Chapter 1 One

GIANNA RAINE

"Everyone in position?" I whispered into my earpiece.

I am watching all the monitors in front of me, which showed any movements of our enemies. I spotted some movement and quickly gave orders.

"Ready."

The eight team members inside the warehouse prepared for the ambush.

"Ready, Lady G."

I pressed a few buttons while speaking into my earpiece. "Attack."

Gunfire erupted over the earpiece as I watched my team take out the enemies one by one.

"Lady G..." Onyx spoke through the earpiece. "We got the item."

"Good." I clicked my earpiece to talk to another team member. "Your side, Sapphire?"

"Clear!"

I took a deep breath and ordered them to fall back so we could leave. Onyx handed me the items we had retrieved.

I heard someone was stealing important items from the organization, and I am here to get them back.

I have two all-girl squads: Dominion Sisters and the Nightingales.

Don't judge me by their names, I didn't name them. I didn't have time to come up with names, so I just let it be. If I had known they'd sound cheesy, I would've done it myself. Oh well.

I called them together and explained that I had a new mission for them. They listened carefully. As I explained, I rubbed my head, feeling slightly dizzy and with a headache. Why did I suddenly feel nauseous?

"Lady G, are you okay?" Ivory asked. She's part of Dominion Sisters.

"Yes..." I said, even though I am not.

"Headache again, Lady G?" Crimson asked.

"I've noticed your head hurts a lot lately," Serpent added.

"I'm fine."

Onyx approached and handed me some water. I accepted it but didn't drink. Even though these people are close to me after spending so much time together, I never show weakness in front of them.

"Maybe Lady G is pregnant!"

I shot Sapphire a sharp look for saying that. She quickly covered her mouth as if she were trying to play it off like a joke. Annoying.

"What? How would that even happen?" Sapphire laughed.

They all laughed loudly, but they stopped when they noticed the sharp look I gave them.

"Just kidding! Haha, if Miss Gia keeps us waiting later, we'll be stuck!"

My squads are rowdy. How I tolerate them is a mystery even to me.

"True! How could Miss Gia be pregnant? She scares any guy who comes near her."

Like I did with the other group, I gave Onyx a sharp look. But that's the truth. I'm cautious around men, not because I'm afraid, but because I find them irritating. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against men. I have male cousins and a twin brother, and I'm fine with them. It's just that most men annoy me, they use their bodies more than their brains. I avoid talking to them and engaging with their shallowness.

After that, I dismissed my squads and went back home. I rubbed my head as I entered. Why am I still in pain?

The house staff greeted me, but I didn't respond. I stopped walking when I saw my twin brother.

"Gia," he greeted.

"Gio." I remembered we'd just had an argument. We had fixed things, and our relationship was okay again.

That argument was the first time his words actually hurt me.

"I just visited Mom and Dad. How's the mission?"

"Fine," I replied. I let go of my head to avoid Gio noticing.

Gio is just like me, emotionally distant. Well, not literally heartless. We used to understand each other perfectly, and that was enough for both of us. But after he got married, he changed. Sometimes, I don't even recognize my own brother.

It feels so lonely here, Gio.

"Are you going home?" I asked.

"Yeah, my wife needs me. She just got out of the hospital, and she's pregnant. Why?"

I looked at Gio, then shook my head. I thought we had time to talk, but it seemed we didn't.

"Also, I need to have a send-off party for one of my bodyguards."

I frowned. Who's leaving?

"Who?"

"Elliott. He's resigning."

My eyes widened. That noisy guy?

Out of all my brother's staff, I cannot stand being around Elliott.

He's resigning, huh?

"I see. But I don't have time for that. Besides, I'm not close to any of them."

Gio gave me a small smile. I frowned at his smile. "But Elliott took good care of you in the past, remember?"

I do. Before my brother got married, he's overprotective of me. Whenever he left, he would leave one of his staff to "protect" me in his place. That bodyguard was always Elliott.

"Alright. Your wife might be looking for you. I'll rest now," I said.

Gio came closer and kissed my head. "Take some rest, Gia. You look pale. You might get sick."

I just nodded and watched him leave. After he left, I walked into my room, then straight to the bathroom, where I immediately vomited. I didn't understand why my stomach felt so wrong.

Afterwards, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. I remembered what my staff jokingly said, they suggested I might be pregnant.

That's impossible.

I went over everything that had happened. While doing that, I ran to the nearest pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test kit. Nothing would be lost if I tested myself.

I got home and used the test kit. As I waited, my mind raced over how I could have gotten pregnant that way...

My eyes widened. It was vague, but I remembered. I looked at the test and gasped at the result.

Two lines. I am pregnant.

I held my stomach, staring at it. There's a baby growing inside me. I couldn't believe it. I used the remaining test kit, hoping the first one is wrong but the result is the same. Two lines.

I am pregnant.

I closed my eyes and walked down memory lane. How could I let this happen? It was just one night. One night, and now this.

As I absorbed the news, I couldn't help but recall what had happened the night this baby was conceived.

