Chapter Two
Tatiana
Past: a few weeks after the wedding…
“When were you going to tell me that you’re pregnant?”
Karim’s voice sent a chill down my spine as I gripped the handle of the fridge.
It was a little past midnight, and sleep was hard to find. I tossed and turned while flashes of Nazir flooded my mind. One minute I was hot, then I was cold, and in the end, all I wanted was to be in Nazir’s arms––not living with a man I never wanted to marry.
Karim leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a pair of grey pajama pants and no shirt, waiting for me to speak.
It should have been illegal to be as rich and handsome as he was.
His light brown skin, sharp jawline, full lips, and curly low fade were enough to make any woman swoon.
He reminded me so much of the actor Keith Powers.
If Keith Powers didn’t know he had a twin, well, he had one, and he lived in a gorgeous twenty-thousand-square-foot mansion in Greenwich Pointe.
Yes, Karim was attractive, but he wasn’t Nazir.
No one could make me feel the way Nazir did, and for him to leave me without a warning, an explanation, or even a note shattered my heart.
It became even more painful for me after seeing the positive pregnancy test. I was carrying his child, but I was married to another man.
I could no longer hide the truth from Karim. Even though he was always working and rarely home, he couldn’t miss that something was wrong with me. I was sick all the time, and every time I saw myself in the mirror, I looked like I had been fighting my whole life and the fight was winning.
“You know I had to walk away from the love of my life, too, Tatiana. Shit isn’t just about you. You’re not the only one who had to make sacrifices for this family.”
I looked down at my feet. “Why was it so important for us to get married? I was happy in college, living my own life. I never wanted any of this.”
He uncrossed his arms and slipped his hands into his pajama pockets. “I had made a home in Miami and didn’t want to come back here either. But as the only children of our parents, some things were already in place before we could even crawl. So, this is our reality.”
“I can’t get rid of my baby. It’s the only thing…”
My voice cracked, unable to finish. Thoughts of Nazir were too painful.
Karim nodded. “I would never ask you to. We’re married, so that means the baby will be a Sterling. Nobody needs to know she’s not biologically mine.”
I looked into his soft eyes. “You would do that for me?”
“Yeah.”
I smiled at him. “I’ve been a jerk to you.”
“Hell yeah. Finishing the last of the orange juice is wild.”
He chuckled, and I snorted.
“I’m so angry, hurt, and sad. I took everything out on you, and I apologize for that. But my question is, why aren’t you feeling the same?”
“I’ve always been taught to roll with the punches, so that’s what I do. Ever since I entered the world as Raphael Sterling’s only heir, my life hasn’t truly been my own. If my father has a plan for me, I trust he means well and would never lead me astray.”
“Can’t say the same for my father.”
He stepped away from the counter and came closer, towering over me as he looked into my eyes.
“Tati, we can either hate each other or get to know one another and make the most of this marriage. The choice is yours.”
I met his light brown eyes and gave a faint smile. “What do we tell our parents about my baby?”
He gently touched my cheek and then kissed it. “Our baby.”