Chapter 19 Chapter 19
Chapter 19 Chapter 19
Adrian stood frozen in the middle of his living room, staring at Bella as if she had just spoken a foreign language.
For a moment, the world seemed to tilt.
The hum of the refrigerator, the distant sound of traffic outside, even Bella’s steady breathing—all of it faded into the background as her words echoed again and again in his head.
I’m pregnant.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs, so loud he was certain she could hear it. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. His mind refused to latch onto the sentence, refused to make sense of it. It felt unreal, like something said in a bad dream.
Bella, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm.
Seconds dragged by. Adrian remained rooted to the spot, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides, his chest rising and falling unevenly. When he finally managed to speak, his voice sounded foreign to his own ears—tight, strained, unsteady.
“That’s… that’s not possible.”
Bella lifted an eyebrow slightly, unimpressed.
Adrian shook his head, as if the physical movement might knock some sense into the moment. “No. It doesn’t make sense,” he continued, his words coming faster now. “The last time anything happened between us was over a month ago. That timing—this—none of it adds up.”
Bella crossed her arms slowly and leaned back against the couch, studying him with an almost bored expression.
“One time is enough,” she said casually. “You should know that.”
Her confidence sent a chill down his spine.
Adrian took a step back, then another, his feet carrying him across the living room as disbelief curdled into anger. He dragged a hand through his hair and let out a harsh breath.
“You expect me to just accept this?” he snapped. “You expect me to believe you without question?”
Bella’s eyes darkened for the briefest second before her lips curved into a smug smile. “I don’t care what you believe,” she replied. “It doesn’t change anything.”
Adrian turned toward her sharply. “It changes everything,” he shot back. “And forgive me if I don’t take your word at face value. You’ve lied before. You manipulate situations when it suits you. So tell me—why now?”
She straightened slightly, her gaze locking onto his. “Because now it matters,” she said coolly. “Whether you like it or not, Adrian, we’re connected.”
The word made his stomach twist.
Bella pushed off the couch and took a few slow steps toward him, her voice lowering, becoming almost persuasive. “Think about it,” she said. “This could finally bind us together permanently. A family. Isn’t that what you wanted once?”
The suggestion repulsed him.
“No,” Adrian said flatly. “Not like this. Stop saying all of this.”
The room suddenly felt too small, the air too thick. Panic crawled up his spine as one terrifying thought crashed into another. Lena. Milo. The fragile trust he’d been rebuilding piece by piece.
Overwhelmed, Adrian turned abruptly toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Bella asked, watching him carefully.
He didn’t answer.
He grabbed his keys from the counter, his movements sharp and uncoordinated, and stormed out. The door slammed behind him with enough force to rattle the walls.
Inside his car, Adrian gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He pulled away from the curb without looking back.
His thoughts spiraled wildly. Just when things were improving with Lena. Just when she had begun to trust him again. Just when Milo was laughing freely in his arms.
Bella’s voice echoed in his head like a threat.
I’m pregnant.
Fear tightened his chest as he imagined Lena finding out—imagined her face closing off, imagined Milo being taken away from him again. He hit the steering wheel once in frustration.
“No,” he muttered. “This can’t be happening.”
Needing clarity—needing someone who wasn’t tangled in this mess—he reached for his phone and called the one person he trusted.
“Mavin,” Adrian said the second the call connected. “I need to see you. Now.”
There was a pause on the other end. “It’s late, man. What’s going on?”
“I can’t explain it over the phone,” Adrian said tightly. “Please.”
Another pause. Then, “Where?”
“The rink,” Adrian replied.
“I’ll be there,” Mavin said. “Give me thirty minutes.”
—
The ice rink was nearly empty when Adrian arrived.
The cold air hit him the moment he stepped inside, biting at his skin, but he welcomed it. He pulled on skates with restless urgency and stepped onto the ice, pushing off hard.
He skated aggressively, faster than necessary, each sharp turn and powerful stride fueled by frustration, fear, and disbelief. The puck slammed against the boards again and again, echoing through the cavernous space.
Mavin watched from the sidelines before eventually skating over.
“Okay,” he said. “You should spill whatever is bothering you.”
Adrian didn’t slow down. He sent the puck flying across the ice before finally stopping, breath coming in heavy bursts.
“She says she’s pregnant,” Adrian blurted out.
Mavin froze. “Who?”
“Bella.”
Silence stretched between them.
Adrian rubbed his face with both hands. “I don’t believe her,” he said hoarsely. “But what if she’s lying? What if she’s trying to ruin everything?”
Mavin exhaled slowly. “You don’t make life-altering decisions without proof,” he said firmly. “If she’s telling the truth, there are tests. Until then, don’t let her destroy what you’re rebuilding.”
Adrian nodded, though dread still clung to him.
Across town, Bella sat in her car outside a dimly lit office building.
She scrolled through her phone leisurely, then opened a message from her private investigator. Lena’s address stared back at her from the screen.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across her lips.
Without hesitation, Bella started the engine and drove off.
She preferred the late hour. Less chance of interruption from Adrian.
Inside Lena’s apartment, the doorbell rang.
Lena glanced at the clock, confusion and wariness flickering across her face. Assuming it might be Adrian, she walked to the door.
When she opened it, she froze.
Bella stood there, smiling confidently, heels clicking softly as she shifted her weight.
“What are you doing here?” Lena demanded. “How did you get my address?”
Bella tilted her head. “Adrian gave it to me.”
“Oh really?,” Lena snapped. “It’s late. Whatever this is can wait.”
“No,” Bella said calmly. “It can’t.”
The tension thickened as Bella stepped closer, her smile unwavering.
“This is about Adrian,” she said softly. “About something you deserve to know.”
Every instinct in Lena screamed not to engage. But after a long, tense moment, she stepped aside.
“Make it quick,” Lena said coldly.
Bella walked in, heels clicking against the floor as the door closed behind her—