Chapter 3 THE MAN I NEVER KNEW

Isla's POV

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.

The air in the hospital corridor felt heavy, suffocating. My mind refused to process what I had just seen.

Adrian... here.

With her.

The woman everyone adored. The one the entire hospital had been whispering about. The one who had a "mystery boyfriend" powerful enough to command attention.

Sapphire Laurent.

And now, I knew the truth.

Adrian wasn't just her mystery boyfriend. He was hers.

I had spent two years as his wife, hidden in the shadows, ignored and unwanted. And yet here he was, standing beside Sapphire like she was the most precious thing in the world.

I should have walked away. I should have turned and left before the scene could get any worse.

But I didn't.

I couldn't.

Something inside me- maybe the last shred of foolish hope- refused to let go.

So I stayed.

And I watched.

---

Sapphire sat on the hospital bed, dressed in a pale blue hospital gown. Even with slightly swollen eyes and traces of exhaustion on her face, she still looked stunning. The kind of woman who never had to try. The kind of woman Adrian could love.

She let out a soft whimper, struggling to get out of bed.

"Adrian..." she called out, her voice delicate, almost fragile.

Without hesitation, Adrian was at her side.

"Don't move," he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "You're still weak."

I froze.

That voice. That tone.

Soft. Careful. Gentle.

A side of him I had never seen. A side of him he had never once shown me.

Sapphire sniffled, biting her lip as if trying to hold back tears. "But I don't want to stay here. I feel awful, Adrian."

And just like that, Adrian reached out and wiped the tears from her cheek.

I felt my stomach drop.

Not once. Not once in two years had he ever looked at me that way. Not when I was exhausted from work. Not when I was sick. Not even when I begged for his attention.

But now, standing before Sapphire, he looked like a man capable of love.

A man capable of tenderness.

And it wasn't for me.

---

The room felt smaller. My breathing became shallow.

I should leave. I should run before I saw more.

But my body refused to move.

Adrian gently adjusted the blanket around Sapphire, making sure she was comfortable before leaning closer. His hand rested on her forehead, checking her temperature.

She let out a sigh and rested her head against his chest.

"Adrian..." she whispered again, her voice barely above a breath. "I don't want to stay here anymore."

Adrian nodded. "I'll take you home."

And then, without hesitation, he bent down and scooped her into his arms.

I gasped silently, my nails digging into my palms.

So he could be gentle.

He could care.

Just not for me.

Not for the woman he had been married to for two years.

The pain was unbearable, yet I stood there and watched.

---

Adrian carried Sapphire out of the room effortlessly, like she weighed nothing. As they stepped into the hallway, a flood of camera flashes exploded.

Paparazzi.

I hadn't even noticed them before, but now they were everywhere, shouting, snapping pictures, recording videos.

The "mystery boyfriend" was finally revealed.

And Adrian didn't hide.

Not like he had hidden me.

Not like he had erased every trace of our marriage from the world.

He walked through the chaos, carrying Sapphire in his arms as if protecting the most precious treasure in the world.

I swallowed hard, my throat burning.

Why?

Why her?

What made her so special? What did she have that I didn't?

I took a shaky step forward and found myself near the window. My fingers curled against the glass as I watched them from above.

Adrian moved through the flashing lights, ignoring the reporters, ignoring the chaos, focused only on one thing- getting Sapphire into the car safely.

He gently lowered her onto the leather seat, his hands lingering for a moment, adjusting the seatbelt around her. His expression remained unreadable, but his actions spoke louder than any words ever could.

This was a man who cared.

A man who cherished.

A man who loved.

But never me.

Never once.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

I had wasted two years of my life waiting for Adrian to look at me like that. To care, even just a little.

But in the end, I was nothing more than a secret he was eager to forget.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, my heart pounding.

Adrian had moved on.

But I...

I was carrying his child.