Chapter 31
Brielle
“I think I’m pregnant.”
I don’t know if it’s because my period is late and I can’t keep my food down to save my life, or because my husband has been avoiding me since I told him I was raped and forced to have an abortion, but when Kane asked if I’d accompany him to a gala this evening, I broke down in tears the minute he walked out the door and then ran to my mom’s house, needing her.
Mom’s eyes go comically wide. “Have you told your husband?”
I shake my head. “He’s been … distant since we got home from our ski trip,” I tell her. “Maybe he’s just been busy, and I’m overthinking things, but it’s been two weeks since we had sex.”
Mom glances at me sympathetically, and I choke out a sob.
“Oh my God,” I cry. “I need to fix this.”
Tonight, I’m going to seduce my husband and fix whatever is broken between us.
“Oh, honey,” she says, pulling me into her arms. “You don’t need to fix anything.
You need to talk to him. Contrary to popular belief, men don’t want sex twenty-four/seven, and if he doesn’t want to have sex, it probably means he’s stressed out or he has a lot on his mind.
But you won’t know what’s going on until you talk to him. ”
I know she’s right, but I’m terrified of what will be said when we do talk.
What if I am pregnant and he no longer wants to be with me? What if him finding out I was raped by his flesh and blood was too much and he sees me differently now?
“I’m scared,” I whisper. “I … I love him.”
She pulls back, and her brows furrow in confusion. That’s when I realize what I said … and what she doesn’t know—that our marriage wasn’t based on our feelings for each other. Only things have changed, and I’ve caught feelings for my husband.
But then she nods once and says, “Of course you do, and loving someone can be scary.”
I sigh in relief. As much as I want to tell her the truth, I don’t want her to worry about me. All she wants is for her kids to be happy and in love, and finding out her only daughter was forced into marriage will upset her.
“After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to be loved,” she continues. “And it’s clear that Kane loves you. Let him in, honey.” She kisses my forehead.
“Okay,” I breathe out. “Tonight, after the gala, I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.” She smiles. “Now, what do you say we do a little retail therapy for the gala tonight to take your mind off everything?”
“Actually,” I say, thinking about what Kane said regarding my shopping habits, “if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay here and bake something yummy with you, like we used to. I have plenty of dresses I can wear tonight.”
Growing up, I used to cook Sunday dinner with my mom every week, and my favorite part was baking the dessert.
Mom beams. “I would love to bake with you. Any cravings?”
She winks, and I wrap my arms around her, hugging her again, thankful that I have my mom in my life. I missed her so much when I was in Russia, and even when I moved home, I struggled with letting my family in.
“I don’t even know if I’m pregnant,” I mutter.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out …”
“Not yet,” I tell her. “Right now, I just want to spend the afternoon with you.”
Everything else can be dealt with later.
“You got it,” she says. “What do you say we make your favorite dessert—dulce de leche?”
“Now you’re talking!”
Mom and I go to the grocery store to buy everything we’ll need, and then we spend the rest of the day baking my favorite dessert.
Afterward, we go by Dominick and Peyton’s and then Dani and Matteo’s to deliver them each a dessert since we made one for everyone—where I learn my entire family is also attending the same gala.
At least I’ll have the support of my family tonight.
“You got this,” I say to myself several hours later, standing in front of the floor-length mirror, forcing a smile on my face as I double-check my appearance.
Tonight, I’m wearing a dress that I bought several months back but have not worn yet.
It’s a stretchy, off-the-shoulder sky-blue satin dress.
It was formfitting when I got it, but when I put it on a few minutes ago, I couldn’t ignore the fact that it almost didn’t zip up, forcing myself to face the fact that there’s a good chance I really am pregnant, which I don’t understand because I’m on birth control and I have never missed a single pill.
Kane joked about his sperm breaking through the barrier my pills provide, but it was nothing more than that—a joke.
My hand goes to my belly, and a wave of emotion crosses over me at the thought of being pregnant with his baby.
While it was nice to spend the afternoon with my mom, pushing everything else to the side—including the idea that I might be pregnant—now that I’m back home, with nothing to distract myself, the stress is back to weighing down on me.
It will be different this time, I tell myself, gliding my hand over the area where—if I am pregnant—the baby is growing.