I had argued with my twin brother. It wasn't our usual argument, this time, he said words I couldn't accept. Words that wounded my heart, even if I usually don't feel much. Hearing them from him, my twin, the person I thought understood me most, hurt more than I could have imagined.

We were at the hospital when it happened, and I ran outside, not knowing where to go or what to do. How dare he say those words to me?

I know people think I have no heart and feel no emotions, but hearing that from Gio tore something inside me.

"Miss Gianna!"

Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me. That's when I realized I was about to be hit by a car. I hadn't noticed I was in the middle of the street.

For the first time, I cried. After holding my emotions in for so long, I never imagined my twin could make me feel this vulnerable.

I looked at the person holding me and saw one of my brother's staff.

Elliott.

Worry is clear in his eyes. I quickly pulled my hand away and avoided his gaze, wiping the tears from my cheeks. He couldn't see me like this. I had never cried in front of anyone.

"Are you-"

"You don't see anything." Once my face looked normal again, I looked at Elliott coldly. "Understood?"

He scratched his head but nodded.

I left the area, but I could feel Elliott following me.

I don't like him. Of all my brother's staff, it's Elliott who annoys me the most. Not only is he noisy, but there's something else about him that irritates me. Out of all my brother's staff, he's the one always absent from the house. Gio claims he often sends Elliott to other places but I'm not buying it. They're hiding something.

Not that I care.

"Stop following me!" I glared sharply at Elliott. Of all my brother's staff, only Elliott has the ability to draw out my anger like this.

Usually, I am calm and cold... distant even. But right now, I'm raising my voice because he keeps following me or maybe my emotions are erratic after arguing with Gio. Yeah, that's the reason.

"I can't do that. If your brother finds out I left you, my head will roll on the floor!" He dramatically clutched his head. "Poor Boss. I'm the only handsome one in his staff, and if I leave-"

I didn't listen. I walked away. I don't have time for his nonsense.

I lost Elliott in the crowd, got into my car, and drove away.

I'm not the type to go to bars alone. But right now, I feel like drinking.

I parked at a bar and went inside. I sat at the bar stool and ordered a drink.

For the past few hours, I sat there alone, drinking. Every time I remembered my brother's sharp words, I drowned myself further in alcohol.

I put my glass down on the counter. I am already feeling dizzy. How many drinks had I had?

My vision was spinning. This was the first time I drank like this without control.

I tried to stand, but I couldn't. I was dizzy, and if I stood, I would just fall.

"Careful..."

Someone grabbed my waist and helped me back onto the stool.

My vision was blurry. I couldn't make out the man helping me. Damn, I hate this. I don't need help, especially over some stupid reason like getting drunk.

I still couldn't see him clearly. Do I know him? He looks familiar.

"Here, Miss. Have some water."

He handed me a glass. I drank it, feeling my throat burn from the alcohol.

The man stayed with me. He never left my side. I didn't even notice that I had started telling him why I was drinking.

"I never expected to hear those cruel words from my brother!"

I clenched my fists from anger and sadness over what happened between my brother and me.

The man approached me and hugged me. I was surprised because I had never been hugged like that before.

My lips trembled. No, I refused to cry. A warrior never cries. You are a warrior, Gianna.

But the hug felt so good.

We eventually pulled apart, and the next thing I knew, I was leaning my lips toward him.

What happened between us is unclear. All I know is that the next morning, I woke up with blood on my thighs, a sign of what had happened between us. While cleaning myself, I saw a business card on the floor. I think he left it.

When I fully realized what had happened, I quickly went to my room. I remember picking up the business card and hiding it somewhere.

I looked at the business card and read whose it was. When I first found it, I just hid it and didn't pay attention. I told myself I might need it later, even though I was confident that whatever happened between us was just a one-night stand.

I closed my eyes. I tried to forget what happened because I'm not the type of person to have a one-night stand. Hell, I've refused many marriage proposals because I feel I'm not worthy of being a wife.

I am no wife material. So why me? Why am I pregnant now?

Constantine De Graaf

Chief Executive, D.G. Airways

There's a phone number and an email address. There's also an office address.

"Pennsylvania, huh?"

I've heard of this airline, but I've never booked a flight with them. I just don't know why.

I took a deep breath. Is this him? Is this the man I had a one-night stand with?

I don't remember much because of how drunk I was that night, but I'm sure it was one steamy night.

I bit my lip and shook my head. I shouldn't think about those things.

If I'm really pregnant, it's only normal to let the father know. After all, a baby can't be created alone. Before anything else, I need to see a doctor.

No, I'm not expecting him to take responsibility. I can handle this parenthood alone. I just want to inform the man I slept with so he knows a child resulted from that night. Whether he accepts it or not is up to him. I also have no plans to marry. He doesn't need to worry or feel obligated. I won't tie him to me just because we created a child.

And no, my family will not know, at least not yet.

I organized my things and called someone to schedule a pregnancy examination. I need proof that I'm pregnant before facing the possible father of my child.

I will see you soon, Constantine De Graaf.