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Chapter 2
Three hours after the procedure, Cassie dragged herself home, one hand pressed against her now empty womb.
After a day in bed, she faced her ghost–white reflection in the bathroom mirror. With trembling fingers, the applied a swipe of red lipstick, creating an illusion of life that didn’t match the hollow feeling inside her. The makeup concealed her pallor, but her body still betrayed her–cold sweat heading on her skin from the persistent cramping pain.
Wrapped in a thick throw blanket on the living room sofa, she called for Morgan. “Box up everything from the display cases–all the jewelry, handbags, everything. Send it all to auction and donate every penny to UNICEF USA
Callum, who had just walked in, stopped dead in his tracks.
“Whoa, Cass–where’s this coming from? Why the sudden garage sale?” His tone was light, clueless.
She kept her eyes down, avoiding his gaze like it might burn her. “Just decluttering. Don’t want it anymore. Consider it good karma for the baby.”
The lie slipped easily from her lips. There was no baby anymore.
Mercifully, Callum didn’t question her further. He settled beside her on the couch, pulling her close like nothing had changed. “That works for me. Next weekend, we’ll hit an auction together. You can pick out whatever catches your eye, and we’ll refill those cases with stuff you actually like. Sound good?”
His patronizing tone made her skin crawl–like she was some child he needed to placate with shiny things. She changed the subject. “Work all wrapped up?”
“Completely done. I know things have been rough lately. I’m all yours for the next week–just you, me, and little
button in there.” He smiled, the picture of a devoted husband.
As his hand moved toward her stomach, Cassie caught it mid–air, her heart pounding with sudden panic.
His eyes dropped to her midsection, brow furrowing slightly as he noticed the change. Before he could question it, Cassie’s phone rang–a lifeline.
Seeing “Sebastian” on the screen, she answered quickly. “Hey, Uncle Seb.”
“Cassie, Laurina flew in yesterday. We’re getting everyone together for dinner at the Brooks Estate tonight. You up
for joining us?”
“I’m not feeling great today, so I don’t think I can-”
The phone vanished from her hand as Callum swooped in and took over.
“We’ll absolutely be there,” he said, voice suddenly energetic and eager. “What time?”
Watching the transformation–how quickly he jumped at the chance to see Laurina–Cassie felt something wither
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Chapter 2
inside her. The contrast was devastating.
She couldn’t help comparing his enthusiasm now with her father’s death day–those ninety–nine desperate calls that went straight to voicemail.
Now it all made horrible sense. When it came to someone he genuinely loved, he seized every opportunity, bulldozing over her wishes without a second thought. Her grief over losing her father hadn’t mattered. Her health
didn’t matter now.
All that mattered was his desperate need to see the woman he truly loved.
After hanging up, Callum caught sight of her expression and realized he’d shown his hand too clearly.
He grabbed her cold fingers between his warm ones. “Come on, Cass. I know you’re still processing your dad’s death, but you can’t just lock yourself away. You’re pregnant–it’s not healthy to marinate in grief. Some family time will do you good.”
Cassie’s lips twisted into something approximating a smile. Inside, she thought: I’m not pregnant anymore. And they’re not the only family with secrets.
At seven sharp, they pulled up to the Brooks Estate.
Before entering, Callum pressed a gift bag into her hands. “Sebastian mentioned you and Laurina haven’t seen each other in years. We should bring something nice.”
Once, Cassie would have found this thoughtful–evidence of his attention to detail and social graces.
Now, she saw through it completely–he was using her as a delivery girl, a prop in his scheme to give a gift to the woman he’d been obsessed with for a decade.
She accepted the bag without comment, too tired for confrontation, and walked into the crowded hall.
At the sound of their arrival, Laurina broke from her conversation and turned. Her eyes landed first on Cassie, then widened slightly as they shifted to Callum, who stood possessively close, his hand at the small of Cassie’s back.
For a heartbeat, Laurina looked genuinely stunned. “Cassie… who’s your friend?”
Cassie stood frozen, the words my husband burning like acid on her tongue.
Callum remained equally silent, playing his part in this farce of strangers meeting for the first time.
Their awkward silence was mercifully broken by eager relatives.
“Laurina, you’ve been in Europe for three years and missed the wedding! This is Cassie’s husband, Callu… Reid–you know, the CEO of Reid Enterprises? They’ve been married three years now…”
Laurina physically–swayed, shock flashing nakedly across her face before she regained her composure. With practiced social grace, she extended her hand to Callum. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Cassie watched their elaborate performance–two strangers shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries about the
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Chapter 2
weather and her uncle’s new kitchen renovation.
Only she could see what was really happening–the careful way they avoided prolonged eye contact, the slight tremor in Laurina’s fingers, the tension in Callum’s jaw. Ten years of history crackled between them like electrical
current.
She mechanically handed over the gift, managing just one flat sentence: “Welcome home, Aunt Laurina.”
“Oh, it’s just a visit,” Laurina replied with practiced casualness. “I’m only in New York for a month before heading
back to Paris.”
Cassie didn’t miss how Callum’s expression darkened at this news.
Laurina studiously ignored his reaction as she unwrapped the gift with elegant fingers.
Removing the tissue paper, she revealed a stunning emerald and diamond necklace. Genuine appreciation lit her features. “Cassie, your taste is exquisite. I’ve been eyeing this exact piece for months.”
Watching both their faces–Laurina’s delight, Callum’s anxious anticipation–Cassie responded with ice in her voice: “Callum selected it. He’s always had a knack for knowing exactly what a woman wants.”
The double meaning hung in the air between them.
During dinner, Callum barely touched his food. Between gulps of wine, he devoted himself entirely to filling Cassie’s plate with heaping portions.
Around the table, relatives exchanged knowing smiles at what appeared to be husbandly devotion.
“Look at Cassie, landing such an attentive husband! The way he dotes on her–I’m practically getting cavities watching them!”
Cassie stared down at her plate–piled high with beef tenderloin and roasted chicken–without lifting her fork. What perfect, excruciating irony.
Since her first trimester, severe morning sickness had made meat completely intolerable. The mere smell made her
gag.
Callum knew this intimately–he’d eaten vegetarian with her for weeks in solidarity.
But tonight, that knowledge had completely evaporated from his mind.
He was too preoccupied with discretely repositioning platters, ensuring every seafood dish migrated down the table to Laurina’s place setting.
Her aunt, after all, had been obsessed with seafood her entire life.
The realization landed like a blow: when the original appeared, the copy became worthless. All her preferences, her needs, her very existence–instantly forgotten.
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Chapter 3
