Pregnant With My Enemy’s Baby

2

The city lights blurred past the rain-covered windows as Adrian Knight’s black Rolls-Royce moved silently through the storm.

Inside the car, silence stretched painfully between them.

Elena sat near the window, gripping the fabric of her silver dress tightly as the events from the ballroom replayed endlessly inside her head.

Daniel’s betrayal.

The whispers.

The cameras.

The humiliation.

Her chest tightened painfully.

She quickly turned toward the rain-covered glass before Adrian could notice the tears threatening to fall.

Unfortunately, he noticed everything.

“You’re bleeding.”

Elena blinked before looking down at her hand.

A small piece of glass from the shattered champagne glass had cut her palm earlier. Blood stained her fingers faintly.

“I’m fine,” she whispered automatically.

Adrian’s sharp gaze darkened slightly.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Before she could react, he reached across the seat and gently took her injured hand into his larger one.

The warmth of his touch sent unexpected tension through her body.

Elena immediately tried pulling away. “I said I’m fine.”

“And I said you’re bleeding.”

His calm voice somehow made arguing impossible.

Adrian removed a clean handkerchief from his pocket before carefully wrapping it around her palm. His movements were surprisingly gentle for someone with such a ruthless reputation.

Elena stared at him silently.

Nothing about tonight made sense anymore.

Why would Adrian Knight help her?

This was the same man who spent years destroying her family in business meetings and public interviews. The same man newspapers described as cold-hearted and dangerously ambitious.

Yet tonight…

He had looked angrier about her humiliation than she was.

“Why?” she asked quietly.

Adrian didn’t look up from her hand. “Why what?”

“Why did you help me?”

For the first time since leaving the ballroom, Adrian leaned back against the seat and looked directly at her.

The intensity in his grey eyes made her heartbeat unsteady.

“You really want the answer?”

Elena frowned slightly.

“No one humiliates a Carter publicly except another Carter,” he said coldly.

Despite everything, a short disbelieving laugh escaped her.

“So this is family pride?”

Partially.

But not completely.

She could feel it.

Something else existed beneath his calm expression tonight.

Something darker.

Adrian’s gaze lingered on her face for several silent seconds before he finally looked away.

“You shouldn’t have stayed there that long,” he said.

Elena swallowed painfully. “I didn’t exactly expect my fiancé to arrive with his pregnant mistress.”

The bitterness in her voice filled the car instantly.

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“He’s an idiot.”

A fresh wave of pain hit Elena unexpectedly.

Two years.

How could two years mean absolutely nothing to someone?

“I keep replaying everything in my head,” she whispered quietly. “Every conversation. Every moment. I feel stupid.”

“You trusted someone you loved,” Adrian answered calmly. “That doesn’t make you stupid.”

His response caught her off guard.

Because Adrian Knight was not known for kindness.

Silence returned briefly before Elena’s phone suddenly began vibrating endlessly inside her purse.

Then again.

And again.

Sophia.

Her mother.

Unknown numbers.

Social media notifications exploded across her screen one after another.

Elena’s stomach dropped instantly.

With trembling fingers, she opened the internet.

And immediately regretted it.

Photos from the ballroom were everywhere.

“Business Heir Exposed At Engagement Party.”

“Daniel Whitmore’s Secret Affair Scandal.”

“Elena Carter Leaves With Rival Billionaire Adrian Knight.”

The last headline made her chest tighten painfully.

One blurry photo showed Adrian holding her hand while leading her out of the ballroom.

Another showed her crying beside him.

Thousands of comments flooded beneath the articles already.

“She should’ve seen this coming.”

“Adrian Knight looks ready to kill someone.”

“Wait… is Elena dating Adrian now?”

“Oh my God this feels like a movie.”

Elena shut the phone off immediately.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered shakily.

Adrian watched her carefully.

“Yes, you can.”

“No,” she said weakly. “Tomorrow everyone will talk about me like I’m some pathetic woman who got cheated on publicly.”

“They’ll talk for a week,” Adrian replied calmly. “Then they’ll move on to another scandal.”

“You don’t understand.”

His expression darkened slightly.

“You think I don’t understand public humiliation?”

Something in his voice made Elena look at him properly again.

For the first time tonight, she noticed exhaustion hidden beneath his composed exterior.

Not physical exhaustion.

Something deeper.

Before she could ask anything, the car suddenly slowed.

Elena looked outside in confusion.

This wasn’t her apartment.

The car had stopped in front of a massive modern penthouse tower overlooking the city.

She turned toward Adrian immediately. “Why are we here?”

“Because paparazzi are probably outside your apartment already.”

Elena’s face paled slightly.

He was right.

“I can book a hotel,” she said quickly.

“No.”

The single word came out firm and absolute.

