Chapter 8
I stared at the two pink lines on the test, my chest tight with emotions I couldn’t name. A part of me wanted to smile because it was our child–mine and Jayson’s. But that part was small, fragile, buried under a mountain of guilt, anger, and regret.
It felt wrong to have this baby. But it felt even worse to think of not having it.
So, I did what I knew best–I buried it. Shoved the test to the back of the drawer, buried the truth deep within me, and focused on the only thing I had control over–work.
At the research facility, whispers trailed me like shadows, clinging to the sterile white walls and polished glass panels. They didn’t even try to hide it. The clicks of my heels echoed down the hall, but their voices sliced through the sound’like knives.
“That’s her–the fiancée of Ryan.”
“The one from the news. Must be nice having connections.”
“No wonder she’s leading the project. It’s not her qualifications–it’s the ring on her finger.”
“Probably slept her way to the top.”
I clenched my jaw, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. Pretending not to hear was easier than acknowledging the sting of every word. But they landed anyway, sharp and irritating, like tiny splinters embedding themselves under my skin.
The engagement had gone public faster than I expected.
Ryan’s announcement had been bold, plastered across every news outlet with photos of us together–his arm wrapped around me, that arrogant smirk on his face while I forced a polite smile. The headlines screamed: “Billionaire Heir Ryan Declares Engagement to Research Lead
Kylie Gray.”
And with it, the assumptions began. They didn’t know me.
They didn’t know how hard I’d worked, the years I’d spent buried in textbooks, labs, and late nights just to be here. They didn’t know the sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the dreams I’d built from scratch.
I earned this. But none of that mattered now. All they saw was the diamond on my finger and the man who put it there.
Then one afternoon, as I struggled to steady my breathing, the door creaked open. Ryan leaned casually against the doorframe, his signature smirk in place, like nothing in the world could
touch him.
But this time, his eyes weren’t filled with amusement. They were sharp. I knew that look.
Without saying a word to me, he pushed off the doorframe, striding into the open office space. Conversations fell into awkward silence as he stopped right in the middle of the room, his presence commanding attention.
“Isn’t it funny,” Ryan’s voice rang out, smooth yet laced with steel, “how people with mediocre. achievements have the loudest opinions?”
Murmurs rippled through the room. Heads turned. Some looked away, pretending to be busy. He continued, “For those of you curious–Kylie didn’t ‘sleep her way to the top.‘ She got here
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because she’s smarter than half of you combined. Her research proposal was accepted before she even met me.”
Silence.
Ryan’s gaze swept across the room, daring anyone to challenge him. “If anyone has a problem with her position, feel free to work harder. Maybe you’ll catch up someday,”
He turned back to me, his smirk returning with a softer edge. “Lunch?” he asked casually, as if he hadn’t just dismantled the entire office with a few sharp words.
I sat there, stunned, my heart pounding–not from embarrassment, but something else entirely.
Relief because for the first time, there was a man who defended me.
Later that day, I felt nauseous again and started vomiting. Ryan had noticed it already as he entered the bathroom.
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” he said, no hesitation, no sugar–coating.
I froze, my heart racing.
*
“Yes,” I whispered, not meeting his gaze. “I don’t know what to do.”
Ryan walked in, unbothered, and sat on the edge of my desk. “Well, that’s great news.
My head snapped up. “What?”
He grinned. “Yeah. We can use this for my inheritance. A baby and a fiancée? Perfect
combination.”
I glared at him. “It’s not your child.”
Ryan shrugged, completely unfazed. “So? I’ll be the father. Doesn’t matter whose it is. It’s a
win–win.”
I stared at him, trying to process his words.
Was it really that simple? No. It wasn’t. But maybe it could be.
I didn’t want to kill this baby. I didn’t want to carry Jayson’s child alone either.
So, I nodded. “Fine.”
His smile grew wider. “Great. We’ll arrange the wedding as soon as possible.”
I blinked. “What about the project? I’m not allowed to have outside contact. Remember your
rules?”
Ryan leaned closer, his voice dropping. “I made that rule so I could keep you all to myself.”
My heart stumbled. “What?”
He chuckled softly, like it was obvious. “You know you’re the head of this project, right? Don’t worry, I really didn’t know it was gonna be you so you earned this spot. It was later on when I <new and I made that rule because I didn’t want Jayson sniffing around. But now that you’re here -mine–there’s no problem.”
I stared at him, heart pounding for reasons I couldn’t explain. “What? I don’t understand. Why?”
His smile faded, replaced by something more serious. His gaze locked with mine, sharp and direct. “Do you know why Jayson and I aren’t friends anymore?”
I didn’t answer.
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He did.
“Because of you.”
The air left my lungs.
“I told him I liked you,” Ryan continued. “But he said you were off–limits. That I wasn’t allowed to touch you. And like an idiot, I agreed. But now…” He leaned closer, his breath warm against m skin. “Now I realize I was stupid to follow his rules.”
I stared at him, heart racing, mind spinning.
All this time, I thought Ryan was just another complication, another piece of the mess Jayson and I created.
But he wasn’t.
He’d been there all along, hiding behind rivalry, resentment, and rules.
I didn’t know what to say.
So, I said nothing.
Because for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure what I felt. My heart was just beating so
fast.
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