One Month to Leave the Billionaire

Chapter 12

Silence followed definitely not uncomfortable silence. Just peaceful and accepting because nobody corrected her, not Lucien or Mrs Harper and certainly not Selene.

She lowered her eyes with a graceful smile, the picture of modesty, but I didn't miss the satisfaction hidden beneath it.

And strangely enough, I didn't feel jealous.

I simply looked from Lucien to Selene and thought maybe she should have.

Because the saddest part wasn't hearing another woman being described as his perfect match.

It was realizing that nobody at the table seemed capable of imagining me in that place. Not even the man sitting at the head of it.

By noon, the mansion no longer felt like a house.

It felt like a hospital or perhaps a prison pretending to be one. The first to arrive was Doctor Evans then another doctor then a nutritionist and two nurses.

By the time a man carrying medical files entered behind them, I had stopped trying to understand what was happening.

Mrs. Harper fussed around everyone while servants hurried through the house carrying tea and snacks.

Somewhere in the chaos, Lucien's mother had disappeared.

Selene had gone home.

And I found myself sitting in the living room while complete strangers discussed my body as though I wasn't sitting right there.

"The pregnancy is delicate."

"Stress levels need to be minimized."

"We should adjust her diet immediately."

"Bed rest might become necessary."

"The first trimester is critical."

I just kept on listening to whatever nonsense they were spewing with saying a word. It's not like they want my opinion anyway.

The smell of antiseptic mixed strangely with the scent of lilies arranged around the room.

Sunlight streamed through the windows.

Everything looked beautiful and at the same time felt suffocating.

Then another voice joined the conversation.

An older woman entered with gray hair and sharp eyes with enough authority that the entire room shifted around her.

Even Doctor Evans stood straighter.

Lucien rose immediately.

"Grandmother."

I blinked.

The old woman ignored everyone else and came straight toward me. Her perfume smelled faintly of jasmine.

Cool fingers touched my cheek. "So thin," she muttered.

Then she frowned. "That's unacceptable."

Before I could even process what she meant, she turned toward Mrs. Harper.

"Increase her meals."

Mrs. Harper nodded instantly.

"Yes, Madam."

The old woman continued.

"No stairs."

"No stress."

"No unnecessary visitors."

"And have security doubled."

My eyebrows slowly rose.

Security?

Was I pregnant or entering witness protection?

Meanwhile nobody questioned her.

The old woman finally sat down.

"The heir must be protected."

The heir not child or baby.

The word made my stomach churn.

Doctor Evans nodded. "The pregnancy is high-risk."

My fingers tightened around the blanket covering my lap.

The room suddenly became colder.

Lucien's grandmother closed her eyes briefly. Then she looked toward Lucien.

"We cannot afford mistakes."

He nodded once.

"I know."

"We've waited long enough."

Another nod.

"I know."

"Then make sure nothing happens."

His expression remained calm.

"Nothing will go wrong granny."

Nobody looked frightened or emotional or happy. It sounded less like a family discussing a baby and more like executives discussing an investment.

Lucien's grandmother seemed satisfied with his answer. As though he had just reassured her about the weather or tomorrow's stock market and not about another human life growing inside me.

She picked up her teacup gracefully while Mrs. Harper hurried away to fetch more snacks, muttering under her breath about iron deficiency and vitamins.

Everyone moved, everyone spoke, everyone had something to do except me.

I sat there with my hands resting over the blanket spread across my lap and suddenly I became aware of how strange everything felt.

Nobody had asked if I was scared or asked whether I wanted this. Nobody had asked if I had slept at all these past few nights.

All they discussed were calories, doctors, schedules, security, supplements. Like fear could be cured with enough vitamins.

I rolled my eyes at the thought of that.

The room smelled faintly of jasmine from Lucien's grandmother's perfume and fresh lilies arranged on the center table.

Somewhere in the kitchen, dishes clinked softly while the grandfather clock continued ticking away with unbearable calm.

The thought that everybody seemed united by the so-called heir made me sick.

If I disappeared right now, would anything actually change?

Would they mourn me?

Or would they simply panic because the heir had disappeared with me?

The thought made my throat tighten without thinking, my hand drifted toward my stomach.

More like someone touching chains around their wrists.

I wondered if the woman I used to be had dreamed about this moment.

Had she smiled when she first found out?

Had she cried tears of happiness?

Had she imagined Lucien beside her with his hand over hers?

