Chapter 6

After his victory, Atticus was mobbed. I slipped away, needing a moment of quiet. I found a deserted corner of the stables, the smell of hay and leather a strange comfort. I was about to call my car when I heard voices from the other side of a stall. Atticus's voice.

"It' s working perfectly," he was saying to someone on the phone. "She's rattled. The public gesture was the perfect move. She' s proud. Back her into a corner, then offer her a way out. She'll take the deal. She's just a pawn, a very smart pawn, but a pawn nonetheless."

My blood turned to ice. A pawn. He saw me as a pawn. Just like Harden. Another man using me for my brain, for my company, for his own games. The brief flicker of hope, of alliance, died. I was a fool.

I turned and walked away, my heart a cold, heavy stone in my chest. I just wanted to go home.

As I rounded the corner, I ran straight into Celine.

"Well, well," she sneered, looking me up and down. "The ice queen looks like she's melting. Did you enjoy the show? Watching Atticus Rios make a fool of you?"

"I have no interest in your petty dramas, Celine." I tried to walk past her.

She blocked my way. "Oh, but this is my drama now. My family. My baby." She patted her stomach. "You lost, Kendra. You and your broken, useless body. Harden is mine. The company will be mine."

"Get out of my way."

"Or what?" she taunted, stepping closer. "You'll invent a new battery to power your lonely life?" She shoved me. Hard.

I wasn't expecting it. My heel caught on a loose cobblestone. I stumbled backwards, my arms flailing. The world spun, and then I hit the ground. A sharp, searing pain shot through my abdomen.

"Oh my god! She attacked me!" Celine shrieked, collapsing to the ground in a heap of fake tears. "My baby! She tried to hurt my baby!"

Harden came running, his face a mask of panic. He didn't even look at me. He rushed straight to Celine, kneeling beside her. "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

"I'm in pain," I gasped, the words barely a whisper. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. A warm, wet sensation was spreading through my dress.

I looked down. Blood.

"Harden," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Help me."

He looked over at me, his expression cold, annoyed. "Stop being so dramatic, Kendra. You probably just twisted your ankle. Celine is the one who's pregnant." He turned his back on me, helping his mistress to her feet, cooing at her.

The world started to go gray at the edges. I was alone, bleeding on the ground, and my husband chose her. The pain was immense, but the betrayal was what was killing me.

"Kendra!"

A new voice. Strong, urgent. Through the haze, I saw Atticus running towards me. The smirk was gone from his face, replaced by a look of genuine horror.

He knelt beside me, his hands hovering over me, afraid to touch. "What happened? My God, you're bleeding."

"The baby," I whispered, the last of my strength fading.

He didn't hesitate. He tore off his jacket, pressing it against the wound. "Forget the win," he yelled to his confused team manager. "Get a fucking ambulance! Now!"

He scooped me up into his arms, his movements surprisingly gentle. He was carrying me, running through the crowd of stunned faces, away from my husband, away from the life that had just imploded. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was his face, tight with a fury so profound it looked like grief.