“You’re staying here tonight.”

Elena stared at him in disbelief. “With you?”

One corner of Adrian’s mouth lifted slightly.

“You say that like I invited you into my bedroom.”

Heat rushed unexpectedly into Elena’s cheeks.

“I didn’t mean—”

“I know what you meant.”

The teasing in his voice shocked her even more than the comment itself.

Adrian Knight teasing someone felt impossible.

The driver stepped out to open the car door.

Adrian exited first before holding his hand toward her.

Elena hesitated only briefly before accepting it.

The moment her fingers touched his again, a strange warmth spread through her chest.

Dangerous.

That feeling was dangerous.

Inside, the penthouse lobby was silent and luxurious. Marble floors reflected soft golden lights while security guards immediately lowered their heads respectfully as Adrian walked past.

No one questioned him.

No one even looked surprised to see Elena beside him.

The elevator ride to the penthouse felt painfully intimate.

The confined space forced her to notice every detail about him.

The expensive scent of his cologne.

The tension in his jaw.

The rain still clinging to his dark hair.

And the way his broad shoulders nearly filled the elevator.

Elena quickly looked away before he caught her staring.

Too late.

“I’m not going to bite you,” Adrian said calmly.

Her cheeks burned again.

“I’m not scared of you.”

“Liar.”

The elevator doors opened before she could answer.

Adrian’s penthouse was breathtaking.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the storm-covered city while soft golden lighting illuminated elegant furniture and dark marble walls.

It looked expensive.

Cold.

Controlled.

Just like him.

Elena stepped inside slowly.

“You live alone?”

“Yes.”

For some reason, that answer made the space feel even lonelier.

Adrian loosened his tie slightly before turning toward her.

“You should change out of that dress.”

Only then did Elena realize how uncomfortable she felt wearing the same gown from the engagement party.

The ruined engagement party.

Pain flashed across her face again instantly.

Adrian noticed.

He always noticed.

Without another word, he walked toward one of the rooms before returning moments later with a plain black shirt.

“You can wear this tonight.”

Elena accepted it carefully. “Thank you.”

Their fingers brushed briefly.

And once again, her heartbeat reacted traitorously.

What was wrong with her?

Hours ago she had been planning her wedding with another man.

Now she was standing inside Adrian Knight’s penthouse unable to ignore the tension growing between them.

“You can use the guest room,” Adrian said quietly.

Elena nodded before turning away.

But his voice stopped her again.

“Elena.”

She looked back.

Adrian stood near the windows overlooking the storm-covered city.

For the first time since meeting him, he looked genuinely angry.

Not cold.

Angry.

“At the party…” he said slowly, “when Daniel embarrassed you…”

His jaw tightened visibly.

“I wanted to break his jaw.”

Elena stared at him speechlessly.

The confession sent warmth spreading unexpectedly through her chest.

No one had defended her like that tonight.

Not even herself.

“Why do you care so much?” she whispered.

Silence filled the penthouse.

Adrian walked toward her slowly until only a small distance remained between them.

Too close.

Far too close.

Elena’s pulse became uneven as his gaze locked onto hers.

“You really don’t know?” he asked softly.

The air between them suddenly felt heavy.

Elena could barely breathe beneath the intensity in his eyes.

Then Adrian lifted one hand slowly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

The touch was gentle.

Careful.

But it shattered the last bit of stability she had left tonight.

“Adrian…”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

His gaze dropped briefly toward her lips before returning to her eyes again.

And for one terrifying moment—

Elena thought he might kiss her.

Instead, Adrian stepped back.

The sudden distance almost disappointed her.

“You should sleep,” he said quietly.

Confusion and relief crashed together inside her chest.

Right.

Of course.

What had she been expecting?

Elena quickly looked away, embarrassed by her own thoughts.

She turned toward the guest room before stopping suddenly as Adrian’s phone began vibrating on the table behind him.

A message notification lit up the screen.

Daniel Whitmore.

Adrian picked up the phone calmly.

Then his expression turned cold.

“What is it?” Elena asked quietly.

Adrian stared at the message for several silent seconds before meeting her eyes again.

A dark smile slowly appeared on his face.

“Looks like your ex-fiancé is finally panicking.”

Elena’s heartbeat slowed.

“What did he say?”

Adrian locked his phone before walking closer again.

“He wants you back.”

Elena froze instantly.

Adrian stared at her for several long seconds.

“Daniel made you look weak tonight,” he said coldly.

His gaze darkened.

“I’ll make the entire city regret laughing at you.”

Her breath caught painfully.

Then Adrian stepped even closer, his grey eyes never leaving hers.

“You want revenge, Elena?”

The air between them felt dangerously charged.

Adrian’s voice dropped lower.

“Marry me.”