Chapter 13
1096 Words
~Aria’s POV~
The sun slipped into the room, a warm beam that landed on my face like a gentle warning. My forehead creased in a frown, and I turned over in bed, trying to escape the brightness. But the movement was a mistake.
A wave of nausea hit me like a tidal wave, and I was scrambling out of bed, stumbling toward the bathroom with a silent prayer that I’d make it in time. I barely reached the toilet before my stomach emptied itself, the violence of it leaving me shaking and cold.
The sound of my own ragged breathing filled the room, and for a moment, I was sure I was alone. But then a soft voice called out from the bedroom.
“Miss Aria? Are you okay?”
I winced, mortified. A maid. Of course there was a maid. I was in Kaden Sterling’s mansion, where privacy was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
“I’m… okay,” I croaked, trying to sound normal despite the bile still burning my throat. “I’ll… be out in a sec.”
There was a pause, and I could almost hear the maid’s hesitation on the other side of the door.
“Shall I bring you some water, Miss Aria?” she asked, her voice polite but curious.
I nodded before realizing she couldn’t see me. “Y-yes. Please. Thank you.”
I flushed the toilet, rinsing my mouth with cold water from the sink as I listened to the maid’s quiet footsteps moving around the room. She left a glass of water on the nightstand, and I heard the soft click of the door closing behind her.
Alone again, I leaned against the cool porcelain, trying to catch my breath. The nausea seemed to have passed, but my stomach was still queasy, and my head was pounding. I splashed more water on my face, feeling a little more human, and reached for the glass of water.
As I straightened, my gaze caught on the small trash can beside the toilet. A discarded pregnancy test box lay crumbled at the bottom, the words “Positive” and “2-3 weeks” blurring together like accusation.
My heart sank. I hadn’t imagined it. I wasn’t just nauseous; I was…
The thought hung there, unfinished, as I stared at the box like it held the answers to a future I wasn’t sure I wanted. But there was no time to process it now. Kaden’s schedule, the day’s obligations—they wouldn’t wait for me to figure things out.
I took a deep breath, rinsed my mouth again, and stepped out of the bathroom, ready to face whatever came next. But the one thing I wasn’t ready for was Kaden, standing by the door, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “You look… ill.”
I jumped, my back instinctively covering the waste bin like a shield. "Kaden! What are you doing sneaking around?" I snapped, trying to sound annoyed instead of guilty.
Kaden raised an eyebrow, his gaze drifting over my shoulder to the bathroom behind me. "I'm not sneaking. This is my house. I live here."
I felt a flush rise to my cheeks. "You could've knocked. It’s a ladies room for crying out loud."
He walked past me into the bathroom, his shoulder brushing mine. I moved back, my heart racing, positioning myself even closer to the waste bin. The pregnancy test kit was still in there, taunting me with its presence.
Kaden reappeared, his eyes narrowing as he took in my defensive posture. "You don't need to stay away from me like I'm a virus, Aria."
I glared at him. "I’ve don’t want to be around you. I want a goddamn privacy. Is that too much to ask?"
He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze lingering on my face. "The maid told me you were sick. That’s why I came to check you. Are you okay?"
I hissed in my head, angry that there was no such thing as a private moment in this mansion. "Morning sickness," I muttered, trying to brush it off. "It's my time of the month."
Kaden's eyes examined my features, his expression unreadable. He was too perceptive, too intense. I could feel him probing for weaknesses, searching for cracks in the armor.
"Your time of the month?" he repeated, his voice neutral. "You should've said something. I'll have Dr. Patel check on you."
I shook my head, panic rising. "No, I'm fine. Really. Just... leave me alone."
Kaden's gaze lingered, and for a moment, I thought he was going to push the issue. But he just nodded, his expression cold. "As you wish. I'll have breakfast sent up."
He turned to leave, and I let out a silent breath. But as he reached the door, he paused, his eyes flicking back to me.
"By the way, Aria..."
"Yes?" I asked, my voice tight.
"Don't lie to me again."
The words hung in the air like a threat, and I felt my heart sink. What does he mean? Lie to him?
I shook my head, my voice rising. "I never lied to you. I'm on my period, okay? Just leave me alone."
Kaden's expression didn't change, but his eyes seemed to bore into my soul. "Not that, Aria. Your ex. You think I won't know you were still married when you signed that contract?"
The words hit me like a slap. I felt my face drain of color, and a cold fear crept up my spine. How did he know? I had been so careful, covering my tracks, making sure the divorce was finalized before signing with him. Oh s**t! That time at the hotel, when he came to pick me. But he wouldn’t have known that Ethan was my husband.
I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. Kaden's gaze was like ice, his words dripping with disdain. "You think I'd want someone else's wife in my house, playing the role of my wife?"
The fear was suffocating, making it hard to breathe. I felt trapped, cornered, with no escape. My mind was racing, trying to come up with an explanation, but my tongue was tied.
Kaden's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me frozen in terror.
The silence was oppressive, the only sound the quiet hum of the air conditioning. What had I gotten myself into?
- Writer
