much food, nothing serious. But when she stumbled slightly on the stairs, clutching her side, she knew it was more than that.
"I should go to the hospital," she whispered to herself.
Her hands shook as she slipped out of the house, pulling her coat tightly around her. The streets were quiet at this hour, and she felt a mix of relief and fear. No one from the Blackwood household could see her leave.
The hospital smelled antiseptic, clean and sharp. Aria checked in under a false name, insisting on privacy. The nurse barely looked at her, handing her forms and guiding her to the examination room.
"Are you feeling faint, Ms…?" the nurse asked.
"Hale. Aria Hale," she said, forcing a smile. "I just… need some tests."
"Of course. Blood work and an ultrasound?" the nurse suggested.
"Yes," Aria said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Minutes later, a doctor entered, reviewing her chart. "You're quite young. Any chance of pregnancy?"
Aria froze. Her chest tightened. "I… I think so."
"Let's confirm," the doctor said kindly.
The ultrasound machine hummed. Aria's heart was beating fast. She watched the screen in silence, disbelief and fear twisting inside her.
"Congratulations," the doctor said gently. "You are pregnant. It's early, but everything looks normal."
Aria's lips parted, but no sound came out. She sat back, trembling. A mixture of relief, fear, and hope surged through her. She touched her stomach gently.
"This… this could change everything," she whispered. "Maybe now…"
She thought of Sebastian, of the cold words, of the night that had made her feel small. Could this child make him see her differently? Could it make him care?
"I have to tell him," she said to herself. "He should know."
Aria left the hospital with a careful plan in her mind. She would tell Sebastian tonight, alone in the study. She would show him she carried his child and maybe, just maybe, he would soften.
She arrived at the mansion, heart hammering. The house was silent. Staff bustled in the background, but no one paid her any attention. She slipped inside and headed for the study, rehearsing her words.
"Sebastian, we need to talk," she would say.
She opened the door quietly. The study was empty. A faint light from the hallway suggested someone had just passed. Aria stepped closer to the wall, listening.
Voices. Low, deliberate, sharp.
Sebastian's voice: "I can't wait any longer. She's not going to give me what I need."
Another voice, older, smoother, chilling: "Victor?"
"Victor," Sebastian said. "I need a divorce. I'll find someone else. Someone… suitable."
Aria froze. Her stomach dropped. Every plan she had crumbled instantly. She pressed herself against the wall, desperate not to be seen.
Victor's voice was calm, almost cruel: "She's only temporary. That child of yours… it doesn't matter. She was never meant to stay."
"No," Sebastian whispered sharply. "Not now. She… she has to go. And if she fails—"
Aria's hand shot to her stomach, clutching the small curve that would never forgive betrayal. Her lips trembled. "Fails?" she whispered. "He… he'll…?"
"Yes," Victor said, almost amused. "She will be replaced if she can't give you the heir you need."
Aria felt like the room was closing in. The child she carried—her child—was unwanted. Not only was she alone, but the tiny life inside her was a secret to the father who had married her for the wrong reasons.
She sank to the floor, sliding down the wall, her back pressed cold and hard. "No," she whispered. "This can't be real."
Her chest ached, her hands shaking. She felt the weight of betrayal like a stone pressing down on her. Sebastian had never cared for her. He had married her for control, for legacy, for the name. And now, even the child she hoped could save something between them was not wanted.
Tears blurred her vision. She thought of all the nights she had imagined him smiling at her, softening, seeing her as more than a tool. None of it had been real.
Her fingers dug into her stomach, warmth and life pressed against her skin. "I will protect you," she whispered to the small life inside her. "Even if he doesn't… even if he never will."
A thought struck her, sharp and sudden. She could not stay here. She could not let Sebastian decide their fate. The house, the staff, the rules—everything was his, and he had no idea how deeply she had been betrayed.
"We will leave," she whispered. "We will leave."
Her mind raced. She could call Dr. Maya. She could make a plan. She could disappear before he had a chance to destroy what was hers. She could not let this child be raised under the shadow of his coldness.
She thought about the tiny heartbeat she had heard moments ago on the monitor. That small pulse was her hope now. Her strength. She could rebuild, even alone.
Aria rose slowly, pressing a hand to her stomach. The baby shifted slightly, and she imagined a tiny fist curling against her palm. The gesture gave her courage, even as tears ran freely down her face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry it has to be this way."
She slid to the door, moving as silently as she could. Every creak of the floor sounded like a gunshot in her ears. The study door loomed ahead, but she would not peek. She had seen enough. She had heard the truth.
"I will not let him decide our fate," she murmured. "Not now. Not ever."
Aria's mind raced with plans—how to leave quietly, who to call, what to take. Her heart pounded with fear, but the fear was sharper than the sorrow now. Fear would keep them alive. Courage would make them free.
She paused, pressed her hand once more against her stomach, and whispered, "We will leave."
The words were firm, final. There was no turning back. Sebastian would never know. Victor would never manipulate. The child would be hers to protect.
Aria slipped into the shadows of the hall, careful not to disturb a single soul. Every single step was measured, deliberate. Every breath quiet, controlled. She had made a decision, and she would see it through.
As she reached at the side exit of the mansion, she paused and one last time, letting the night air wash over her. The city lights flashed in the distance, and she thought of a new life, free from Sebastian, free from manipulation, free from the coldness that had haunted her since the wedding night.
Her hand lingered on her stomach. "We will leave," she repeated, softly, almost like a promise to the small life she carried.
And with that, she stepped into the night.