Chapter 2 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU PLAYED YOURSELF

Isla's POV

From that day on, I buried myself in work. It was the only thing that kept me sane. The moment I stepped into the design studio each morning, I pushed away every thought of Adrian- every painful memory, every lingering ache.

Days turned into weeks, and I told myself I was fine. I convinced myself that I didn't care anymore, that I was moving on. But deep down, I knew the truth.

I wasn't fine.

I was exhausted.

And the worst part? No matter how hard I worked, no matter how many hours I spent sketching, revising, and meeting impossible deadlines... nothing could fill the emptiness inside me.

---

So this morning, as I was reviewing fabric samples, a strange dizziness washed over me. The edges of my vision blurred, and a wave of nausea twisted my stomach. I gripped the table, inhaling sharply.

"Isla, are you okay?" Mia, my assistant, looked at me with concern.

I forced a smile. "Yeah... Just a little tired."

But the dizziness didn't fade. It got worse.

By lunchtime, I could barely focus. My head throbbed, my stomach churned, and my hands trembled as I held my pen.

Something wasn't right.

I had been feeling off for weeks- tired, nauseous, strangely emotional. I kept telling myself it was stress, that my body was just reacting to everything I had been through. But now, I wasn't so sure.

A sudden, terrifying thought crept into my mind.

No. It couldn't be.

Could it?

My breath caught in my throat as I counted the days. The realization hit me like a freight train.

No. No. No.

My heart pounded as I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the office.

---

At the hospital, I sat in the waiting area, my fingers tightly clutching my phone. The walls felt like they were closing in on me.

I had taken a test at home before coming here. The two pink lines had stared back at me, undeniable and absolute. But I needed confirmation. I needed a doctor to tell me that I had read it wrong- that it was all just a mistake.

Because if it wasn't...

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I couldn't afford to think about that right now.

A nurse finally called my name, and I followed her into the examination room. The doctor greeted me with a kind smile before asking a few routine questions. Then came the ultrasound.

The screen flickered, and a small, unmistakable shape appeared.

My breath hitched.

Tiny. So tiny.

Yet, undeniably real.

"Congratulations," the doctor said gently. "You're about eight weeks along."

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. Eight weeks. Two months.

My hands went cold.

It had been exactly two months since that drunken night. The night I had tried to drown my sorrows. The night Adrian and I...

Oh, God.

This was his baby.

---

I walked out of the hospital in a daze, my mind spinning.

Pregnant.

I was pregnant with Adrian's child.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, a whirlwind of emotions crashing over me. Shock. Fear. A strange, unexpected warmth.

What was I supposed to do now?

Adrian wouldn't let me keep this baby.

I knew him. I knew how cold and calculating he could be. He had thrown me away without a second thought- he would never allow his so-called perfect life to be disrupted by a child he never wanted.

Would he force me to get rid of it? Would he take the baby away from me if I refused?

A shiver ran down my spine.

No.

I wouldn't let him.

I had already lost him. I wouldn't lose this baby too.

---

As I turned the corner toward the main exit, I noticed a sudden commotion.

Whispers filled the air, and people gathered near one of the clinic rooms, murmuring excitedly.

"Is that really her?"

"She's even more beautiful in person!"

"I heard her boyfriend is coming to pick her up. I wonder who he is."

Curious, I slowed my steps and glanced toward the half-open door. Through the small gap, I caught a glimpse of a woman sitting on the examination bed.

My breath hitched.

Even from this angle, she was breathtaking.

Sapphire Laurent.

One of the biggest superstars in the entertainment industry. The kind of woman men worshiped and women envied. With her flawless skin, mesmerizing eyes, and effortless elegance, she looked like she had stepped straight out of a dream.

Why was she here?

As if on cue, the whispers in the hallway grew louder.

"He's here."

"Who?"

"Her boyfriend! The mysterious one she's been hiding all this time."

I frowned.

Mysterious boyfriend?

My curiosity got the better of me, and I turned my head toward the hospital entrance. The moment I saw him, my heart stopped.

Adrian.

He walked in with his usual cold, commanding presence, dressed in a tailored black suit that made him look even more untouchable. His expression was unreadable, but the way he moved- the confidence, the authority- made it clear that he wasn't just any man.

He was here for her.

For Sapphire Laurent.

My throat tightened.

So this was why he had been in such a hurry to leave that night. This was why he had never looked back.

Because he already had someone else.

The rumors about Sapphire's secret boyfriend... The reason she had kept him hidden all this time...

It was him.

The man I had loved for two years. The man I had given everything to.

The father of my unborn child.

A wave of nausea crashed over me, stronger than before. But this time, it had nothing to do with my pregnancy.

It was heartbreak.

Pure, soul-crushing heartbreak.

I tore my gaze away before he could see me. My hands trembled as I pressed them against my stomach.

I couldn't let him find out.

Not now. Not ever.

Because Adrian had already made his choice.

And it wasn't me.