Chapter 3 — A Secret That Cannot Be Known
1417 Words
Morning sunlight slipped quietly through the thin curtains of the small apartment.
Olivia Bennett slowly opened her eyes.
For a few seconds, she didn’t recognize where she was.
The ceiling above her was unfamiliar. The room felt smaller, quieter… emptier.
Then the memories returned.
The divorce.
The hospital.
The baby.
Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
“I’m still here,” she whispered softly.
She slowly sat up on the narrow bed. Her body still felt weak from the stress of the previous night.
The tiny apartment was silent except for distant sounds of traffic outside.
Olivia looked around the room again.
A small table.
A chair.
A window.
Nothing else.
Just yesterday she had been living inside one of the most luxurious mansions in the city.
Now she was here.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Life really can change overnight.”
Her stomach suddenly growled.
Olivia blinked.
“Right… food.”
She hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.
“Not good for the baby,” she murmured.
She stood up slowly and grabbed her bag before heading downstairs.
—
The small street outside the apartment building was already busy with morning activity.
People rushed to work.
Vendors prepared their food stalls.
Cars and motorcycles passed by constantly.
Olivia walked slowly along the sidewalk, looking for something simple to eat.
A small breakfast stall caught her attention.
The elderly woman running it smiled warmly.
“Good morning, dear. What would you like?”
Olivia looked at the menu board.
“Just a bowl of porridge, please.”
“Of course.”
The woman prepared the food quickly.
“You look pale,” she said kindly while placing the bowl in front of Olivia.
“Did you sleep well?”
Olivia gave a small smile.
“Not really.”
“Life troubles?”
Olivia laughed softly.
“You could say that.”
The woman nodded knowingly.
“Eat first. Everything feels less terrible on a full stomach.”
Olivia picked up the spoon.
“You might be right.”
She took a small bite.
Warmth spread through her body.
For the first time since yesterday, she felt slightly better.
The woman suddenly asked,
“Do you live nearby?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
Olivia hesitated before answering.
“Yes.”
The woman looked at her kindly.
“You remind me of my daughter.”
Olivia blinked.
“She left home once after a big fight with her husband.”
Olivia’s hand paused midair.
“What happened to her?”
The woman chuckled.
“She came back three days later.”
Olivia forced a smile.
“That’s good.”
“But you,” the woman said gently, “don’t look like someone who plans to go back.”
Olivia looked down at her bowl.
“No,” she said quietly.
“I don’t.”
—
Across the city, inside the Kingsley Group headquarters, Adrian Kingsley stood in his office reading documents.
But his attention wasn’t on the papers.
His mind kept returning to the phone call from the hospital last night.
Olivia fainted.
Pregnant.
The words repeated inside his head.
The office door opened.
Daniel stepped inside.
“Good morning, Mr. Kingsley.”
Adrian looked up.
“Did you find anything?”
Daniel nodded.
“I checked the hospital records we could access.”
“And?”
Daniel hesitated slightly.
“Olivia Bennett was admitted last night around midnight.”
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
“What for?”
“She fainted.”
Adrian’s expression remained calm.
“Anything else?”
Daniel cleared his throat.
“The doctor performed a routine examination.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“And?”
Daniel continued carefully.
“The report indicates that the patient is approximately six weeks pregnant.”
The room went silent.
Adrian stared at him.
“Six weeks.”
“Yes, sir.”
Adrian slowly stood up from his chair.
His mind quickly calculated the timeline.
Six weeks ago…
Olivia was still living in the mansion.
Still his wife.
Still sleeping in the same bedroom.
Victoria’s voice suddenly echoed in his memory.
“Or maybe the baby belongs to someone else.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“That’s impossible.”
Daniel looked confused.
“What is?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Instead he walked toward the window.
The city stretched endlessly below.
“Did Olivia confirm who the father is?” Adrian asked.
“No.”
“Did the hospital ask?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Daniel replied,
“She refused to answer.”
Adrian’s fingers slowly curled into a fist.
Refused to answer.
Why?
Daniel spoke again.
“She also asked the hospital to remove your name from her emergency contact.”
Adrian turned around.
“She did?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
Daniel waited quietly.
After a moment he asked,
“Should we ignore this situation?”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Instead he asked a different question.
“Where is Olivia now?”
Daniel shook his head.
“We don’t know.”
Adrian’s eyes darkened slightly.
“You let her disappear overnight?”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“You told the security team not to follow her after the divorce.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“Find her.”
Daniel blinked.
“You want us to locate her?”
“Yes.”
“For what reason?”
Adrian’s voice became cold.
“I want the truth.”
Daniel nodded.
“I understand.”
—
Meanwhile, Olivia returned to her apartment carrying a small bag of groceries.
She placed the items on the table and let out a small sigh.
“So far… not too bad.”
She had enough money from the divorce settlement to survive for a while.
But eventually she would need a job.
Olivia sat down slowly.
Her hand moved to her stomach again.
“You’re going to make things complicated,” she murmured.
A tiny laugh escaped her lips.
“But that’s okay.”
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
Olivia frowned slightly.
Unknown number.
She hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
A male voice spoke politely.
“Good morning. Is this Miss Olivia Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“This is Daniel from Kingsley Group.”
Olivia froze.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Why are you calling me?”
Daniel replied calmly.
“Mr. Kingsley would like to speak with you.”
Olivia’s expression hardened.
“There’s nothing left to discuss.”
“I’m afraid it’s important.”
Olivia felt a sudden wave of unease.
“What does he want?”
Daniel paused before answering.
“He wants to ask about the hospital.”
The words made Olivia’s heart drop.
“What hospital?” she said quickly.
“Central City Hospital.”
Olivia gripped the phone tightly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Daniel’s voice remained polite.
“Miss Bennett, Mr. Kingsley is aware that you were admitted there last night.”
Silence filled the room.
Olivia’s mind raced.
How did Adrian find out?
Daniel continued gently,
“He would like to meet you.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
“No.”
“Miss Bennett—”
“I said no.”
Her voice was firm now.
“There is nothing left between me and Adrian Kingsley.”
She ended the call before Daniel could reply.
The room fell silent again.
Olivia slowly lowered the phone.
Her heart was beating rapidly.
“So he already knows about the hospital,” she whispered.
Her hand instinctively covered her stomach again.
“But he doesn’t know about you.”
And he never would.
Olivia stood up and walked toward the window.
Outside, the city was alive with people starting their day.
She took a deep breath.
“Don’t worry,” she murmured softly.
“I will protect you.”
But somewhere else in the city—
inside a luxury office overlooking the skyline—
Adrian Kingsley was staring at his phone with dark eyes.
Because Olivia Bennett had just hung up on him.
And Adrian Kingsley was not a man used to being ignored.
A slow, dangerous smile appeared on his face.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
Then he looked at Daniel.
“Find her.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
Because whether Olivia liked it or not—
Adrian Kingsley had already decided one thing.
He would uncover the truth.
And if that child really belonged to him—
Olivia Bennett would not be able to hide forever.
- Writer
