Her expression twisted instantly from confusion to shock, then straight into disgust. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “No. No, he didn’t. Elena, I—I can’t—”
She dropped the phone on the table as if touching it any longer might poison her.
“Elena, I’m so sorry.” Her voice shook. “I’m so damn sorry my brother did this to you. You don’t deserve a single second of this.”
She reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. “I swear, I support whatever you decide. Anything. And please, take care of yourself. Don’t let this stress you too much. The baby needs you healthy.”
A flash of anger crossed her face, sharp beneath the sympathy. “I know my brother,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s a good guy, but this? This is beyond stupid. This is him being a complete idiot.”
A humorless laugh escaped her. “No—you know what? He’s more than an idiot. He’s a fucking disaster right now.”
I let out a shaky breath, tears threatening again.
Avery moved to my side and pulled me into a hug. A tight, genuine one.
“Be strong,” she whispered. “You’re not alone. I’m always here for you. And believe me, I will deal with him myself. I’ll curse him out so bad he won’t know what hit him. Falling for some cheap woman like that? Really?”
She shook her head in pure disbelief. “He’s out of his damn mind.”
When we finally pulled apart, she hugged me once more, gentler this time. “You’re family to me, Elena. And I will always be on your side.”
And I suddenly felt it, not relief, not healing, but the smallest flicker of air in my lungs. Because someone else was finally carrying part of the weight with me.
CHAPTER 4
Adrian
I could barely focus on anything these past two days. My mind kept circling the same thing; how to explain everything to Elena without hurting her more than I already had, and how to make sure she wouldn’t walk away from me.
“You okay, man?” my colleague asked, giving my shoulder a light tap.
I blinked, realizing I had spaced out right in the middle of discussing the plant layout for the new site.
“Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat. “Where were we?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Something’s off. You’re never this unfocused.”
“Just… dealing with something,” I admitted.
“Family?” he asked carefully. “Is Elena okay? Her due date’s still a while away, right?”
I shook my head. “She’s fine.”
He nodded slowly, but I could tell he didn’t fully buy it. Before he could push further, someone called out from the doorway.
“Mr. White, excuse me. The Board is requesting your presence in a meeting regarding the Illinois hospital project.”
I checked the time. It was already past five. I was supposed to be home earlier. I needed to talk to Elena and fix things before the distance between us grew any wider.
I exhaled, steady but edged with frustration. “Alright,” I said. “Let’s go.”
The meeting with the Board dragged on far longer than I’d expected, each discussion stretching into the next until time slipped through my fingers. By the time I finally stepped out, theentire floor had gone quiet. Most of the lights were off, the office already settling into its after-hours silence.
I gathered my things quickly and headed for the parking lot.
On the drive home, I tried calling Elena—once, twice, three times—but every call went straight to voicemail. Each unanswered ring twisted something tighter in my chest.
I gripped the wheel harder.
