LOVE TRIANGLE

Chapter 13 – The Secret That Weighs Heavy

The days that followed felt like walking on thin ice. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw the same face, but inside, everything had changed. The knowledge that I was carrying a child hung over me like a heavy, silent cloud, making every decision, every word, and every glance between us feel twice as loaded.

I tried my best to act normal, to hide the signs that were slowly becoming harder to miss. The nausea came and went, mostly in the mornings or when I caught a strong scent of coffee or perfume. I started wearing looser clothes, saying it was just more comfortable, and blamed my fatigue on the constant stress of dealing with Damian and Sofia’s schemes.

Lucas, being as observant as he was, noticed the changes almost immediately. “You’re not just tired, Isabella,” he said one evening, as we sat together in the living room after dinner. “You’ve lost color, you eat very little, and you keep pulling away when I get too close. What is it? You can tell me anything.”

I froze, my fingers tightening around the edge of my glass. For a split second, I wanted to tell him the truth—let it all out, stop carrying this secret alone. But fear held me back. What if he looked at me differently? What if this child destroyed everything we had built, even if it was just an agreement? What if he thought I had planned this?

“It’s nothing,” I said, forcing a calm smile. “Just everything piling up, you know? The rumors, the threats, the constant feeling of being watched. It drains me.”

Lucas studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, but he didn’t push further. He simply reached over and gently covered my hand with his. “Remember, you don’t have to carry it all alone. Whatever happens, we face it together. That was our deal, remember?”

His kindness only made the guilt heavier. I nodded, unable to speak, and looked away before he could see the tears threatening to fall.

Meanwhile, across the city, Damian was growing more restless. The reports from Viktor kept mentioning my condition—how I rested more, how I avoided crowded places, how my habits had shifted. He began to piece it together, and the thought grew stronger in his mind until it felt like a certainty.

“Get me a doctor,” Damian ordered Viktor one afternoon, his voice low and sharp. “Someone discreet, someone who knows how to keep a secret. And have him watch from a distance—check her routine, see if there are signs. If my suspicion is right, everything changes.”

Viktor hesitated, looking at his boss with concern. “Sir, if this is true, forcing the issue now will only make her push you further away. She already distrusts you. Using a child to tie her down… it will feel like just another trap.”

Damian slammed his fist on the desk, frustration boiling over. “What else do I have left, Viktor? My business is hanging by a thread, my own sister is stabbing me in the back, and the only woman I have ever truly cared for is living under another man’s roof! If there is a child, it is the only thing that can bring her back to where she belongs.”

His words were filled with desperation, not just anger. Deep down, even he knew it was wrong, but pride and fear of losing everything blinded him. He was ready to use any means necessary, even something as innocent as an unborn life.

Back at the penthouse, I made up my mind. I could not stay in the dark forever. I needed to be sure, and I needed advice from someone who would not judge me or use the information against me. The next day, I told Lucas I was going to visit Olivia, just to get out of the house and clear my head. He agreed, though he sent two guards to follow at a distance, as always.

When I arrived at Olivia’s apartment, she immediately pulled me into a hug, noticing how pale I looked. “Bella, you look terrible! What is going on? Is it Damian again?”

I shook my head, closing the door behind us, then sat down on her sofa, my hands shaking as I pulled the test from my bag and laid it on the table between us.

Olivia’s eyes went wide as she looked at it, then up at me in shock. “Is this… are you sure?”

“I took two more this morning,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Both positive. I’m pregnant, Liv. But I don’t know… I don’t know who the father is.”

Olivia sat beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders as tears finally spilled down my cheeks. I told her everything—the night on the balcony, the moments before our agreement was fully in place, the confusion and fear that had kept me silent.

“Oh, Bella…” she said softly, her voice full of sympathy. “This changes everything, but it doesn’t make you a bad person. This child is a blessing, even if it comes at the worst possible time. But you have to be careful. If Damian finds out, he will stop at nothing to take both you and the baby. And Lucas… you have to tell him eventually. Keeping it hidden will only make it worse when it comes out.”

“I know,” I sobbed. “I just don’t know how. Everything is already so complicated. Adding a baby to this war… it feels like I’m walking into a storm with no shelter.”

“You will find your way,” Olivia said firmly, wiping my tears with her thumb. “You are stronger than you think. But first, you need to see a real doctor, not just use tests from the pharmacy. Confirm how far along you are. That will help you figure out the timeline, and help you decide what to do next.”

She was right. That same afternoon, we went to a private clinic far from the city center, one that Olivia knew and trusted, where no one would recognize me or report back to anyone. After the examination, the doctor looked at me with a gentle expression.

“Approximately eight weeks,” she said softly. “Everything seems normal so far, but you need to take extra rest and avoid stress. Your body is going through a lot.”

Eight weeks. I did the math in my head, my heart pounding. The timeline fit both possibilities—it could be Damian’s, or it could be Lucas’s. There was no way to know for certain yet, not until later tests could be done.

I left the clinic with a medical report and a prescription for vitamins, but my mind was heavier than before. This secret was no longer just a thought—it was a reality, growing inside me, and soon it would be impossible to hide. And in a world where every secret was a weapon, this was the most dangerous one of all.

That evening, when I returned to the penthouse, Lucas was waiting for me in the hallway. He looked up, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to notice the small bag I held, or perhaps the way I carried myself differently.

“Did you have a good time?” he asked, his voice soft but searching.

I forced a small smile, hiding the report behind my back. “Yes, just catching up. It helped clear my head a little.”

But as I walked past him toward my room, I felt his gaze follow me, sharp and questioning. He might not know the truth yet, but I could feel it—he was starting to suspect that something big was being kept from him. And I knew that sooner or later, the walls I had built to protect this secret would come crashing down.