A DEAL WITH MR HEARTBREAKER

Aria’s POV “The baby isn’t growing the way we’d hoped.” The doctor’s voice was gentle, but the words slammed into me like a train. I stared at her, my fingers tightening around the hem of my dress. My mouth opened, but no words came out. She sighed, shifting uncomfortably. “There’s some concern about fetal development. Stress can play a big role in complications like this, and given your…” She hesitated. “Circumstances, we recommend taking things easy. Whatever that's stressing your mind, please remove them.” I nodded stiffly, though my mind was far from this sterile office. Stress. They didn’t know that I wasn’t stressed. I was happy. Apart from the occasional thoughts of if Gabriel was cheating, I was perfectly fine. I left Gabriel’s place just this morning, his lips still warm on my forehead when he kissed me goodbye. He’d pulled me close, murmuring something about dinner plans before I rushed off to this appointment. Everything was perfect. He loved me. We were starting a family. I was going to tell him tonight. The thought sent a nervous thrill through me. He’d be shocked; of course, he would. This wasn’t part of our plan. But I knew him. Knew the way his arms wrapped around me when he thought I wasn’t looking. He would be happy. “I understand,” I finally murmured, forcing a smile. “I’ll take care of myself.” The doctor nodded, scribbling something on her clipboard before handing me a prescription. “Some vitamins to help. We’ll monitor things, but for now, try to rest.” I left the office in a daze, stepping out into the crisp evening air. My fingers hovered over my phone, debating whether to call Gabriel now or wait until dinner. This kind of news deserves to be told in person. The doctor’s words still rang in my head. The baby isn’t growing the way we’d hoped. I had spent the entire appointment gripping the armrests of the chair, waiting for the worst. I exhaled, shaking the doubt from my mind. Sure, the pregnancy wasn’t planned, but we loved each other. I had imagined the moment so many times, pulling me into his arms, pressing a kiss on my forehead, whispering that we’d figure it out together. A small smile tugged at my lips as I pressed his name on my screen. The phone rang twice before he picked up. “Hey, baby.” His voice was smooth, as always, but something felt off. It sounded strained. I frowned. “Hey, are you okay?” There was a pause, just a fraction too long. Then— “Yeah. Just a long day.” My brows furrowed. Gabriel never sounded like that. “Are you sure?” I asked softly. Another pause. Then, before he could answer— A sound. A soft slurping noise, wet and faint. I blinked. “Gabriel?” A sharp rustle. A muffled giggle in the background. My stomach tightened. Gabriel cleared his throat. “I—I have to go. We’ll talk later, okay?” Click. The line went dead. I stood there, staring at my screen, my pulse racing. That… was weird. Gabriel never hung up on me like that. I replayed the last few seconds of the call in my head. The giggle. The slurping sound. His sudden rush to get off the phone. Something wasn’t right. I glanced at the time. He should still be at his penthouse. Without thinking, I hailed a cab. I needed to see him. **** The moment I stepped into Gabriel’s penthouse, I knew something was wrong. It was the silence. The kind that didn’t belong in a place like this. No faint hum of music, no distant sound of a TV. Just stillness. My heart pounded as I tightened my grip on the small velvet box in my hand. Inside was the watch I’d spent months saving for. A gift for the man I thought I would spend forever with. I took a step forward, the soft click of my heels against the marble floor unnaturally loud. The place smelled different. Faint traces of my perfume still clung to the air, but beneath it,, something else. Something floral and sweet. Something that didn’t belong to me. A whisper. A laugh. I stilled, my fingers clenching around the box. The voices came from the bedroom. Gabriel’s bedroom. I forced myself forward, each step heavy, my breath shallow. The door was slightly open, and from where I stood, I saw a glimpse of her. My sister. Anaya. Her long red hair cascaded over the silk sheets, a stark contrast against the bare skin of his back. Gabriel’s back. He was leaning over her, his lips pressed against her throat, his hands gripping her waist in a way that made my stomach churn. My mouth went dry. My chest tightened, my breath caught somewhere between a sob and a scream. I wanted to move. Say something. But I couldn’t. I stood there, rooted to the floor, as my entire world came crashing down in front of me. Then she