The hallway is quiet,the hum of computers and low conversations giving way to the evening exodus as employees file out for the day.The silence stretches,interrupted only by the occasional sound of footsteps fading into the distance.

I clutch the strap of my purse tighter,my heartbeat drumming a wild rhythm.Each step toward Damion’s office feels heavier than the last,my nerves tangling into knots.I shouldn’t be here,sneaking past his assistant’s empty desk,but the urgency in my chest won’t let me wait any longer.

The golden light of sunset filters through the high windows,casting long,fractured shadows across the polished floor.I reach the door,already ajar,and push it open just enough to slip inside.

The sight before me freezes me in place.

Kaia stands close to Damion,her smile sharp as she leans toward him,her fingers brushing his tie with the ease of someone who has practiced the gesture countless times.Their faces are inches apart,and the easy familiarity between them feels like a slap to my face.My stomach clenches,jealousy entwined with a pain so fierce it nearly doubles me over.

“Damion,”I say,sharper than I intended.The sound of my voice slices through the room,and they both look up—Kaia’s expression smug,Damion’s startled.For a moment,something flickers in his blue eyes.Guilt?Surprise?It vanishes quickly,replaced by his usual icy detachment.

His brows pull together in irritation.“Isabelle,”he says,his tone clipped.“What are you doing here?Who let you in?”

Kaia tilts her head,her smirk curling wider.“It’s after hours,darling.You should’ve known to lock the door.Clearly,we’re not safe from uninvited guests.”

I ignore her,forcing myself to stand taller even as my knees threaten to buckle beneath me.“I need to talk to you,”I say,my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.My gaze doesn’t waver from Damion.“Alone.”

Kaia rolls her eyes,brushing her hair over her shoulder with exaggerated annoyance.“If this isn’t the perfect example of bad timing,”she drawls,turning to Damion.“I’ll be right outside.”

Damion hesitates,his gaze flickering between us.Finally,he nods,and Kaia saunters out,throwing me a mocking glance as she closes the door behind her.The sound of the latch clicking feels like the prelude to a battle.

The room is suffocating with just the two of us.The silence thickens,the tension sharp enough to cut.

Damion folds his arms,leaning back against his desk,his expression cold.“Make it quick,Isabelle.I don’t have time for whatever this is.”

I take a deep breath,ignoring the sting of his words.“I came to tell you something important,”I begin.The excitement and hope that had carried me here falter under his scrutiny,but I press on.“I’m pregnant,Damion.”

For a moment,time seems to stop.The air between us crackles,charged with an energy that’s neither relief nor joy.His expression remains unreadable,and then,slowly,a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“Pregnant,”he repeats,the word rolling off his tongue like it’s poison.“Is this your latest scheme,Isabelle?Your desperate attempt to win me back?”

The fragile flame of hope flickering inside me is snuffed out in an instant.“What?No—this isn’t a scheme.I thought you’d want to know because—”

“Because what?”He steps forward,his eyes narrowing,his tone dripping with sarcasm.“Because you think this will change everything?That I’ll suddenly forget the past year,the failures,and take you back?You’re so desperate,it’s almost laughable.How can you be pregnant?Can a barren woman suddenly un-barren herself?”

The insult is a slap to my face.My breath catches,and for a moment,I can’t speak.“You think I’d lie about something like this?”My voice trembles with disbelief.“Damion,I’m telling you the truth.This isn’t manipulation—this is our child.”

He shakes his head,a humorless chuckle escaping his lips.“You’re unbelievable.You expect me to believe that after everything,you show up here,uninvited,with this fairy tale?I’m not falling for it,Isabelle.I’m done with your games.”

His words pierce me,each one a blow to the fragile hope I’d nurtured.My vision blurs with tears.“This isn’t a game to me,”I whisper,the tremor in my voice betraying the pain tightening around my chest.“I thought you’d care.I thought,for a moment,that the man I loved might still be in there somewhere.”

“Loved,”he scoffs,crossing his arms over his chest.“You don’t know what love is,Isabelle.If you did,you wouldn’t be here trying to manipulate me with tales of a baby that may or may not even be mine—or worst of all,doesn’t even exist.”

His accusation cuts deep,a blade twisting in my heart.The room spins,and I take a shaky step back.“I shouldn’t have come,”I murmur,more to myself than to him.“I shouldn’t have believed there was any part of you that still cared.”

I turn,my hand fumbling for the door handle as tears spill freely down my cheeks.The dam I’d been holding inside breaks,and before I can say anything else,I push the door open and step out into the hall.The cool air of the corridor feels sharp against my flushed face,but it does nothing to quell the storm inside me.

Kaia stands nearby,her arms crossed and a smug smile playing on her lips.“Didn’t go as planned,did it,Izzy?”she calls,her voice sweet and venomous.

I don’t look back.My feet carry me forward,down the hall and out the front doors of the building,each step faster than the last.The sky has darkened,heavy with the promise of rain.

The first drops fall as I step outside,cold and stinging against my skin.But I keep moving,the rain turning into a torrential downpour that soaks me within moments.It’s as though the sky itself doesn’t want to see my tears,so it weeps along with me.

I stumble to the edge of the street,my vision blurred with tears and rain,gasping for breath as sobs wrack my body.The weight of the moment crushes me,the realization that I am alone in this—that the one person I thought I could still reach is beyond my grasp.

Suddenly,my phone buzzes in my pocket.The vibration shakes through me like a lightning strike.I pull it out with trembling hands,blinking against the rain to read the screen.It’s the hospital.

The voice on the other end is calm,detached,but the words that follow shatter what little is left of me.

“Isabelle,we are sorry to inform you that your mother has just passed away.”

