CHAPTER 007
ADRIAN’S POV
I stepped out of the shower, letting the cool air from the bathroom vent brush against my damp skin. Steam curled in the air, lingering like the weight on my chest. I reached for a towel, running it over my face before wrapping it around my waist.
The soft hum of my phone vibrating against the nightstand caught my attention. Another notification. Another missed call.
I already knew who it was. The hospital.
They had been relentless since yesterday – calls, voicemails, texts. It was beginning to get on my nerves.
I knew what they wanted. I just didn’t care.
Last night, my phone had buzzed against my desk, interrupting the silence of my office. I had been lost in work, papers spread out in front of me, my mind occupied with contracts and figures. When I glanced at the screen, I saw Olivia’s name flashing.
I let it ring. Then again. And again.
A part of me had been curious. Would she beg? Apologize? Try to manipulate me into feeling sorry for her.
But when I finally answered, the voice that greeted me wasn’t hers.
“Hello, good evening. Am I speaking with Mr. Adrian?” A woman’s voice sounded, soft, professional, unfamiliar.
My brows furrowed. “Who is this? Why are you calling me from Olivia’s phone?”
“I’m a nurse from Cure Clinic Renewal Hospital. I used your wife’s phone to call you and inform you that she has been in a minor accident.”
Accident.
My grip on the phone tightened. “And?”
“She lost her baby.”
Everything froze.
Baby? Olivia was pregnant? A bitter laugh had almost escaped my lips. So she had been carrying my child all this time, and I never even knew. Had she planned to tell me?
Or was she waiting for the perfect moment to use it as leverage?
The nurse’s voice had cut through my thoughts. “Sir, are you there?”
“Yes.” My voice was colder than I intended.
“I’ll be sending you the hospital address…”
“Don’t bother.”
CHAPTER 007
There was a brief pause. “Sir?”
“I’m not coming.”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “But, sir…”
I had ended the call before she could finish. I didn’t need to hear anything else.
Now, standing in my dimly lit room, I reached for my phone, ignoring yet another incoming call from the hospital.
Did she think I would rush to her side? That I would drop everything and be the loving, doting husband she once imagined me to be?
Olivia, you underestimate me.
This isn’t over. I still have unfinished business with your family.
***
The morning light streamed through the window as I finished dressing. A crisp white button–up, tailored slacks, polished shoes. A picture of control. I adjusted my cufflinks, straightening my collar before grabbing my watch from the nightstand.
My phone buzzed again. Another call from the hospital.
I ignored it.
Before leaving, I walked toward the dark drawer beside my bed, pulling it open. My fingers brushed against the surface of a framed photo one that I had kept close all
these years.
My mother.
I traced the edge of the frame with my thumb, my chest tightening at the sight of her gentle smile. She had always been the reason. The driving force behind everything I did. Every move I made, every step I took – it was all for her.
–
Her dream had been for me to find someone strong, someone worthy to stand by my side. Someone like Isadora.
A bitter smile played on my lips. Would she approve of the man I had become? Would she understand the choices i had made?
I exhaled sharply, setting the frame down with care.
It didn’t matter.
I had work to do.
With one last glance in the mirror, I grabbed my keys and walked out the door, ready to face the day and whatever was coming next.
As I approached my office, the towering glass building loomed ahead, its polished façade reflecting the morning sunlight. My driver smoothly pulled over at the entrance, and I stepped out, adjusting my tie before heading inside.
13
CHAPTER 007
The moment I entered, all my staff greeted me with their heads bowed, they murmured “Good morning, sir” echoing through the sleek, modern lobby. I offered a brief nod in response, my focus already shifting to the day ahead.
I strode toward the elevator, my mind running through the schedule. Just as the doors slid open, my secretary, Helen, rushed up to me, her heels clicking against the marble floor,
“Mr. Adrian, you have back–to–back meetings today,” she informed me, holding out a tablet with my itinerary. “Your 9 AM with the investors, followed by a board meeting at eleven. There’s also a lunch meeting with the Raines Corporation representatives, and in the afternoon…”
“I got it,” I interrupted, stepping into the elevator. “Cancel the lunch meeting. I’ll reschedule.”
Helen hesitated but nodded. “Understood, sir.”
The elevator doors closed, and I leaned back, exhaling slowly. The day had been packed, leaving no room for distractions: That was good. The busier I was, the less
time I had to think about Olivia and the fact that I had lost my child before I even knew of his existence.
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