Chapter 2 2

The morning sun sliced through the gaps in the blackout curtains, hitting Serena squarely in the eyes. She woke with a start, her hand instantly going to her stomach. The bed beside her was empty. The sheets were cold. Julian was gone.

She sat up, her head throbbing. On the nightstand, next to a crystal carafe of water, sat a black Amex card and a yellow sticky note.

Buy Leo a birthday gift. Dinner at the estate tonight.

The handwriting was jagged, rushed. No mention of last night. No mention of the engagement. Just orders.

Serena picked up the note and crumpled it in her fist. She threw it toward the trash can, but it missed, landing on the pristine carpet like a piece of discarded trash. Just like her.

She swung her legs out of bed and the nausea hit her again, punctual and vicious. She ran to the bathroom, emptying her stomach of water and bile. When she finally stood up, wiping her mouth, she looked at her reflection. She looked wrecked.

Her phone began to ring from the bedroom. The screen flashed: Katherine Sterling.

Serena took a deep breath, steeling herself. She swiped answer.

"Good morning, Mrs. Sterling."

"Did you see the news?" Katherine's voice was sharp, cutting through the line like a serrated knife. "Or are you playing dumb?"

"I saw it," Serena said, keeping her voice flat.

"Good. Then you know your place. You may carry the Sterling name on a piece of paper in a safe deposit box, Serena, but do not mistake that for status. We need to manage the optics. Victoria will be at the estate tonight. Do not make a scene. You are there to manage Leo, nothing more."

"I understand," Serena said. "I will fulfill my contract until the end."

Katherine let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Don't think playing house with Leo for five years makes you a mother, Serena. You are a glorified babysitter who happens to sleep in the master suite. Remember that tonight."

The line went dead.

Serena lowered the phone. Her hand was trembling. Leo. He was the only thing that made this bearable. He was five years old, turning six next week. She had raised him since he was three months old, when Julian brought him home in a carrier, claiming the mother had died in childbirth.

She showered, the hot water doing little to melt the ice in her veins. She dressed in her armor: a charcoal pencil skirt, a high-collared silk blouse, and four-inch heels. She applied concealer liberally under her eyes.

She drove to the Sterling Group headquarters. The city was plastered with Julian and Victoria's faces. Every newsstand, every digital billboard. It was inescapable.

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, the hum of the office died down. Heads turned. Eyes lowered. She could feel the pity radiating off the staff. The Executive Assistant whose boss just got engaged to a movie star. Except they didn't know she was his husband. They just thought she was his pathetic, devoted assistant who had been sleeping with him on the side.

Lily, the junior assistant, hurried over with a steaming mug. "Coffee, Serena? Black, two sugars?"

The smell of the roasted beans hit Serena's nose and her stomach lurched. She took a step back, holding her breath.

"No," she managed to say, her voice tight. "Just hot water with lemon. My stomach is... acidic today."

She walked past Lily and straight into Julian's office. The door was open. He was standing at the head of the conference table, surrounded by his PR team. Charts and graphs were projected on the wall. Engagement metrics. Social media sentiment analysis.

Julian looked up. His gaze flicked over her, assessing her appearance, not her well-being.

"Come in, Serena," he said. "We are discussing the transition plan for Leo's custody."

Serena froze. The folder she was holding slipped from her fingers, the edge slicing into her thumb. She ignored the sting.

"Transition?" she asked. "To whom?"

Julian looked at her as if she were slow. "To Victoria. She is going to be his stepmother. It is important for the public image that they are seen as a family unit."

Serena felt the blood drain from her face. "Leo is terrified of strangers, Julian. You know that. He has anxiety."

Julian waved a hand dismissively. "That is why you will facilitate it. You will bridge the gap. It is a job, Serena. Do not make it emotional. This isn't about parenting; it's about integration."

He turned back to the PR team. "I want the first photo op at the park next Tuesday."

Serena stood there, her thumb bleeding onto the carpet. He wasn't just replacing her. He was erasing her. He was taking the child she had raised, the child who called her Mommy when he had nightmares, and handing him over to a woman who viewed him as a prop.

She backed out of the room. She couldn't breathe.

She made it to her desk and collapsed into her chair. She opened her phone. The trending topic on Twitter was VictoriaBestMom. Bots and fans were already praising Victoria for taking on a motherly role to the billionaire's tragic orphan son.

Her phone buzzed with a text message. It was from the private clinic she had contacted online at 4 AM.

Ms. Vance, your consultation is confirmed for next Tuesday at 10:00 AM. Please arrive 15 minutes early.

Serena stared at the screen. Next Tuesday. The same day as the photo op.

She touched her flat stomach. A tear slid down her cheek, hot and fast. She wiped it away furiously. She couldn't bring a child into this. Not into a world where children were PR stunts and mothers were disposable employees.

She typed back: Confirmed.