As if I had already expected my brother’s condition in helping me and accepting me back into our family, here I am now, in his office, as he stared at me, waiting for my answer.
“Avril, you have to decide now.”
Aaron’s condition was for me to marry his business partner, Cyrus Montague. Back then, I knew this was one of his and our father’s plans—that’s why they never wanted me to have a boyfriend. They were saving me for their business expansion. This was one of the reasons why I fell hard for Jake before. Because he made me feel loved and important without asking anything in return, or so I thought.
I swallowed hard. “Give me some time to think about it.”
Aaron shrugged. “Take your time, but not until you’ve made your decision, you can’t go home to the Beaumont mansion.” He slid a card across his desk. “For now, you’ll stay at one of our hotels.”
I stared at the card, then at Aaron. He still cared, didn’t he? There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, but I didn’t know if it was genuine or if he just wanted me to comply with his condition. He sighed, scanning my face.
“You look exhausted,” he muttered. “Have you even eaten since you arrived? You’ve lost weight.”
I wanted to cry at his concern. I wanted to tell him everything, to let him know what Jake had done to me, but I was torn. Before I could say anything, Aaron leaned back in his chair. “You should rest. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”
Everything happened so fast. Yesterday, I was Jake’s fiancée, waiting for the day he would finally propose marriage. Now, I was bound to marry someone I hadn’t even met, someone I didn’t love. But my decision wasn’t just about me anymore.
I placed a hand over my stomach, my fingers trembling slightly. A storm of emotions surged within me—fear, uncertainty, and the unbearable weight of betrayal. I had dreamed of the moment I would tell Jake about the baby. I had imagined the way his face would light up, the way he would wrap his arms around me, promising a future filled with love and security. But that dream had shattered the moment I caught him with Vixen.
Yes, I was pregnant—three weeks, as confirmed by the doctor. And this was the news I had planned to tell Jake once he returned home. But that moment would never come. When he went back to our shared home in Stanton, I would be gone.
The weight of my choices crushed me. If I went back to my family and agreed to Aaron’s condition, I would be giving my unborn child a secure future. A powerful, influential family name. A father figure, even if he wasn’t the biological one. But how could a man accept someone else’s child? How could a man marry a woman already pregnant with another man’s baby? Aaron had given me a week to decide, but deep down, I knew I didn’t have that long. I needed to act quickly.
That night, I fell into an exhausted sleep. I only woke up when my phone rang loudly. The shrill sound pierced through my haze, dragging me back to the harsh reality of my situation. I groggily reached for it, checking the time. Eleven in the morning. My heart clenched when I saw the caller ID—Jake.
The phone rang and rang, but I ignored it. He stopped calling after a while, but notifications flooded my screen one after another.
[Where are you?]
[Why aren’t you picking up your phone?]
[The investors are waiting at the company. They need you there.]
[What the hell, Avril? Where are you?]
[What the fuck are you doing? Go to the office now! We're about to lose investors!]
[Avril, I am busy here doing business deals, and here you are, being stubborn as fuck!]
[Avril, I am doing everything for our future, and you’re ruining it. Tell me where you are!]
[Are you cheating on me now?]
[Answer your phone!]
I stared at his messages, my hands trembling. Even now, after everything he had done, he dared to act like I was the problem. My chest tightened with anger, but more than that, I felt a deep, aching sorrow. This was the man I had once loved unconditionally. The man I had envisioned a future with. And now, he was nothing more than a stranger sending me angry, possessive texts.
The phone rang again, but I ignored it. I got up, took a long shower, and tried to clear my mind. The hot water cascaded down my body, soothing my tense muscles, but it did nothing to wash away the turmoil inside me. I had spent years being Jake’s shadow, supporting him, loving him, believing in his promises. And now, I was done.
Just as I finished getting dressed, someone knocked on my door. My heart pounded. No one knew I was here—except Aaron.
I hesitated before opening the door. As expected, it was Aaron, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a tall, imposing man. He had dark, piercing eyes, a sharp jawline, and an air of confidence that made my breath hitch.
He looked at me from head to toe, and that was when I realized I was only wearing a robe. Heat crawled up my neck, and I instinctively pulled it tighter around my body. The intensity of his gaze unsettled me, as if he could see through my carefully crafted mask.
Aaron’s gaze darkened. “Get dressed.” His voice was cold. “We’ll wait in the lobby.”
I shut the door, my heart racing. Who was that man? Why did he look so familiar? His presence had an undeniable weight, a force that made my pulse quicken for reasons I couldn’t yet understand.
I hurried to put on something decent, grabbed my bag, and checked my phone. Another message from Aaron.
[Avril, Cyrus is waiting for you in the lobby. I need to go back to the office. Behave while you’re with him. It’s your chance to know more about your soon-to-be husband.]
My blood ran cold.
Cyrus.
So he was the man Aaron wanted me to marry? My soon-to-be husband?
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to find another way, but deep down, I knew there was no alternative. The past was behind me. The only way forward was to embrace the future, no matter how uncertain it seemed.
And at that moment, I knew I had made my decision.
