Chapter 15: The Woman He Really Loves
[Sarah]
“I didn’t lie.” The words felt heavy in the tense atmosphere of the Pierce penthouse lobby. “I just didn’t tell you everything.”
Theodore’s eyes never left the pharmacy bag, his fingers tightening imperceptibly on his wheelchair’s armrest. “There’s a difference?”
“In our world? Always.” I forced myself to meet his gaze. “Just like there’s a difference between protection and control, remember?”
His jaw clenched at having his own words turned against him. “The vitamins-”
“Are none of your business.” I cut him off, surprising us both. “Just like my meetings, my dress choices, and my medical appointments.”
“Everything about you is my business.”
“No,” I said quietly. “It’s not.”
I turned away, heading for my room before he could see the trembling in my hands.
The morning sun cast long shadows through the penthouse windows as I hurried toward my private bathroom, prenatal vitamins clutched against my chest. Three months of pregnancy had taught me to time these moments carefully – Theodore usually spent mornings in physical therapy, leaving me a brief window of privacy.
The soft click of the medicine cabinet seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet bathroom. As I reached for the vitamin bottle, another wave of nausea hit, stronger than before. I gripped the marble counter, waiting for it to pass.
“Miss Sarah?” Mrs. Thompson’s voice, accompanied by a gentle knock, made me jump. The vitamin bottle slipped from my fingers, clattering against the tile floor,
“Just a moment!” I scrambled to retrieve the bottle, my heart pounding. When I opened the door, Mrs. Thompson’s concerned gaze took in my pale face and slightly trembling
hands.
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“I thought you might like some ginger tea,” she said, offering a delicate china cup. “It helped me during my own… difficult mornings.”
The knowing look in her eyes made my chest tighten. “I’m just tired,” I managed, though the lie felt hollow even to my ears.
“Of course.” She set the tea down with practiced grace. “Though in your condition, rest is particularly important.”
I froze. “What condition?”
Her smile held decades of discretion and maternal wisdom. “I raised three children while working in houses like this. One learns to recognize certain signs.”
“Mrs. Thompson-”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She straightened my already–perfect bedding. “Though you might consider looser clothing for your appointment today. Dr. Carlton’s office can be…
observant.”
My hand instinctively went to my still–flat stomach. “How did you know about the
appointment?”
“The calendar on your desk.” She nodded toward the leather–bound planner. “Three- month checkup?”
I sank onto the edge of the bed, suddenly exhausted. “I can’t let Theodore find out. Not
yet.”
–
“Then we’ll need to be clever.” She moved to my closet, surveying the designer wardrobe
with a critical eye. “The navy Chanel suit it has enough structure to disguise any early
changes. And perhaps we should reschedule your evening commitments. The first trimester can be unpredictable.”
“I can’t reschedule everything,” I protested. “People will notice.”
“People always notice,” she said quietly. “The trick is controlling what they think they
see.”
The private medical center occupied the top floors of a discrete Upper East Side building,
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Chapter 15: The Woman He Really Loves
its marble lobby more reminiscent of a luxury hotel than a hospital. The receptionist’s professional smile never wavered as she checked me in, though I noticed her gaze lingering on my wedding ring.
“Mrs. Pierce-”
“Sullivan,” I corrected automatically. “Sarah Sullivan.”
Three hours of tests left me drained and anxious. As I waited for the final results in a private consultation room, my phone buzzed with a message from Theodore: “Dinner with the board tonight. Wear something appropriate.”
My fingers hovered over the reply button when a familiar voice cut through the quiet.
“Sarah? What a surprise.”
Victoria Cross stood in the doorway, perfectly styled in despite the early hour. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes as she studied my hospital gown.
“Routine checkup,” I said quickly.
“Of course.” She moved into the room with predatory grace. “You must join me for lunch. I
insist.”
Forty minutes later, we sat in a private dining room, Victoria having smoothly overridden my weak protests. She ordered sparkling water for both of us, her red lips curving in a knowing smile.
“No wine?” I forced myself to maintain eye contact.
“We both know why you’re not drinking.” Victoria’s perfectly manicured fingers traced the rim of her water glass. “Though I suppose congratulations are in order.”
“It’s just water, Victoria.”
Her laugh held no warmth. “Nothing is ‘just‘ anything in our world. Every choice, every detail matters.” She leaned forward slightly. “Especially to Theodore.”
“You don’t know him as well as you think.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
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Chapter 15: The Woman He Really Loves
Victoria’s smile froze. “I’ve known Theodore for a decade. My brother Marcus has been his closest friend for twenty years. There isn’t a detail of his life I don’t know.”
“Except the woman he actually loves.”
The crystal water glass paused halfway to her red lips. “Excuse me?”
I shouldn’t have said it. But something about her smug certainty made me reckless. “The woman in the photos on his laptop.”
“What photos?” For the first time, Victoria’s perfect composure cracked.
“They’re hidden in an encrypted folder. Someone he clearly cared about.” I watched her face carefully. “Not you, though. No me,
either.”
Victoria set her glass down with enough force that water sloshed over the rim. “You’re
lying.”
“Why would I?” I kept my voice deliberately casual. “I’m just his paper wife. The photos
were taken years ago.”
The color had drained from Victoria’s face, leaving her makeup stark against her skin. “That’s impossible. I monitored every relationship, every interaction-”
Chapter Comments
Visitor
Damn, stalker behavior much victoria And the poor thing is not on the listof wanted canidates, aww
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Who says? She’s just another responsibility forced upon him that he doesn’t want or need, why the concern now? Especially after telling her he would kill any unborn child she had, so what’s…
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