Chapter 1

The screen of my phone felt cold under my thumb.

A new post from Olivia, my rival from art school, was at the top of my feed. Her face, perfectly made up, smirked from the profile picture. The post itself was a photo of me, a candid shot from a few weeks ago, leaving a gallery. I looked tired. But it was the caption that made the air leave my lungs.

"Some people will do anything for money. Here's our 'talented' artist Scarlet, looking a little fuller these days. Heard she's been cozying up to some very rich men. Wonder if she finally landed a big fish. Or maybe it' s just a little goldfish she' s carrying?"

The comments exploded.

"I always knew she was a gold-digger."

"Disgusting. Using a baby to trap a man."

"Who's the father? Julian the art dealer?"

My hands started to shake. The world narrowed to the glowing screen and the poison spreading through it. Julian. The thought of him made my stomach churn. It was a one-time mistake, a desperate, transactional night I wanted to forget. But now, it was public speculation.

I felt a wave of nausea, so strong I had to grip the side of my worn-out sofa. This wasn't just morning sickness. This was pure panic.

Just as I was about to throw my phone across the room, a new notification popped up. A major news outlet had published an article. My heart pounded. It was a formal press release.

"Statement from the Sterling Corporation."

I clicked on it, my breath held tight. Sterling Corporation was the tech empire of the notoriously reclusive Liam Sterling. I knew him from college, or at least, I knew of him. He was a legend, a ghost who walked the same halls but lived in a different universe.

The statement was short and brutal.

"In response to the malicious rumors circulating online regarding Ms. Scarlet, Mr. Liam Sterling confirms that he is the father of her unborn child. He will take full responsibility. Any further defamation against Ms. Scarlet or the child will be met with legal action."

The world tilted.

Liam Sterling?

It was impossible. I had never even spoken to him. Not a single word.

Another wave of sickness washed over me, and this time I couldn't stop it. I barely made it to the bathroom before I was sick. Leaning against the cool tile of the floor, I pressed a hand to my still-flat stomach.

Pregnant.

The single word echoed in my mind. It was true. I had taken a test last week, the two pink lines confirming a reality I wasn't ready to face.

A memory surfaced, sharp and unwelcome. My grandmother, her face pale in a hospital bed a few months ago. The doctor's voice, gentle but firm, talking about surgery costs, ongoing care, and numbers that made my head spin. My scholarship had run out, my part-time job barely covered rent, and my paintings weren't selling. Desperation was a physical thing, a constant weight in my chest.

That's when Julian had made his offer. He was a charismatic, predatory art dealer who had shown a passing interest in my work. He knew I was struggling.

"I have a client," he'd said, his smile not reaching his eyes. "A very wealthy, very private man. He has a specific... request. He's willing to pay a lot for one night of companionship. No strings attached. Your financial problems would disappear, Scarlet."

I remember the shame that burned in my gut. But then I pictured my grandmother's smile, and how much I wanted to keep it there. I needed the money. It was a simple, ugly truth.

So, I agreed.

The encounter was a blur. A dark hotel room, a man whose face I never clearly saw in the dim light. He was silent, almost detached. It was quick, clinical. The money was wired to my account the next morning. I paid for my grandmother's surgery and tried to scrub the memory from my mind.

But consequences have a way of catching up. A few weeks later, the morning sickness started. And now this. Liam Sterling, the tech mogul, claiming to be the father of a child conceived in a transaction I had with a stranger.

It made no sense. He was the client? Julian's mysterious, wealthy client was Liam Sterling?

The public shaming by Olivia felt like a distant sting now, overshadowed by a much larger, more terrifying reality. My quiet, desperate life had just collided with a world of unimaginable power and wealth. And I was trapped right in the middle of it.