The initial adrenaline rush-the triumph of escaping Kaius and securing Vane Industries-had faded, leaving behind a grueling, constant exhaustion. She wasn't just hiding; she was fighting a silent, relentless war against her own biology.
She sat at a large, custom-made desk, the laptop open to a complex financial dashboard. She was the CEO, conducting high-stakes meetings with her VP, Clara, via encrypted video links. But the steel-gray suit was replaced by soft cashmere, and her razor-sharp focus was constantly interrupted by agonizing waves of nausea.
She pressed her palm to her mouth, the sharp scent of the mountain air doing nothing to quell the rising bile. Control. I am in control.
She had hired a local, elderly housekeeper, Frau Steiner, a woman who spoke only Romansh and German, ensuring minimal conversation. Elara had told Frau Steiner she was recuperating from a nervous breakdown-a much more believable lie than a rare autoimmune disorder.
Elara looked out the window at the vast, silent snowscape. It was beautiful, sterile, and cold. Perfect. It mirrored the cage she had built around her heart. She had fled the city to protect her child, but every fiber of her being screamed that the child was a weakness, a catastrophic mistake conceived by her greatest enemy.
The struggle to maintain her professional facade was rapidly becoming impossible.
On the screen, Clara was reviewing the quarterly earnings projections. "The poison pill held, Elara. Kincaid pulled back his acquisition team. He suffered a public relations hit, but his stock is fine. He is, however, consolidating his other assets-we suspect he's gearing up for another, more massive play."
"Let him," Elara murmured, resting her head against the cool wood. "He plays by brute force. We play with finesse. Clara, I need you to initiate the talks with the Asian consortium. We need a strong strategic ally. Fast."
"Understood. Are you... feeling better, Elara? You look pale."
"It's the altitude and the treatment," Elara lied smoothly, forcing a thin, tired smile. "I need to go, Clara. Update me via the secure line tonight."
She terminated the call, collapsing back into her chair. God, I can't do this. The nausea wasn't just morning sickness; it was all-day sickness, a constant, dizzying companion. Her strength, which she had always taken for granted, was leaching away daily.
She closed her eyes, and a terrifying image flashed in her mind: Kaius. He wasn't arrogant in the memory; he was primal, his gray eyes dark with untamed possession. He had treated her body like a hostile territory to be conquered. The baby was the undeniable proof of his victory.
I hate him.
She gripped the arms of the chair. Her hatred for Kaius was the singular, driving force keeping her upright. If she let go of the anger, she feared the despair would drown her. The baby was a part of him, a constant, physical tether to the man who had humiliated her.
She had to focus on the hatred. It was her armor. It was her resolve. You will not control me through this child, Kincaid.
Later that evening, the sickness reached a new, agonizing peak. Elara was curled on the bathroom floor, shivering despite the villa's radiant heat, her body wracked by spasms of vomiting. This was not the glamorous, controlled life of a billion-dollar CEO. This was raw, miserable vulnerability.
She dragged herself to her feet, splashing cold water on her face. Her reflection was startling: sunken eyes, pale skin, hair tangled from the sweat. She looked fragile. And Elara Vane was never, ever fragile.
She had contacted a specialist OBGYN in Zürich via a series of dummy phones and encrypted emails, setting up a secret, cash-only appointment in two weeks. Until then, she was relying on the pre-natal vitamins and ginger tea.
As she collapsed onto the silk sheets, she started to cry, not from pain, but from profound, exhausted fear. Fear of losing control. Fear of the future.
And then, she felt it-a strange, soft pressure on her abdomen. She tentatively reached out, her fingers pressing into the small, still-flat area. She was beginning to understand that this was not merely a cluster of cells; it was a life, dependent on her.
A protective instinct, raw and unexpected, surged through the hate. It was the deepest betrayal of her logical mind. The child was Kincaid's, yes, but it was hers too. It was a tiny, fragile human whose existence was entirely Elara's responsibility.
I will protect you.
The thought was a small, quiet whisper against the roar of her hatred for the father. She vowed to make it strong, to make it fierce, to raise it to be everything Kaius Kincaid was not: compassionate, honest, and independent.
But the fear returned, sharp and clear. If Kaius ever discovered the truth, he wouldn't see a child; he would see an asset. He would take it, control it, and use it to crush her spirit completely. She had to remain a ghost.
