Chapter 2 The Unraveling

Hollywood's Favorite Couple

The tabloids loved them-Lucas Ford and Amy Carter, the golden couple. He was the charming, dominant leading man; she was the sweetheart America adored. Their love story was the kind of fairy tale fans obsessed over.

At least, that's how it looked from the outside.

Behind the curated smiles, the rehearsed interviews, and the staged PDA, cracks were forming. And Amy could feel it.

Lucas had been distant, his kisses lacking warmth, his touch missing the spark it once had. He was there, but his mind was elsewhere. And deep down, she knew exactly where-or who-it was drawn to.

But Amy wasn't going to sit back and watch the man she loved slip away. Not without a fight.

And so, she made a call.

To the one force more powerful than love in Hollywood-the media.

The Headline That Changed Everything

The next morning, the entertainment world exploded.

"LUCAS FORD & AMY CARTER-ENGAGED? INSIDER CLAIMS WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT SOON!"

Beatrice nearly choked on her morning espresso.

Sitting in her high-rise penthouse, she scrolled through the article, her grip tightening around her phone.

Engaged?

Her blood boiled.

So this was Amy's move.

She wasn't stupid. This wasn't about love-it was a trap. Amy was marking her territory, using the media to back Lucas into a corner. A public claim on a man whose heart wasn't truly hers.

Beatrice smirked, tapping her nails against the rim of her glass. If Amy thought she could control the game, she was sorely mistaken.

Because Beatrice had already won.

She placed a hand over her stomach.

Amy wasn't the only one carrying a secret.

Lucas's Breaking Point

Lucas stared at his phone, his head pounding.

Amy sat across from him in their luxury suite, her expression carefully composed. "It was just a leak," she said innocently. "I didn't confirm anything."

Lucas let out a bitter laugh. "Don't play dumb, Amy. You knew exactly what you were doing."

Her eyes glistened. "I just- I wanted to remind you that we still have a future. That we're still good together."

Lucas ran a hand down his face, frustration clawing at him.

This was a mess. A disaster.

And he had let it happen.

His phone buzzed. A message. One name flashing across the screen.

Beatrice.

Lucas's stomach twisted. He didn't want to check it. He needed to.

He opened the message.

"Meet me. Now. We need to talk."

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

Something was coming. And he wasn't ready for it.

Beatrice's Ultimate Power Play

That night, Lucas entered Beatrice's penthouse, tension crackling in the air.

She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, city lights illuminating her figure. When she turned to face him, there was no smirk. No seduction. Just cold, hard truth.

"Amy's playing games, Lucas."

He exhaled sharply. "I know."

Beatrice crossed her arms. "Then stop letting her win."

Lucas met her gaze. "And what do you expect me to do? Walk out on her? Humiliate her in front of the world?"

Beatrice took a slow step forward. "Yes."

Lucas flinched.

Her next words shattered him.

"Because I'm pregnant."

Silence.

For the first time in his life, Lucas Ford was speechless.

His world tilted, the weight of her words pressing down on him like an avalanche.

Beatrice held her ground, watching him carefully. "And before you ask-yes, it's yours."

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, his breathing uneven. This-this wasn't supposed to happen.

He had been struggling to choose between two women, and now?

Now, the choice had been made for him.

And there was no turning back.

Lucas's Reaction

Lucas felt the floor shift beneath him, as if the walls of Beatrice's penthouse were closing in. Pregnant. The word echoed in his mind, colliding with every fear, every responsibility he had desperately tried to avoid.

His lips parted, but no words came out. His carefully curated world-his reputation, his career, his relationships-was hanging by a thread.

Beatrice, on the other hand, was calm. Too calm.

She had planned this.

"Say something, Lucas." Her voice was smooth, controlled. The kind of tone that told him she had already thought five steps ahead.

His chest tightened. "Are you sure?"

Her eyes darkened. "Would I be telling you this if I wasn't?"

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. This couldn't be happening.

Beatrice took a step closer, her presence suffocating. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Lucas's jaw clenched. Of course, he knew.

A scandal. A career-threatening, life-altering scandal.

If the media found out, his image would be shattered. Amy would be humiliated. His fans, his endorsements-everything would be at risk.

And worst of all? He would have no choice but to marry Beatrice.

Beatrice's Power Play

Beatrice watched him closely, reveling in the way his composure cracked.

She had waited for this moment. Planned for it.

Lucas Ford was finally at her mercy.

But she wasn't going to force him-not yet.

He would come to her willingly.

"You're thinking about Amy, aren't you?" she said, tilting her head.

Lucas's gaze snapped to her.

Beatrice smirked. "She played her move. Now, I've played mine." She reached for a glass of wine-then paused, setting it down. "Oh, right. No more wine for me."

Lucas's stomach twisted. This was real.

Lucas's stomach twisted. This was real.

"What do you want, Beatrice?" His voice was low, almost desperate.

She leaned in, her breath brushing against his ear. "I want everything."

And he knew she wasn't just talking about the baby.

She wanted him. His name. His future. His complete submission.

Amy's Next Move

Amy stood in front of the mirror, gripping the edge of the vanity. Her heart pounded as she stared at the latest headline flashing across her phone.

"BREAKING: Sources Claim Beatrice Sinclair Has a Secret!"

She swallowed hard. Something was wrong.

For weeks, she had felt it-Lucas's distance, the strange looks at events, the way Beatrice had been too quiet. Too patient.

And now, this.

Amy had spent years playing by the rules, being the perfect girlfriend, the Hollywood darling. But if Beatrice thought she could take Lucas away from her, she was wrong.

She tapped her phone, making a call.

"I need a story leaked."

If Beatrice wanted a war, Amy was ready to fight.

Lucas's Final Decision

Lucas drove through the city aimlessly, the weight of the situation suffocating him.

Amy. Beatrice. The baby.

How the hell had he let this happen?

His phone buzzed. A message from Beatrice.

"It's time to decide, Lucas. Choose."

His grip tightened around the wheel.

But deep down, he knew...

The choice had already been made.