Chapter 4

Elia POV:

I woke to the sterile scent of a hospital room, the soft glow of the monitor a stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed me. Christian sat beside my bed, his face haggard, his eyes bloodshot. He pleaded, he begged, he provided carefully curated evidence of Gidget's alleged drugging, of his own innocence. He swore he hadn't touched her, that it was a terrible accident, a misunderstanding. He pleaded with me to believe him, to forgive him.

I wanted to. Desperately. I wanted to believe the man I loved, the man who had always been my protector. I tried to convince myself it was a cruel trick of fate, an unfortunate mistake. I yearned to put it behind us, to salvage the shattered remnants of our life together.

Just as our fragile peace began to mend, a notification pinged on my phone. Gidget. Always Gidget. She had posted a picture. A candid shot of her, laughing, nestled against a man whose face was turned away. But I recognized the familiar curve of his jaw, the dark hair, and more importantly, the discreet silver ring on his outstretched hand. The ring I had given Christian, a cherished anniversary gift.

My blood roared in my ears. The blurry memory of Christian's rushed, almost dismissive text message about an urgent business trip, just days before, came flooding back. He hadn't been on a business trip. He had been with her. With Gidget.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. He hadn't stopped seeing her. He had lied. Again. My vision tunneled.

I stumbled out of the apartment, a frantic urgency propelling me forward. I had to see, had to know. The night was a blur of taxi rides and flashing city lights. It was almost midnight when I arrived, the sky above a symphony of bursting fireworks, a cruel, mocking celebration of something I couldn't comprehend.

And then I saw them. Christian and Gidget. Standing on a balcony, wrapped in each other's arms, silhouetted against the exploding colors. He held her close, his head bent to hers.

"Is it a boy or a girl, darling?" Gidget' s voice, clear and bright, drifted across the distance. "Has our baby already celebrated its first New Year with us?"

The words were a physical assault. Our baby. My ears roared, a deafening white noise that drowned out everything. I couldn't process it. My body moved before my mind, a primal scream tearing from my throat.

I lunged forward, my hand connecting with Christian' s face, a sharp, stinging slap. Then I grabbed Gidget's hair, my fingers tangling in the silken strands. "You lied!" I shrieked, my voice cracking. "You swore it was an accident! You swore you were innocent!"

Christian reacted instantly, pulling Gidget protectively into his arms, shielding her from me. His eyes, usually so gentle, were blazing with a cold fury I had never seen directed at me. He grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging into my flesh, a searing pain blooming up my arm.

"What is wrong with you, Elia?" he snarled, his voice a low growl. "Are you insane? She's pregnant!"

The world tilted again. Pregnant. My sister. With his child. Tears streamed down my face, hot and furious. "Pregnant?" I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. "With your child? Who am I, Christian? Who am I to you?"