Looks like Kayla really was pregnant!

That couldn't be more real now.

"If you've got something to do, then go ahead. Don't let me hold you up."

I grabbed my crutch and stood up, smiling as I saw them out. In my head, I was already thinking I needed to prepare some baby supplies to show my sincerity.

I happily called Selena and told her I used the money Kayla gave me to buy her a gift.

"A gift and you're still not happy?"

She clearly wasn't in a good mood. She didn't even let out her usual cold snort.

She didn't answer. She just hung up.

I called again, but she didn't pick up.

I sent messages too, but she didn't reply.

Everything had been fine. So why was she suddenly mad?

I spent one day thinking about it, two days analyzing it, and three days trying to figure it out.

Finally, I found my answer in a short video online.

It wasn't a direct answer, but I still bought blueberry desserts she liked. They were a new flavor. She would definitely talk to me after that.

There was no helping it.

For the past few days, Kayla had been ordered to stay in the bridal suite.

Even though she only showed up late at night, I still couldn't take it.

The way she stared at me so openly made my skin crawl. It was like she already knew exactly what she was going to do with me.

I decided I'd better get on Selena's good side, if only to make things easier on myself.

The next day, I quietly snuck out on my scooter, heading to the shop to pick up some desserts. I didn't have any reason other than wanting to score some brownie points.

After all, being away from a beauty for a few days was torture.

But at the corner, I ran into Yuvan, who was working a part-time job.

He was a scholarship kid, and people like him always had their pride. He wasn't the type to accept handouts. But right now he was cornered by a group of guys forcing alcohol down his throat, barely conscious.

I hesitated for half a second, then stepped in. I kicked the guys off Yuvan and pulled him out of there.

But he mistook me for someone else.

Even though he was drunk, his thoughts weren't.

I clearly heard his shock.

'Why is Benjamin here? Where's my Kayla? I clearly sent the message! I was supposed to put on this act for Kayla. How did he hijack it? Get lost, you ugly freak!'

When I heard that, I swallowed the comforting response I'd been about to give. I cursed myself for getting involved in Yuvan's business in the first place.

I dumped him on a barstool and was ready to leave when a thought suddenly popped into my head.

I'd been trying to figure out how to get Kayla off my back. She'd been hovering around me way too much lately. Looks like my chance just showed up.

I called Kayla. "I've got Yuvan. You've got fifteen minutes to get here."

'Damn it, Benjamin's using me to get to Kayla! I didn't think he'd be this ruthless! But I actually drank a lot to make it convincing. What do I do? I can't let him win!'

I listened to Yuvan's internal panic and felt nothing but tired.

Did it ever occur to him that my dessert pickup reservation was about to expire and Selena would actually stop talking to me if I missed it?

I gave Kayla fifteen minutes. She showed up in ten.

She had her driver haul Yuvan up and looked at me with open suspicion.

I knew she had it all wrong!

I rushed to explain myself, and even had the staff bring some hangover remedy just to prove my innocence. I tuned out Yuvan's nonstop cursing in my head, strapped on my helmet, and got out of there.

I didn't notice the Cullinan parked just down the street.

As I rushed to the shop to grab my desserts, I received a text message.

[Come with me to the Shelton family's party tomorrow.]

It was the first time Kayla had ever texted me.

I replied, snapped a photo of the desserts, and sent it to Selena. She didn't reply right away.

I stressed about it, even asked my AI assistant how to cheer up a girl.

A minute later, another message popped up.

I figured it was Kayla backing out. Honestly, if she and Yuvan were using me as a pawn in whatever game they were playing, that was fine. As long as it didn't get in the way of my peace and quiet, they could do whatever they wanted.

I opened the message to find it was a photo from Selena.

My mind went completely blank.

A pregnancy test with two lines stared back at me from the screen.

What?

Before my brain could even catch up, another message popped up.

A hospital address.

It was obvious she was there right now.

I grabbed the desserts, jumped on my scooter, and headed straight there.

I never even got to see her. The nurse told me she'd already left.

I rode home in a daze. When I opened the door, the smell of food hit me.

I stopped, then I ran inside.

Selena was sitting at the dining table, food laid out in front of her.

Something in my chest tightened. I crossed the room and pulled her into my arms, my voice coming out quieter than I intended.

"I thought you'd left."

She glanced at the pregnancy test on the table and said, perfectly calm, "The baby's father is still here. Where exactly would we go?"

I thought she wasn't angry, but then she pulled up the video of me bringing hangover remedies to Yuvan and told me it was time to settle the score.

By the time she was done settling it, I had dark circles under my eyes and could barely stand on my own two feet.

I walked into the party that evening with one hand braced on my lower back.

I'd barely found a quiet corner to sit down when Kayla spotted me.

She came over with a cool expression. I found myself thinking that not all pregnant women were the same. Kayla was so composed and steady, nothing like Selena. The memory of last night's consequences made my legs tremble all over again.

I said, "The baby stuff I ordered for you came in. I'll drop it off later."

I seized the opening and cut straight to it. There was no point in pretending anymore.

Selena and Kayla were both pregnant. If Kayla kept her guard up and her condition started showing, things were going to get a lot harder to explain. Better to clear the air now and let everyone move on in peace.

But Kayla ignored my words and said sharply, "Benjamin, why did you hire people to go after Yuvan? I looked into it. Those guys were working for you. I thought you were different. I thought you actually meant well. But you set the whole thing up just to get me to lower my guard, didn't you?"

Then Yuvan's voice drifted into my head, smug and self-satisfied, and suddenly everything clicked.

'I'm a genius. I framed Benjamin for the whole thing. Kayla's going to go after him for this, and whatever goodwill she had left for him is gone. She'll think he's nothing but a two-faced snake. Once she sees that, she'll finally understand that I'm the only one who truly loves her!'

I looked at the fury in Kayla's eyes and knew exactly what had happened. She'd been played.

Completely and totally played!

Yuvan was the biggest obstacle standing between himself and Kayla, and he couldn't even see it.

I also knew that anger like this in the first trimester was the last thing Kayla needed.

I thought about the prenatal care article I'd read the night before, then stood up.

"Hey, stop. Take a breath." I looked at Yuvan. "Don't just stand there. Help her sit down."

Then I took a slow breath and said what I needed to say.

"I've got my hands full with Selena. Whatever's going on between the two of you, leave me out of it. I'm not interested in Kayla. Not even a little. She's pregnant. Selena's pregnant. I've got zero reason to be involved in any of this. You don't believe me? Fine. Look at this."

I pulled out the pregnancy test and held it up. Both of them stared in shock.

Kayla's reaction hit different. Her expression darkened, and she said through gritted teeth, "Benjamin, I'm not pregnant. And that woman on our wedding night? She's an IVF coordinator I hired to get you up to speed."

I didn't even have time to process that before a voice carried across the room, and every head turned.

Kayla turned toward the sound, and whatever color she had left drained from her face completely.