Chapter 3: A Fucking Liar
Selene’s words seemed to land their mark, piercing Lyra like a dagger. A weighted silence stretched between them, thick with tension. For a moment, Selene relished the stillness, bracing for Lyra’s next move, expecting either a bold retort or a pathetic plea.
But before Lyra could gather her thoughts, before she could even breathe another word—Caspian intervened.
With a swift, decisive motion, he snatched the phone from Selene’s grip. Before she could protest, his lips crashed against hers in a fierce, claiming kiss that stole the air from her lungs.
Caspian Vale wasn’t a man who made empty promises—he showed her exactly what gentleness could be. And in the end, after what felt like an eternity of torment, Selene crumbled beneath him. When she finally pleaded for mercy, he relented.
Drained, she surrendered to sleep almost instantly. Yet, through the haze of exhaustion, she vaguely sensed him leaving the bed, his warmth fading into the cold void of the night.
By the time morning arrived, Selene woke to find herself alone.
The vast bed beneath her still carried traces of their shared heat, yet the absence of Caspian was glaring. Turning toward the heavy curtains, she noted how they remained tightly drawn, blurring the lines between day and night.
A dull ache pulsed through her body, a lingering reminder of his presence. With a groggy sigh, she reached for her phone, barely prepared for the heartbreak waiting at her fingertips.
Then she saw it.
A post.
From Lyra Wren.
The image was unmistakable—Caspian, standing in front of a stove, his broad back to the camera, fully engaged in cooking. The caption beneath it sent a sharp pain lancing through Selene’s chest.
A fit of rage overtook her. The phone went flying, colliding violently against the wall.
Yet, miraculously, it survived.
“That fucking liar!” she spat, her voice venomous. “That cheating piece of shit!”
Selene clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
Lifting the blanket, she tried to stand, only to wince as pain laced through her limbs. That bastard had truly wrecked her, and yet he had the audacity to waltz into another woman’s kitchen and play house, as if last night had meant nothing.
The betrayal stung deep, fueling the storm brewing within her.
Then, as if on cue, a hesitant knock rapped at the door, followed by the timid voice of the housemaid.
“Mrs. Vale, are you awake? Mr. Vale asked me to bring you something for your hangover.”
Selene nearly laughed at the absurdity. Now he’s playing the doting husband?
Her jaw tightened. “I’m fine. Take it back.”
The maid hesitated. “But, ma’am, Mr. Vale also left a pill for you.”
Selene’s brow furrowed. “What pill?”
The maid’s voice softened. “You know… for after last night.”
That was it. That was the final straw.
A sharp, bitter laugh bubbled up in Selene’s throat.
For three years, she had religiously taken contraceptives after every encounter with Caspian. Not because he had ever forced her, but because she wasn’t ready. She had made that choice.
But for him to send her the pill? As if it were nothing more than an obligation?
The audacity sent her over the edge.
“I’m not taking it,” she snapped, her voice thick with defiance. “Tell that scumbag that if I get pregnant, I’ll have the baby. Let’s see how he deals with that!”
The words echoed through the room like gunfire. And before the maid could protest, Selene slammed the door shut.
Her chest rose and fell with ragged breaths.
Then, anger still simmering beneath her skin, she marched toward her dresser, pulling open a drawer to retrieve the pills she had already bought herself.
Collapsing onto the bed, she buried her face in the pillows, her body still aching, her mind still racing. As exhaustion threatened to drag her back into sleep, her thoughts seethed with curses aimed at Caspian.
Yet, beneath all that rage, a question nagged at her.
Why had he come back?
And why did it feel like Lyra was at the center of it all?
She wasn’t wrong.
Caspian’s sudden return had everything to do with Lyra Wren.
The moment he was discharged, he had tried to call Selene first—but she hadn’t answered.
Then he learned about her.
The woman he called his wife, parading around with escorts, indulging in reckless escapades as if their marriage meant nothing.
Rage had overtaken him. He had stormed into Serendipity, dragged her away… and then rushed to see Lyra.
And now, in a quiet hospital room, Lyra sat stiffly as the doctor concluded his examination.
“Ma’am, aside from mild anemia, you’re perfectly healthy.” The doctor glanced at Caspian. “By the way, is this gentleman your husband?”
Lyra’s cheeks flushed.
Caspian, however, didn’t correct the assumption. He merely leaned forward. “Doctor, should she be taking any extra precautions? Any foods she should avoid?”
“Just stay away from seafood, particularly crabs. Other than that, she’s lucky—no severe nausea yet. Some women struggle with morning sickness throughout pregnancy, but she seems to be handling it well.”
A heartbeat of silence.
Then, “Got it. Thanks, doctor.”
As they exited the office, Caspian’s gaze flickered toward Lyra, watching as she cradled her belly with gentle reverence.
Her expression was radiant—filled with a joy that only an expecting mother could understand.
A deep sigh left his lips. “Lyra.”
She looked up, eyes shimmering with quiet hope.
“I think…” She hesitated, then whispered, “I can feel the baby’s heartbeat.”
A pang of something unfamiliar shot through Caspian’s chest.
He hesitated before speaking. “Lyra, you should consider terminating the pregnancy.”
A sharp inhale.
Then—
“No!” Her voice cracked with desperation. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched at his sleeve. “Caspian, please. I want this baby. Don’t make me give it up. I can raise this child on my own if I have to—just don’t take this from me.”
His jaw tightened. “And you think you can make that decision without me?”
A voice, cold and razor-sharp, cut through the tension like a knife.
Both Caspian and Lyra turned.
Selene stood at the end of the corridor, arms folded, her gaze piercing.
She was calm, unnervingly so.
But the weight of her presence was suffocating.
There was no mistaking who she was.
She was Mrs. Caspian Vale.
And this conversation?
It wasn’t just between the two of them anymore.