Three valleys away, in a secluded, high-tech chalet outside St. Moritz, Dr. Emil Voss studied the grainy, discreetly taken photographs of Elara's villa. Voss was Kaius Kincaid's personal "fixer"-a man who specialized not in surgery, but in sensitive, impossible intelligence gathering.
His reports to Kaius were clinical, almost dull.
Day 7: Subject remains confined to the property. No external contact except for the elderly housekeeper, Frau Steiner.
Day 8: Subject's diet is highly restricted: mostly crackers, broth, and ginger tea. No high-end cuisine consumption.
Day 10: Subject was observed briefly on the balcony in the evening. Appears extremely pale. Observed repeated motions of abdominal pressure, consistent with severe, prolonged nausea.
Voss's voice was relayed via an encrypted line to Kaius Kincaid, who was sitting in his office, no longer raging, but listening with focused, predatory intent.
"She looks ill, Kaius," Voss reported. "But not autoimmune ill. She looks... pregnant. She is isolating, restricting her diet to fight nausea, and exhibiting extreme physical exhaustion. The nine-month timeframe for the villa lease is looking less like a coincidence and more like a term."
Kaius said nothing for a long moment. The silence was heavier than any shout.
She is. She stole my child.
The realization didn't just fuel his rage; it shifted his entire focus. The financial war was irrelevant. The corporate takeover was secondary. The only thing that mattered was reclaiming his blood.
"Voss," Kaius's voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "I want you to place an operative in the village. A local. Someone who can get closer. I want to know when she leaves the house, where she goes, and who she meets. Do not approach her. Do not spook her. But ensure she is under total, non-stop surveillance."
"Understood. But Kaius, why not simply confront her? Legally, you have rights."
"Because she would fight me in court for years," Kaius snarled. "I don't want a legal battle, Voss. I want her back. She needs to be weak enough, scared enough, to surrender to me. She needs to know that no matter where she runs, I am her world."
Elara decided she needed fresh air, ignoring the renewed protest from her stomach. She wrapped herself in an oversized hooded jacket and thick scarf, disguising her face, and ventured out for a short walk down the winding, snow-packed road.
She walked slowly, carefully. The crisp, clean air felt invigorating, but her body was heavy, her mind foggy.
As she rounded a sharp bend, she almost collided with a tall, well-dressed man who was walking his enormous, black Rottweiler.
"Verzeihung! My apologies," the man said in perfect, unaccented English, his voice smooth and cultured. He was handsome, perhaps in his late forties, with striking blue eyes. He looked like an affluent tourist, but his eyes held an unnerving stillness.
"It's quite alright," Elara mumbled, trying to pull her scarf higher over her face. She just wanted to pass.
The man paused, his eyes lingering on her face with unsettling intensity. "You must be new here. This mountain air can be very taxing on the unacclimatized. You look terribly run down. Do you have a local physician?"
Elara's heart pounded. His question was too specific, too personal. She was dressed like a ghost, yet he instantly focused on her health.
"I have everything I need," she replied sharply, taking a step back.
The man smiled, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. "I see. Well, be careful, Miss... I'm Dr. Petrov. I just moved into the village. Sometimes, these remote locations don't offer the specialized care people like us require."
Dr. Petrov. Elara had never heard of him. Yet, his gaze was assessing, analytical, and alarmingly familiar. It was the look of a man who knew more than he was letting on.
Before she could form a reply, he continued, his tone shifting to a chilling insinuation. "Just a piece of friendly advice from a specialist to a woman who needs rest: If you have secrets, Miss, the mountains always whisper them to the people who are listening closely. Have a good evening."
He tipped his head and walked away, his enormous dog pacing silently beside him.
Elara stood frozen, the blood draining from her face. He knew. He knew she was sick. He knew she was hiding. And the way he said 'people like us'... it was a veiled warning.
She turned and ran back toward the isolated villa, the quiet sanctuary suddenly feeling like the center of a spider's web.
Kaius. He's here. He found me.
/1/100069/coverbig.jpg?v=266299a282d1ae46819c8552b3d79f23)
Alpha's Rejected Mate: A Billionaire's Unexpected Surprise 
/0/96250/coverbig.jpg?v=ecdc90d9e0a5ea52d51f55e70cd5a75a)
/0/99842/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124185609)
/1/100013/coverbig.jpg?v=6d0af460c9de169f9a558158b630d2d7)
/0/78710/coverbig.jpg?v=ece29bda3e4b7a7b69e986c6371e406e)
/1/100069/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124182425)
/0/99551/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124182422)