Chapter 04
1328 Words
Amelia’s POV
The first few weeks after finding out I was pregnant, I told myself I could handle it.
I buried myself in work, attending back-to-back meetings, approving deals, and trying to keep Reynolds Enterprises stable. Every day felt like a battle, not just against the company’s problems but against my own body.
Mornings were the worst. I had to wake up earlier just to make sure no one noticed my nausea. I forced myself to eat even when food made my stomach turn.
But the exhaustion was relentless. I stayed late at the office, not because I had to, but because I didn’t want to go home and sit in silence, thinking about the future.
Jefferson’s absence was suffocating.
Every night, I found myself in his hospital room, sitting by his bed. At first, I just watched him, unsure of what to say. But then, I started talking.
“I closed that deal you were working on,” I murmured one evening, resting my hands on my stomach. “It was a mess, but I pulled it off.”
No response.
Another night, I let out a dry chuckle. “Your stepmother and Dorian are circling like vultures. They think I’m weak.” I leaned closer. “I’m proving them wrong.”
Still, nothing.
But I kept coming back.
I watched as the doctors checked his vitals, listened as they assured me his condition was stable. Every time I left the hospital, I wondered if it would be the last time I saw him like this.
Two months in, Amanda made her move.
I walked into a board meeting and found her sitting in my usual chair, a smug smile on her face.
“This company needs leadership,” she announced, looking around the table. “And I don’t think someone with no real business experience should be making all the decisions.”
I stared at her, then at the other board members, who either avoided my gaze or watched carefully.
She was testing me.
I set my files down and folded my hands. “Funny, because last I checked, Jefferson made it clear who should be in charge.”
She smirked. “That was before his… unfortunate accident.”
Dorian leaned forward, feigning concern. “Amelia, no one is questioning your efforts, but let’s be honest…. you’re struggling.”
I met his gaze head-on. “Struggling? And yet, profits have gone up since I took over.” I glanced at the CFO. “Correct me if I’m wrong.”
The man cleared his throat. “That’s… accurate.”
Amanda’s smile tightened.
I turned back to her. “If you want power, you’ll have to do better than cheap intimidation tactics.”
She didn’t respond, but the look in her eyes told me this wasn’t over.
I left the meeting victorious, but it didn’t change the fact that I was running out of time. My pregnancy wouldn’t stay hidden forever.
By the third month, everything was catching up to me.
I woke up one morning feeling weaker than usual. I had been pushing myself too hard, barely eating, barely resting.
Then during the conference, I was answering a question when my vision blurred. A sharp wave of dizziness hit me, and before I could steady myself…
The world tilted.
I heard gasps, felt hands grab me as I collapsed.
Everything faded.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, hooked to an IV.
The doctor stood at the foot of my bed with her legs crossed.
“You’re dehydrated, exhausted, and severely overworked,” she said flatly. “If you don’t start taking care of yourself, you’re going to put your baby at risk.”
My baby.
I pressed a hand to my stomach, swallowing hard.
I had been so focused on everything else that I had barely stopped to think about the life growing inside me.
I needed to slow down. But how could I, when everything was falling apart?
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of it all.
I had just returned to my penthouse when my phone rang.
“Mrs. Reynolds,” the doctor’s voice was urgent. “Your husband is awake.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
I grabbed my coat and rushed to the hospital, my heart pounding.
When I reached his room, the doctor tried to stop me.
“Mrs. Reynolds, before you go in…..”
I didn’t listen.
I pushed the door open.
Jefferson was sitting up, his eyes alert for the first time in three months.
He turned and looked at me.
For a brief moment, relief flooded my chest.
Then he frowned.
“Who are you?”
Jefferson’s POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the dull ache in my head. The second was the woman standing in the doorway, staring at me like I was supposed to know her.
She was beautiful, long brown hair with sharp blue eyes that seemed somewhat familiar.
But no matter how hard I searched my memory, I couldn’t place her.
I should have recognized her.
Something deep inside me told me I did.
And yet, when I tried to pull up a name, a moment, anything….. there was nothing.
Amanda walked in, dressed in an elegant black suit, her expression carefully composed. Right behind her, Dorian strolled in like he owned the place, his usual smirk in place.
“Jefferson!” Amanda’s voice was laced with exaggerated relief. “Thank God you’re awake.”
She stepped forward, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away instinctively.
“What happened?”
“You were in an accident,” she said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. “It’s been three months.”
Three months.
I let that sink in. My mind was a bit sluggish, but one thing stood out in the haze.
Erica.
“Where’s Erica?” I asked.
Amanda blinked. For a second, she looked caught off guard, but she recovered quickly. “Sweetheart, she… didn’t come.”
Didn’t come?
That didn’t make sense. Erica was my fiancée. If I had been in a coma for three months, she should have been the first person to come see me when I woke up.
I tried to sit up straighter, but the movement sent a sharp pain through my skull.
Before I could push further, my gaze shifted back to the woman still standing by the door.
She hadn’t moved or spoken.
“Who is she?” I asked, turning to Amanda.
Amanda’s expression darkened as she glanced over her shoulder at the woman. “She’s no one important.”
I frowned. That wasn’t an answer.
Dorian sighed dramatically. “You’ve been out of it for a while, brother. A lot has happened. Including a little corporate betrayal.”
My jaw tensed. “What?”
Amanda placed a hand on mine, squeezing lightly. “Jefferson, while you were unconscious, this woman…” she shot a glare at the stranger in the room, “....tried to take over Reynolds Enterprises.”
I turned back to the woman, expecting her to argue, to defend herself.
But she didn’t.
Something didn’t sit right.
I studied her again, trying to pick apart the strange pull I felt toward her. If she was really an outsider, why did she look at me with such….. pain?
“I’ll deal with this later,” I muttered. “For now, I don’t want any disturbances.”
Amanda’s face lit up. “Of course, sweetheart. You need rest. We’ll handle everything.”
She stood, motioning for Dorian to follow, and the two of them left without another word.
That left just me and the woman.
I expected her to say something. Maybe demand that I hear her side of the story.
But she didn’t.
She just looked at me.
Then, slowly, she turned and walked out.
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling under my skin.
Who the hell was she?
- Writer