saw me. Anaya’s lips curled into a slow, broad smile. She didn’t pull away. She didn’t even try to disguise herself. She wanted me to see her. And Gabriel… He turned his head slightly, eyes dark and unreadable. There was shock at first and then annoyance. My bag fell from my shoulders as I stood there looking at them both. “How long?” My voice was barely a whisper, but it carried through the room. Gabriel didn’t move. Anaya did. She stretched, lazy and satisfied, running her fingers through his hair before tilting her head at me like I was interrupting something. “Does it really matter?” I swallowed, the bile rising in my throat. “How long?” I repeated, louder this time. Gabriel sighed like this was some minor inconvenience. Like I was overreacting. “Since the day you brought him home to show Dad. I gave him a blow job that day by the way.” The words hit harder than I expected. I stared at him, at the man I had loved. The man I had trusted. The engagement ring on my finger suddenly felt wrong. Anaya smirked, her nails trailing down Gabriel’s chest. “Come on, Aria. You didn’t really think he wanted you, did you?” I couldn’t breathe. Gabriel leaned back against the pillows, his eyes unreadable. “You were easy to be with. Simple. I didn’t have to fight for you.” The room tilted. I pressed a hand to my stomach, the nausea creeping in. “You—” I choked on the words, unable to form a full sentence. Anaya rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t look so heartbroken. It’s pathetic.” Something inside me snapped. I took a step forward, fists clenched, but Gabriel’s voice stopped me cold. “You should leave.” Leave. Like I was some temporary thing that had overstayed its welcome. Like I was nothing. I forced myself to breathe, my body shaking from the effort. My fingers brushed my stomach. The baby. Our baby. I blinked, suddenly aware of how much worse this was about to get. I lifted my chin. “I need to talk to you. Alone.” Gabriel didn’t even glance at Anaya. “Anything you have to say, she can hear.” Anaya grinned like this was some kind of game. I inhaled sharply, my hands trembling. “I’m pregnant.” Silence. Gabriel’s expression didn’t change. Not at first. Then something flickered across his face. Anaya’s smirk faltered. I waited, praying and begging for something. Anything. For the man who had kissed my forehead to appear, to leave Anaya's side and hold me, but instead, Gabriel sat up; he looked at me with disgust. And I knew everything he had been doing was pretense. He probably saw me as a peasant behind my back. “And you’re sure it’s mine?” My stomach dropped. “What?” His tone was flat. Uninterested. “How do I know you weren’t sleeping around?” The words were a slap to the face. Anaya let out a soft, cruel laugh. “Oh, that’s rich. Aria, cheating? She was too busy clinging to you like some desperate little puppy.” Gabriel’s lips curled slightly like he found it amusing. I stared at him, at both of them, as the last pieces of my heart shattered. “You don’t believe me,” I whispered. Gabriel shrugged. “I don’t care.” It took me a moment to register what he’d just said. I don’t care. The air left my lungs. The nausea surged. I staggered back, my body trembling. Gabriel exhaled, already done with me. “Get out.” I shook my head, disbelief numbing the agony clawing at my chest. “You’re really doing this?” He didn’t even hesitate. Anaya laughed, tilting her head. “I think she’s still in shock.” Gabriel’s voice hardened them. He shouted. “ Guards! Get her out of here.” I barely had time to react before two men grabbed my arms. “Wait—” One of them yanked me forward. My feet stumbled. The room blurred. As I was pushed out. I struggled, my pulse hammering against my ribs. “Gabriel—” I never got to finish. The guards shoved me hard. My heel caught on the edge of the stairs. For a split second, everything slowed. Then— Pain. A sharp, agonizing impact as my body rolled down the stairs. I gasped, and the wind knocked from my lungs. A sharp c***k echoed through the silence. Like a broken bone. My head spun. My stomach twisted. The pain was worse than anything I had ever felt tore through me. I barely heard Anaya’s voice, “Oh. Oops.” Darkness crept into the edges of my vision. My body went cold as I footprints. But that wasn't it, something wet started to seep through my clothes. Something was wrong. I pressed a shaking hand to my stomach. Wet. Warm. Sticky. I pulled my fingers away. Blood. So much blood. My breath hitched. “No…” A broken whisper. A plea. But no one was listening. And then Gabriel said, “Clean the mess. Push her out, I don't want that blood to stain my rug.”