THE SECRET FAMILY INHERITANCE

chapter 2

Chapter 2

I stood in the crowded lobby of the hotel, my eyes glued to the bright screen of my phone. The noise of chatter and clanking glasses washed over me like distant waves, but my mind was completely frozen.

I was reading a digital text message sent directly from the hospital's portal.

Test Result: Positive.

I was pregnant.

I had visited the clinic just yesterday morning to get a routine blood test. For the past few weeks, I had been dealing with sudden dizzy spells, a sharp wave of nausea every time I smelled food, and a deep, heavy exhaustion that made my limbs feel like lead. I had brushed it all off, telling myself it was just stress from work. But now, looking at the bold word on the screen, the truth settled in.

My hand moved on its own, resting gently over my flat stomach.

A cold, strange thought crept into my mind. What would happen when Adrian Blackwood found out that his cruel game had given him a baby?

I snapped out of my daze and looked around the grand lobby, half-expecting to see Adrian rushing out of the elevator to stop me. I checked behind every large marble pillar and scanned the crowd of wealthy guests. But he wasn't there. He hadn't chased after me. He was still up in the top-floor room with his associate, leaving me alone in the dark.

A wave of relief mixed with pain washed over me. I turned my back on the Blackwood Hotel, pushed through the heavy revolving glass doors, and walked out into the chilly night air. I flagged down a yellow taxi at the curb and slipped onto the cold leather backseat.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked, looking at me through his rearview mirror.

I gave him the address of my small apartment, my voice barely above a whisper. The taxi pulled away from the curb, merging into the bright, endless stream of city traffic.

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass window, watching the streetlights blur into golden lines. One single word kept repeating in my head like a broken record: Pregnant.

Then another thought followed: Three years.

I had given three years of my life to Adrian Blackwood. Three years of unconditional love, patience, late-night dinners, and quiet promises for a bright future. And in less than ten minutes, I had discovered that every single moment was built on a giant lie.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my lap. The screen lit up with Adrian’s name.

Where are you?

I stared at the black letters on the white screen. I didn't reply. A second later, another text popped up right beneath it.

We need to talk, Lily. Answer me.

A short, bitter laugh escaped my lips. Talk? Now he wanted to talk? Now that I had caught him red-handed, he wanted to craft another perfect set of lies to twist my mind. I was done being gullible. I was not ready to hear another single word from his mouth, especially not tonight. I pressed the side button on my phone, turning the screen black, and tossed it into my bag.

When the taxi finally dropped me off at my apartment building, I climbed the stairs with heavy steps. Inside my dark, quiet apartment, I didn't bother turning on the lights or changing into my pajamas. I walked straight into my bedroom, collapsed onto the top of the bed, and stared up at the blank ceiling.

Every word Adrian said kept playing over and over in my head. I never planned to marry Lily... It was all a game. That's all.

Eventually, my eyes grew heavy from crying, and I drifted into a fitful, restless sleep filled with dark shadows and cold voices.

The next morning, the bright sun spilled through my window. I sat up, my head pounding and my mouth dry. I didn't want to believe the message from last night. I needed to know for sure before my entire life took a completely new path.

I dressed in a simple sweater and jeans, put on my coat, and took a cab straight to a private clinic on the other side of town—far away from any doctors connected to the Blackwood family.

I sat anxiously on the edge of the paper-lined examination table, watching the doctor as she studied the paper chart in her hands. The room was deathly quiet, save for the ticking of a clock on the wall. My heart was pounding like a hammer against my ribs. I kept praying, hoping against hope, that the hospital's message from yesterday had been a mistake or a mix-up in the lab.

After several long minutes, the middle-aged doctor looked up from the folder and offered me a soft, gentle smile.

"Congratulations, Lily," she said warmly. "The blood work and ultrasound confirm it. You're five weeks pregnant."

I stared down at the gray tile floor, the world around me spinning in slow motion.

It was the exact same result. There was no error. A real, living baby—my baby, Adrian's baby—was growing right inside my body.

A quiet, breathless laugh bubbled up in my throat, though there was no joy in it. It was funny, in a twisted, heartbreaking way. Just when I decided to cut all ties with a dangerous man, I was tied to him forever by blood.

I left the clinic holding the white paper envelope with the official medical report sealed inside. I got into a cab and rode straight back to my apartment.

Inside, I walked directly into the small bathroom, closing the door behind me. I stepped up to the mirror above the sink and held the paper report tightly against my chest. My hands were trembling violently.

I looked at my reflection in the glass. My face was pale, and dark circles shadowed my eyes, but there was a new, strange light in my gaze. A single hot tear slipped down my cheek and splashed onto the bathroom counter.

For one dangerous second, a soft fantasy popped into my head. I imagined walking up to Adrian, handing him this paper, and watching his cold eyes melt. Maybe he would change, a small voice inside me whispered. Maybe hearing about a child would make him stop his cruel

game. Maybe he would fight for us.

Then, like a splash of ice water, his true voice echoed sharply in my mind.

She was useful. That's all. Once I get what I need, I'll end everything.

My heart instantly turned to stone. The foolish fantasy evaporated completely.

Adrian didn't love me. He didn't want a family with me, and that was fine. But I was not weak anymore. I had someone else to protect now. I was going to be a mother, and I would protect this tiny life with everything I had, no matter what it took.

I reached up with a steady hand and wiped the tears from my cheeks. I took a deep, grounding breath, ready to turn around and pack my bags to leave the city forever.

As I looked down toward the sink, a glint of white caught my eye in the tight gap right behind the bathroom counter.