The rain pounds against the pavement as I stand on the edge of the street,my body drenched and trembling.My phone slips from my numb fingers,hitting the ground with a soft thud.The words from the hospital still echo in my mind:“Your mother has just passed away.”

A sob tears through my chest,raw and uncontrollable,blending with the relentless downpour.The world around me feels blurred and meaningless.First Damion,now this—how much more can I lose before there’s nothing left of me?

I drop to my knees,the cold water soaking through my clothes as my fingers fumble to pick up my phone.I clutch it tightly,my breaths shallow and panicked.Somewhere in the haze of my thoughts,a sliver of resolve flickers to life.I can’t fall apart here—not in front of Damion’s building,not with Kaia’s smug face probably watching from a window.

My mother wouldn’t have wanted me to crumble.I need to go to her—to say goodbye,even if it’s too late.

The cab ride to the hospital feels like an eternity,my heart pounding in rhythm with the wipers slashing against the windshield.When I finally step into the sterile halls,the familiar scent of antiseptic and faint despair hits me like a punch.I clutch my purse tighter,steeling myself for what’s to come.

A nurse leads me to my mother’s room,her expression kind but professional.As I step inside,my chest tightens.The room is unnaturally still,the machines silent.My mother lies there,her frail body wrapped in a blanket that seems too big for her now.Her face is peaceful,almost serene,and for a moment,I let myself believe she’s just sleeping.

I sink into the chair beside her,my hand trembling as I reach out to touch hers.Her skin is cold,the warmth of life gone.Tears stream down my face,unstoppable,as I lean forward and whisper,“I’m so sorry,Mom.I should’ve been here sooner.I should’ve—”

“I’m sorry,”I say through a sob,clutching her hand.“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

I stay like that for what feels like an eternity,the weight of the moment pressing down on me.Grief wraps itself around me,suffocating and relentless.

A knock on the door jolts me from my despair.I wipe at my tear-streaked face and turn toward the sound.A man in a sharp black suit stands in the doorway,his posture stiff but composed.His presence feels entirely out of place in this moment of loss,and suspicion flickers in my mind.

“Ms.Everett?”he asks,his tone polite but firm.

“Yes?”My voice is hoarse,barely audible.

He steps inside,closing the door softly behind him.“My name is Robert Hayes.I’m an attorney representing your late mother’s estate.”

“Her estate?”I echo,blinking in confusion.“There’s nothing to represent.She didn’t have an estate—she couldn’t even pay her hospital bills.”

Robert’s expression remains calm,though a hint of unease flickers in his eyes.“That’s not entirely true,Ms.Everett.Your mother held a substantial inheritance from your late father,valued at approximately ONE BILLION DOLLARS.”

The words land like a thunderclap,making my head spin.“What?”I whisper,my voice barely audible.“That’s impossible.She never said anything—why wouldn’t she use it for her treatment?”

Robert hesitates,his lips pressing into a thin line.“Your mother made the inheritance conditional,placing it in a trust.The funds were given to your husband,Mr.Ryder,to manage until such time as…”He pauses,his gaze shifting uncomfortably.

“Until what?”I demand,my voice rising with frustration.

“Until such time as your marriage to Mr.Ryder is legally dissolved.”

The room seems to tilt,and I grip the edge of the chair for support.“What are you talking about?Why would she do that?”

Robert’s expression softens,but his tone remains professional.“Your mother believed in the sanctity of marriage,Ms.Everett.She hoped the trust would incentivize Mr.Ryder to support and protect you,as your father would have wished.And to some extent,he did.”

My heart pounds,confusion giving way to anger.“What do you mean by‘he did’?”

“Mr.Ryder has been utilizing portions of the trust to assist with expenses—both for you and your mother.From my understanding,the funds went toward medical bills,your shared home,and other living costs,”Robert explains carefully.“However,the trust is specific in how and when the remaining funds are distributed.”

I press my fingers to my temples,the pieces clicking into place with a sickening clarity.Damion—he’d been holding the bulk of the inheritance hostage,all while making himself appear like a savior.And now he expected me to be grateful?

Before I can say anything,another knock at the door startles us both.The door swings open,and my heart drops as Damion strides into the room.His presence is as commanding as ever,his tailored suit immaculate despite the late hour.His expression is cold,calculated—a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me.

“What are you doing here?”I demand,rising from the chair.My voice trembles with a mix of anger and disbelief.

“I could ask you the same thing,”Damion says smoothly,his eyes flicking to Robert before settling back on me.“But it seems we have unfinished business to discuss.”

Robert clears his throat,stepping forward.“Mr.Ryder,this is highly inappropriate.Ms.Everett has just lost her mother—”

“I’m not here for pleasantries,”Damion cuts him off,his tone sharp.He pulls a folder from his briefcase and places it on the table with a deliberate thud.“Isabelle,I need you to sign these documents.”

I glance at the folder,my stomach twisting.“What are they?”

“An amendment to the trust,”he says casually,as if we’re discussing the weather.“It will finalize the allocation of the inheritance—for our benefit.”

I freeze.“For‘our’benefit?”My voice rises.“Don’t you mean yours?You’re only here because you need my signature.This isn’t about me—it’s about you.”

Damion’s jaw tightens,his calm exterior slipping for just a moment.“Isabelle,don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.I’ve been managing this money for years—handling your mother’s medical costs,maintaining the home we shared.I deserve compensation for my efforts.”

My stomach churns with disbelief.“Compensation?What are you even saying?”

Damion takes a step closer,his gaze cold and unflinching.“I want ninety percent of the inheritance.”

The air leaves my lungs,and I stare at him,stunned.“What?!”