Chapter 3

The following morning, I went to the hospital for my regular check-up. The twins were doing well. They were my everything now. I needed to see them, to feel that tangible connection, before I made the final preparations for our escape.

As I rounded a corner in the brightly lit corridor, two figures materialized. Drake and Chelsea. My heart stopped. He was gently supporting her, his hand resting solicitously on her lower back. His face was soft, tender, as he gazed at her.

My stomach churned. This was his "urgent work call" from yesterday, the one that tore him away from our fake anniversary dinner. He was here for her prenatal appointment. The truth was a crushing weight.

My chest constricted, a vice-like grip stealing my breath. The pain was so intense, I thought I might collapse. I quickly ducked behind a large potted plant, the broad leaves offering a flimsy shield.

They walked into an examination room, the door swinging shut behind them. I heard hushed voices, then a familiar male voice. It was Franklin Pena, Drake's Chief of Staff and closest confidant.

"Are you really sure you want this, Drake?" Franklin' s voice was low, cautious.

Drake' s reply was immediate, firm, absolute. "Yes. More than anything."

A fresh wave of pain washed over me. He wanted this. He wanted Chelsea's child.

"What about Kaitlyn?" Franklin asked, his voice barely audible.

A beat of silence. Then Drake' s voice, slow and deliberate. "Kaitlyn... she can't have children. We confirmed that years ago."

My blood ran cold. He had known about my success for months, but chose to lie.

"We'll adopt the baby once it's born," Drake continued, his voice regaining its usual confident tone. "Make it legitimate. An heir. My heir."

Adopt? My own child? Through me? The words were a series of sharp, unimaginable blows. He wanted me to raise his child with another woman. He wanted to use me, my barrenness, as a cover for his political aspirations.

The scheme was monstrous, calculated, and utterly devastating. My vision tunneled. A scream clawed its way up my throat, but I bit it back, clamping a hand over my mouth. Tears streamed down my face, hot and silent. I was choking on them.

My heart felt like it was being ripped into a thousand pieces. The betrayal was so deep, so absolute, it defied comprehension. This was not a moment of weakness; this was a meticulously crafted plan to discard and exploit me.

He didn't want me. He wanted my public image, my complicity, my silence. And now, he wanted me to raise his bastard child as my own.