Or had she been just as alone as I was now?

The thought hurt in ways I couldn't explain. I was grieving a woman that I couldn't even remember and somehow that felt cruel.

To lose yourself and still be forced to pity the person you used to be.

Across the room, Lucien quietly accepted another folder from Damian not once did he look my way.

I didn't expect him to anyway.

Then two men entered with dark suits and leather briefcases.

Lawyers actual lawyers.

I stared at them.

No, surely not.

One of them adjusted his glasses.

"Mr. Vaughn, regarding guardianship provisions"

Guardianship?

My head snapped up.

Another opened a folder. "In the event of unforeseen complications"

Complications?

The older lawyer continued smoothly.

"The inheritance trust can be revised immediately after birth"

Birth, trust, inheritance, assets, assets, custody. The words kept coming, not one person had asked me how I felt.

The room buzzed around me, papers shuffled, pens scratched, voices overlapped and suddenly I couldn't hear anything anymore.

I looked down at my own hands. My fingers were pale and slightly trembling.

My body, baby, life was tabled yet somehow I felt completely absent from the conversation.

Like I'd become furniture, something people arranged around.

Without thinking, I spoke.

"You do realise that I have a name?"

The room went quiet. It would have been better if they were ashamed or surprised but they only went quiet simply because I'd interrupted.

Doctor Evans cleared his throat awkwardly.

One lawyer looked down at his notes.

Mrs. Harper lowered her eyes.

Lucien's grandmother reached for her tea and the conversation resumed.

As though I hadn't spoken at all.

"As I was saying"

"The trust documents"

"The heir's protection"

"The inheritance provisions"

I stopped listening because inside of me I was boiling with anger but I tried my best to stay composed.

Across the room, Lucien sat beside the lawyers.

Sunlight spilled over his shoulders.

His expression remained unreadable.

One document after another was placed before him.

He signed page after page without hesitation or emotion. He didn't look in my direction once.

The scratching sound of his pen echoed softly through the room and for reasons I couldn't explain… that sound hurt more than everything else.

Because everyone else treated me like I was carrying an heir.

But Lucien?

Lucien treated it like paperwork.

Finally, the older lawyer closed the last folder and smiled politely.

"Everything is ready, Mr. Vaughn."

Lucien capped his pen and handed it back.

"Okay that's good."

His voice was calm.

"Pleasr proceed."

Honestly, I barely paid attention anymore.

My head hurts. I just wanted everyone to leave.

But then the older lawyer adjusted his glasses and glanced down at the papers.

"As stated, Mrs. Vaughn's passport, banking access and travel authorization will remain temporarily restricted until delivery."

My thoughts stopped for a moment, I genuinely thought I had heard him wrong.

The grandfather clock ticked once.

Twice.

Then I slowly lifted my head.

"Excuse me?"

The room froze.

Doctor Evans stopped writing and one of the nurses looked horrified.

Even Mrs. Harper went pale.

The lawyer cleared his throat nervously.

"Purely for security purposes, Mrs. Vaughn."

Security how? Make it make sense.

Strangely enough, that word made my skin crawl more than anything else because prisons also had security.

My voice sounded small. "You're restricting my passport?"

Nobody answered immediately then another lawyer spoke carefully.

"Given the circumstances surrounding your accident and the ongoing investigation, these measures are considered necessary."

Necessary.

Such an ugly word.

I looked around the room and nobody appeared surprised.

It was as though everyone had known except me.

Then, for the first time since the meeting began, Lucien looked up.

Maintaining his calm demeanor.

"It's temporary."

I stared at him.

The sunlight behind him made his gray eyes look almost silver.

Temporary as though taking away someone's freedom was a minor inconvenience.

"As long as you're safe."

Safe? I almost laughed because nothing about this felt safe.

It felt suffocating.

It felt like those gates all over again.

Only this time, they weren't standing outside the mansion; they were invisible and legally on paper.

And infinitely harder to break.

The older lawyer shifted uncomfortably. "Mr. Vaughn merely wishes to ensure"

"Enough." My voice cut through the room.

The lawyer f

ell silent.

I could hear my own heartbeat, I could feel the blanket beneath my fingers.

I could smell the lilies sitting on the nearby table.

Everything suddenly felt too unreal.

Slowly, my eyes moved from the lawyer… to Lucien.

Then to the stack of documents resting beneath his hand.

Out of the blue i…