I won’t be forced to have an abortion. I’ll get to experience every part of my pregnancy. And then I’ll give birth to a sweet little baby and become a mom.
I’ll have everything I’ve ever wanted.
The baby.
The family.
A husband who …
I swallow thickly.
He might not love me, despite my mom believing he does, but there’s no doubt that he cares deeply for me.
Except for the fact that he hasn’t touched you in two weeks.
“Jesus, Princess,” Kane says, making me spin around to face him. “You look stunning.”
When I was younger, Andrey would force us to attend these types of events, and I loved dressing up, pretending like I was a princess being let out of the castle.
For the first time, I understand where Kane’s nickname came from. He’s always seen beyond the makeup and clothes to a girl who wanted nothing more than to escape the castle she was imprisoned in.
“Stunning enough that you want to rip this dress off me and fuck me against the wall?” I half joke as I take in my husband, who’s dressed to the nines in a sharp black tux with a matching sky-blue tie—he asked me what color I was wearing so he could match me.
Kane smiles, but it’s not his usual charming smile. It’s filled with longing, and my heart plummets into my stomach.
“I always want to rip your clothes off,” he says, bridging the gap between us. “But I don’t want to be late.”
I tamp down my disappointment and grab my clutch.
When we step outside of our home, a sleek black limo is waiting for us, and that’s when it hits me. He never mentioned what the gala was for. And now that I’m thinking about it, neither did anyone in my family.
Kane opens the door for me and helps me slide in, and once he’s in, he threads his fingers through mine, bringing our hands up to his lips for a sweet kiss, which causes me to choke up.
The way he’s been looking at me and touching me is like he’s preparing to say goodbye, which can’t be right because Kane promised till death do us part in his vows.
I want to ask him what’s going on, but now isn’t the time, so I promise myself I’ll do so tonight, after we get home. And then once he confirms that it’s all in my head, I’ll tell him that I suspect I might be pregnant.
We arrive at the gala a few minutes later, and there’s press waiting outside to take our pictures.
Kane never lets go of my hand the entire time we stop to talk to the press, where I learn the gala we’re attending is to support an organization that works to prevent sexual abuse as well as support victims.
I want to believe it’s a coincidence, but the way Kane avoids my glances tells me this was one hundred percent intentional.
Once we’re inside, we’re met by several powerful businessmen, businesswomen, and politicians, including the mayor, his wife, and Nicole.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Nicole says, giving me a hug.
“Kane dropped it on me at the last minute,” I murmur. “But I’m glad you’re here.”
Just as we separate, my eyes catch on my family, who are walking over to us.
“Brielle,” my mom says, enveloping me in a hug. “You look beautiful.”
I give each of my sisters-in-law and brothers a hug, giving Dani an extra-tight hug since she went through something similar to me.
When I stop at Lorenzo, who is standing in the back with none other than Hillary, I give him a brotherly hug, then pull my attention to her.
“Hillary”—I nod toward her, having no desire to touch her—“I’m surprised to see you here.”
She smiles condescendingly. “It is for a good cause.”
I snort a laugh, mentally noting the irony in her words since she literally helped Enrique kidnap Dani, which led to him sexually assaulting her repeatedly.
While the servers walk throughout the room with hors d’oeuvres, we peruse the items in the silent auction, and I bid on several of them.
When Kane hands me a glass of champagne, I pretend to drink it and then get rid of the glass the first chance I get. Dani notices, tilting her head to the side slightly, and I shake mine, not wanting to discuss the possibility of my pregnancy with anyone other than my mom until I’ve spoken to Kane.
“Mr. Morgan,” a beautiful woman says, interrupting the conversation Kane and Matteo were having with a couple of businessmen, discussing the possibility of a new project they’re looking to head up.
She’s dressed in a white silk dress, making her naturally tan skin look flawless.
Her black hair is down in waves, and her chocolate-brown eyes are laser-focused on him.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you in person.” She extends her perfectly manicured hand, a flirtatious smile on her face that has my hackles rising. “I’ve worked with your family in the past, and I would love to discuss the possibility of us working together.”
She slides Kane her business card and then excuses herself. Without looking at it, Kane pockets it, and then his attention goes back to the men he was talking to. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was because she didn’t actually introduce herself.