Chapter 60 Chapter 60

Chapter 60 Chapter 60
Darian’s eyes never left her face, they were sharp with suspicion, anger, and something deeper that he refused to acknowledge.

“Is that why,” he asked slowly, “Is that why you’ve been hanging around with the doctor? And your mother…” His jaw flexed, unable to complete his sentence.

“What more are you hiding from me, Averie?” His voice wasn’t raised and it wasn’t cold. It was rather controlled which made it all the more painful.

Averie swallowed hard. She knew the truth had been chasing her for too long and tonight, it all caught up.

“Darian…” her voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s not what I want to hear and you know that” his brows narrowed.

Averie nodded admittedly and she started explaining herself from scratch. From her foster parents using the truth to manipulate and exploit her. She included everything she had said at the dinner earlier too to give it form. How she only wanted to bring her mother forward when she was emotionally and medically stable…

“I admit that I was wrong… I shouldn’t have kept it away from you for too long. I thought I could handle it all on my own” She cried, telling him everything she could, hoping to lessen the pain but she left out one thing— the impossible truth about her rebirth.
No words existed that wouldn’t make her look insane.

Darian listened carefully, his arms crossed, and his face unreadable.

When she finished, he exhaled heavily.
“You once mentioned that I would help you find someone… was that your mother?” he asked.
“Hmm,” Averie nodded, her face down.

“So the doctor, your sister’s closest friend helped you?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why? What’s he gaining from this?”

Unfortunately, that’s one question that Averie would never answer. Because that was the only loose thread holding everything together. To talk about Levie, she’ll have to explain the entire truth without leaving out any details.

Her chest heaved, sealing her silence. That revealed everything already for Darian. He raised a hand gently.
“Don’t stress. Forget I asked.”

He turned away as though to leave but Averie rushed after him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

“Darian…please.” Her voice trembled.

“I want to show you everything. Please come with me tomorrow. To see my real mother. With me.”

Darian didn’t move for several seconds. Then he replied;

“Fine,” he said quietly. “I’ll pick you up after work.” He slowly removed her hands from his waist and walked out of the room.

Averie stood there, holding onto the air he left behind, praying that the fragile peace wouldn’t shatter again.

THE NEXT DAY 
Carmine strutted into Darian’s office with her usual confidence, expecting to spend the day beside him. After the dramatic dinner last night, she had guessed things couldn’t have been smooth between Darian and Averie so she’s here to grab her chance.

She stopped by the assistant’s desk and said “Hi there” cheerfully. Jayden greeted her politely, though clearly disinterested.

“What’s Darian’s schedule? I need to catch him before he heads home.”

Jayden would never reveal his boss’s schedule to anyone but with Carmine’s history with everyone, he knew to cooperate with her and so he scrolled through the computer 

“He’ll be in meetings all morning. Leaves early for a… personal appointment with his wife.”

Carmine’s smile froze.

“His Wife?”

“Yes. I’m guessing it might be a date.”

“A date?” A flame of irritation burned in her stomach. “After that woman embarrassed him greatly before everyone” She muttered. 
After everything she did to get him that big contract? Thinking about it, her nails dug into her palm.

“Oh really?” she said sweetly. “Then I guess I’ll make sure he doesn’t miss his… important responsibilities.”

Carmine waited around secretly, waiting for the time Darian would clock out. A typical witch behavior. And when he was ready to leave,  Carmine intercepted him.

“Hi Carmine” Darian said. He took a glance at his wristwatch, about to ask why she had come.

With a bright smile, she explained “There’s someone vital to securing the foreign talent,” she said, breathless. “A rare opportunity. If you miss him now, we might lose the deal.”

Darian hesitated because Averie must be waiting for him.

But then Carmine smiled innocently “It won’t take long.”

Darian pulled out his phone immediately and sent a text to Averie asking her to go ahead and that he would join her soon.

“Is everything okay?” Averie’s reply came immediately after.

“Last-minute meeting” he sent his reply and pocketed his phone.

“I’ll go get the car ready” Jayden said, about to leave when Carmine waved her hands in dismissal. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll drive him”

AT THE MEETUP POINT
 Carmine urged the man she had introduced to Darian to convince Darian to drink as a sign of trust which they did countless times under her cheery demeanor. She, on the other hand was pretending to sip while encouraging Darian to keep drinking.

Even though Darian rarely drank. Today, exhaustion and stress made it worse. And by the time the meeting ended, he could barely keep his eyes open. Carmine shouldered him to the car and opened the door for him to settle in. 

As soon as he was in, he removed his phone, “I’ll call Jay to come and pick us up”

“I’ll do it,” Carmine chirped, grabbing his phone. “Rest.”

Darian slumped in the passenger seat, eyes drifting shut. He didn’t hear Carmine whisper: “Perfect.”

She leaned over him, letting her hair fall across his shoulder, pretending to sleep against him.

Then she snapped a picture with her phone, an angle that made it look scandalous.

She typed Averie’s number and hit the send button. She sat back in her seat, rolling a few strands of hair over her finger. When the message displayed Seen by the other party, she deleted it and sent; “Oops. That was a mistake.”

AT THE HOSPITAL 

Averie sat at the hospital reception, waiting for Darian, excited yet nervous to show him, her mother.

Then her phone buzzed but when she opened it, her breath vanished. It was a picture of Carmine leaning intimately against Darian with her hand on his chest.

Her entire body tensed so violently she thought she was dying.

“No…” her whisper trembled. She stood up too fast and her vision blurred. Her knees buckled but a pair of arms caught her.

“Ms.Quinn!” Levie called her worriedly but she ended up passing out.


When she woke, the room was quiet.
Dr. Levie stood beside her, relief flooding his features, “Thank God. You scared us.”

Averie blinked weakly “What… happened?”

He hesitated for a long moment, then sat down beside her.

“You fainted due to stress,” he said softly. “But that’s… not all.”

“What do you mean…?” Averie asked, fear clinging to her tone.

He exhaled “You’re pregnant.”

The world stopped when she heard the most shocking announcement of her day.