The hospital appointment had been penciled in for days now—Ethan and Lena were to meet after her final exam, to finally get the checkup confirming everything they already knew in their hearts.
She was pregnant. And Ethan had been... different ever since.
No longer just the cold, elusive billionaire who preferred silence to affection—he was still him, but now with a sharpened edge of protectiveness. No part of Lena's life was untouched by his concern. He had assigned her a private bodyguard, increased surveillance without her knowing at first, and checked in on her so frequently she sometimes felt suffocated.
And yet... she didn't mind.
Not this time.
Because when he held her—when his hand brushed her stomach and his expression softened for a split second—she knew he cared. He just didn't know how to show it.
Today, however, that careful plan—their quiet meeting at the hospital—was unraveling fast.
The exam had run long. Lena had already messaged Ethan.
> "Still in the exam hall. I'll hurry over once it's done. Don't panic."
Of course he panicked. He always did now.
The sun was high when Lena stepped out of the university gates. Her phone buzzed in her hand. Unknown number.
She frowned, silenced it, kept walking. The bodyguard trailed behind her, quiet, watchful.
It buzzed again. And again. And again.
She finally answered, irritation lacing her voice. "Hello? Who is this?"
A pause. Then a voice she hadn't expected to hear ever again.
"It's Vivian."
Her blood iced. "Vivian?" She looked around, disoriented. "Should that name ring a bell?"
"Vivian Reigns. From Ethan's firm."
Lena stopped walking. "What the hell do you want?"
"To talk. Please. I know you probably hate me—"
"Hate is a kind word for what I feel," Lena snapped. "Don't tell me you've suddenly grown a conscience."
"I know how this sounds. But I need ten minutes. That's all. I couldn't reach Ethan. He's cut me off completely. You're the only one who might listen."
"I'm not interested in hearing your lies," Lena said. "Or whatever sob story you think will make me feel pity."
"Lena… It's not a story. It's a warning."
That gave Lena pause.
"I'm just across the road. The café next to your school. Public place. You're safe. Bring your guard if it helps. But I'm not here to hurt you. I just… I need you to listen."
The line cut.
Lena lowered the phone. Her heart thumped as her instincts warred inside her.
She turned to the bodyguard. "I'm going to see someone."
"No," he said immediately. "That's not protocol. You're under direct protection, and Mr. O'Martin gave strict—"
"I'm not asking. Just stay close. But not too close."
He hesitated, jaw tight. Then gave a reluctant nod.
---
The café was nearly empty. Vivian sat alone in a corner seat by the window. She was no longer the pristine, polished woman Lena remembered—her hair was tied back messily, her once-bright red lips bare, eyes sunken.
Still, she wore her pride like a scarf—chin lifted, legs crossed, fingers gently tapping the side of her coffee cup.
"Lena," she said softly as she approached.
Lena didn't sit. "Talk."
Vivian sighed and gestured to the seat. "Please. Just give me this moment."
Reluctantly, Lena sat, arms crossed tightly.
Vivian exhaled. "I've been blacklisted. Fired. My license revoked. My reputation—gone. No firm will touch me."
"You deserve worse," Lena muttered.
"I know," Vivian said. "I betrayed Ethan. I let George manipulate me. I thought I was just helping discredit you… but I was a pawn in something bigger."
Lena's eyes narrowed. "Go on."
"I was angry. I loved Ethan… for years. Silently. Stupidly. I watched him go through women like they were temporary files—disposable. I kept hoping one day he'd see me."
Vivian nodded. "And he saw you. Really saw you. I told myself it was infatuation. Lust. That it'd fade like the others. But it didn't. He changed. You changed him."
She paused, swallowing hard. "I tried to break you two apart. That's on me. But George… he had his own motives. The contract marriage revelation? He thought that would ruin Ethan. He thought it would scare off investors. But he wasn't the only one feeding the fire."
Lena leaned forward. "What do you mean?"
Vivian's voice dropped. "Someone else is involved. Someone with deeper connections. George told me he received Ethan's mother's case file anonymously. Drug history, falsified autopsy reports, even tampered blood results tied to the hospital scandal—none of it came from him directly."
Lena's blood ran cold. "You're saying someone planted those leaks... just to destroy Ethan?"
Vivian nodded. "And George ran with it. Used it as leverage. But this other player? They're quieter. Smarter. And far more dangerous."
"Do you know who it is?"
"No. But I know this—they're not done. And now that Ethan's refused to sell part of the firm to George, things are about to escalate. Fast."
Lena stood, her voice shaking. "Why tell me this now?"
"Because I'm leaving," Vivian said. "Going somewhere to start over. I may be a traitor, but I owe Ethan… something. And you, too."
Lena turned and ran.
---
Ethan was pacing in the hospital corridor like a man about to combust. The clinic staff gave him wide berth. His phone was glued to his hand, but Lena's number went straight to voicemail.
He had waited. And waited.
Now it was two hours past their appointment time.
He had texted. Called. Even tried the bodyguard.
Nothing.
The last message from her was after her exam. A simple update that she might be late. Then… silence.
Christian arrived a moment later. "Okay, slow down. Maybe she got caught up in traffic or—"
"She's not answering," Ethan said. His tone was quiet. Dangerous. "And neither is the guard."
Christian blinked. "Wait. You don't think she… ran?"
Ethan's jaw tightened. "I wouldn't blame her. The media is crucifying me. And she's carrying my child. But no. Not Lena. She wouldn't just disappear."
Christian raised an eyebrow. "Child?"
"I was going to tell you. She's pregnant." Ethan's voice cracked slightly. "I'm going to be a father."
Christian's expression twisted between shock and exasperation. "And you just told me now?! Ethan!"
"I'll throw you a party later. Right now, I need to find her."
Just then—the hospital entrance doors slammed open.
Ethan and Christian both turned.
The bodyguard stumbled in—bloodied, bruised, one eye swollen shut, his shirt torn and streaked with dust. He looked like he'd crawled through hell.
"Where is she?" Ethan barked, grabbing him by the shoulders.
The guard's lips trembled. He tried to speak but wheezed instead, clutching his ribs.
Christian pushed Ethan aside and steadied him. "Breathe. Just tell us—what happened?"
The guard looked at Ethan. His voice cracked with fear.
"They took her."
The words hit like a bullet.
Ethan's eyes went wide. "Who? WHO TOOK HER?!"
The guard collapsed.
And Ethan's heart—already stretched thin—snapped in two.