The Billionaire Who Regretted Letting Me Go

The first time I realized Adrian Blackwood was about to destroy my heart, I was standing outside a hotel ballroom with a gift in my hands. Inside, people were laughing. Glasses clinked. Music floated through the partially closed doors. And somewhere in that room was the man I had loved for three years. I smiled to myself as I looked down at the small black box in my hands. Adrian's birthday gift. It had taken me two months to save enough money for the antique silver watch inside. It wasn't nearly as expensive as the watches he already owned, but I had chosen it carefully because of the words engraved on the back. For every second we still have. I had believed those words. God, how foolish I had been. "Excuse me, miss." I turned around. A waiter carrying a tray of champagne stood in front of me. "Are you going inside?" "Yes," I said, smiling. "I'm looking for Adrian Blackwood." The waiter hesitated. For a second, something strange crossed his face. Pity. Why was he looking at me like that? Before I could ask, a woman's voice came from inside the ballroom. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" The room immediately became quiet. I stepped closer to the door. I couldn't see much from where I stood, but I recognized the voice. Margaret Blackwood. Adrian's mother. My stomach tightened. She had never liked me. Not once. From the first day Adrian introduced me to his family, Margaret had looked at me as though I was a stain on her perfect life. I wasn't rich. I wasn't from a powerful family. I didn't attend charity galas or wear dresses that cost more than my monthly rent. In Margaret Blackwood's eyes, I was simply the poor girl who had somehow captured her son's attention. But Adrian had always defended me. Or at least, I thought he did. I leaned closer to the door. Margaret's voice continued. "Tonight is a very special night for the Blackwood and Sterling families." My fingers tightened around the gift box. Sterling? I knew that name. Everyone in the city did. The Sterlings were one of the most powerful families in the country. Then Margaret laughed softly. "It gives me great pleasure to announce the engagement of my son, Adrian Blackwood, to the beautiful Sophia Sterling." For a moment, the entire world went silent. I stopped breathing. No. I must have heard wrong. My hand went numb. The gift slipped from my fingers and hit the marble floor. The sound was small. Almost nothing. But to me, it sounded like something inside my chest had shattered. Then the ballroom exploded with applause. Congratulations. Laughter. Cheers. And through the small opening between the doors, I finally saw him. Adrian. Standing beside a beautiful woman in a red dress. Sophia Sterling. Her hand rested on his arm. And on her finger... Was a diamond ring. My heart began to pound so violently that I thought I might collapse. No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Three hours ago, Adrian had kissed me goodbye. He had held my face between his hands and promised that he would see me later that night. There had been no goodbye. No explanation. No warning. Nothing. My chest burned as tears filled my eyes. I pushed the ballroom door open. The applause slowly faded. Heads turned. And then Adrian saw me. His smile disappeared. "Amelia..." My name left his lips like a warning. I looked at him. Then at Sophia. Then back at him. My voice came out barely above a whisper. "Congratulations." The room was completely silent. Adrian took one step toward me. "Amelia, wait." I laughed. A broken, painful sound escaped my throat. "Wait for what?" His jaw tightened. "Let me explain." "Explain?" I repeated. My eyes moved to Sophia's hand. "Explain what, Adrian? The ring? The engagement? Or the fact that everyone in this room knew except me?" Sophia shifted uncomfortably beside him. Margaret's expression remained cold. Adrian looked around the room. "Can we talk somewhere private?" That was when something inside me finally broke. Private. He wanted to talk privately now. After publicly announcing his engagement to another woman. I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "You know what?" I whispered. "You're right. We should talk." Relief flashed across his face. Then I lifted my hand. And threw the gift box at his feet. It landed beside his expensive shoes. "For your birthday." His eyes dropped to it. Then back to me. "Amelia—" "Don't." I took a step backward. For the first time in three years, Adrian Blackwood looked afraid of losing me. But it was too late. Because before he could say another word, a wave of dizziness suddenly hit me. I grabbed the door for support. My stomach turned. And my hand instinctively moved to my abdomen. No one noticed. No one except me. Two blue lines. That was all it had taken to change my life that morning. I was pregnant. And Adrian had just announced his engagement to another woman. I looked at him one last time. A man I had loved more than myself. A man who had just chosen another woman. He took another step toward me. "Amelia, please." I smiled through my tears. Then I whispered the words that would change both our lives forever. "Goodbye, Adrian." And this time... I carried his secret with me.