Pregnant Between Two Billionaires

Lexi’s POV The hall was filled with light, laughter, and whispers. For once, I allowed myself to believe something good was happening. My family had been drowning in crisis for months, but today was different. Today, I was marrying Ethan Cooper. I looked up at him, standing tall at the altar. Impossibly handsome. My heart still fluttered, he was my future. My chance to start fresh. The officiant’s voice rang out. “Do you, Ethan Cooper, take Alexandra Sinclair to be your lawfully wedded wife?” “I don’t.” The words shattered the air like glass against marble. For a heartbeat, I couldn’t process them. I blinked at him, certain I’d misheard. Around us, whispers rose like a tide. “What…?” My voice cracked, barely audible. Ethan stepped forward, taking the microphone. His gaze never softened, not even for me. “I will not marry the daughter of a thief,” he said, his tone sharp, carrying across the hall. “This union was meant to secure a merger. But as of this morning, Sinclair Enterprises has collapsed as a result of fraud leading to bankruptcy.” His eyes swept the crowd before cutting back to me. “I refuse to tie my name to ruin.” My bouquet slipped from my hands, roses scattering across the polished floor. The soft thud echoed louder than the gasps. What merger? “Ethan… please,” I whispered, my throat raw, vision blurring. “Not here. Not like this. We can talk…” “There’s nothing to talk about.” His voice sliced through mine, final and cold. He stepped closer, leaning just enough that his words brushed only my ear. “Don’t look at me like that. You were never the reason for this marriage. Ask your father, he traded you long before.” He pulled away before I could answer. Straightening, his declaration thundered across the hall. “This wedding is over!” Gasps erupted. Cameras flashed like lightning. Somewhere, someone stifled a laugh. My father’s face had gone ashen, my mother’s hand pressed to her mouth in horror. And just like that, Ethan walked away, each step echoing louder than the last, until the man I thought I knew was gone. The whispers grew louder. The lights spun. My knees went weak, and I couldn’t breathe. The last thing I saw was the roses at my feet before everything went black. —— When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the ceiling of the bridal suite. The heavy scent of roses clung to the air, though all I could taste was bitterness. I pushed myself up slowly. My head pounded, my veil twisted awkwardly against my hair. For a fleeting second, I prayed it had all been a nightmare. But the muffled voices of reporters outside, the sharp clicks of cameras, and the noises of guests waiting to watch me fall apart told me otherwise. The door creaked open. My father stepped inside, his face a storm. “You’ve ruined us,” he spat. My throat tightened. “Dad, I…” “Don’t speak!” His hand cut through the air. “Do you have any idea what this means? Ethan humiliated us in front of the entire city. Investors are pulling out. Shares are gone. Our name is finished.” I swallowed hard, my lips trembling. “I didn’t know… I loved him.” “Loved him?” His laugh was hollow, cruel. “He was our last chance, Lexi. And now he’s gone. What use are you to this family now?” The words landed sharper than Ethan’s rejection. “Edward!” My mother’s voice cut in as the door opened again. She rushed into the room, eyes blazing as she positioned herself between us. “How dare you speak to her like that? She’s your daughter.” “Daughter?” His sneer twisted deeper. “She was never what I wanted. I needed an heir, someone to carry this family forward. Instead, I got… this.” He gestured at me like I was some broken piece of furniture. “She’s been nothing but a disappointment since the day she was born.” The words sliced me open, but anger flickered beneath the hurt. My fists clenched at my sides. “I’m sorry I wasn’t born a boy, Father. Sorry I wasn’t the heir you wanted. But I am still your child, whether you care to admit it or not. And I will not let you talk to me like I’m nothing.” His face darkened, his eyes cold as steel. “You are nothing. And from this day forward, you are no longer my daughter.” A sharp and bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. For a second it felt like i could run mad. “What use is it being your daughter anyway?” I barked, my voice cracking under the weight of rage and heartbreak. “You already ruined your company yourself! Don’t you dare put that on me.” My mother gasped softly and gripped my hand, as though stopping me before I completely unraveled. I swallowed hard, Ethan’s words echoing in my head. ‘Ask your father, he traded you long before.’ My chest tightened as I forced the question out. “Father, did you trade me? What was the merger Ethan spoke about on the altar?!” For the first time, his face went blank. He turned his gaze away. “Is that how you speak to your father?” he said, his voice clipped. A bitter laugh tore from me. “I thought I was no longer your daughter.” My voice rose, shaking with fury. “So answer me, what was Ethan talking about?” His silence said more than words ever could. He stood rigid, jaw locked, refusing to meet my eyes. Pride wrapped around him like armor, unbreakable, impenetrable. “Of course,” I whispered, bitterness curling in my chest. “You’d rather choke on your pride than admit the truth.” He didn’t flinch. He didn’t move. Finally, his voice cut through the heavy air. “I don’t want to see you anymore. Not even at home, not to pick anything. Everything you’ve ever had was because of me.” “Edward, please…” my mother pleaded, her voice breaking. But he cut her off, jabbing a finger toward me. “From today, you are on your own.” Then his gaze swung to my mother, colder than I’d ever seen. “And you… if I find out you’re helping her, even with crumbs, you’ll regret it.” I felt my mother’s grip loosen on my arm, as though even she feared being dragged down with me. A laugh slipped from me, sharp and broken, defiance tangled with despair. My father’s face darkened, but he didn’t reply, instead he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. My mother sank onto the bed beside me, her hand trembling as she reached for mine. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, her voice tight with desperation. “I’ll talk to your father.” “Don’t.” I warned, the word coming out harsher than I meant. Talk to my father about what anyway? To go back home? To live under the roof of a man who didn’t even see me as his own child? To sit in the same house while the city whispered and gossiped about the wedding that never happened? I shook my head, tears burning at the edges of my eyes. “No, Mom. There’s nothing to talk to him about.” Her face softened, like she understood my fears. “I’ll send you some money,” she said quickly, almost like a secret. “You can stay in the hotel for now… just until you figure things out.” “Mom…” My throat tightened. “He’ll find out.” “Then let him.” Her jaw trembled as she tried to stay strong. “He can cut you off, but he doesn’t control me.” I stared at her, my chest heavy, torn between relief and guilt. For the first time, I realized she was just as trapped as I was. She squeezed my hand, then rose slowly, her back straight as if bracing herself for a war waiting outside that door. “Be strong, Lexi,” she whispered before slipping out.. When the door click shut, silence filled the room. A wave of nausea hit me. I clutched my stomach, rubbing it slowly. I was a month pregnant and had been waiting to tell Ethan on our wedding night. Now, that moment would never come. And I was left with nothing but the secret growing inside me.