Chapter 41 The Madness of Envy

Chapter 41 The Madness of Envy

She paused, finally steering toward what she really cared about, her voice lowering in careful inquiry. "Sophie, you... you're really not going to tell the father about the pregnancy?"

Sophie's heart clenched. She looked up, meeting Emma's eyes steadily.

Emma squirmed under that gaze, rushing to add, "I'm not trying to pry into your business. I just think you're taking on too much alone. If he's a decent man, he should at least take responsibility."

Sophie's lashes lowered, hiding everything in her eyes. Her voice came out quiet but iron-hard. "I'm not telling him. This baby has nothing to do with him."

Hearing that definitive answer, Emma's tension snapped like a cut wire. Relief surged through her, impossible to contain.

Her concern morphed into something achingly sincere. She gripped Sophie's hand tighter, voice trembling with emotion and approval. "I knew it! Sophie, you're still the woman I've always known—independent, strong! You're absolutely right not to tell him!"

"If the father found out, you'd probably end up separated from your child." Emma watched Sophie's face pale slightly, cold satisfaction curling in her chest even as her voice grew more earnest. "So your only choice now is to protect yourself and protect this baby. You can't let anyone know who the father is."

Her words wrapped around Sophie like invisible chains, trapping her in isolation and cutting off any possibility of turning to Sebastian for help.

Sensing the moment was right, Emma pulled a plain white pill bottle from her purse—no label, no markings—and set it carefully on the coffee table.

"Sophie, I had my doctor friend prepare this especially for you." She pushed the bottle closer, her voice soft, like poisoned honey. "She said the first trimester is critical for preventing miscarriage. This is the best prenatal supplement available. One pill a day, good for both you and the baby."

The bottle gleamed pure white, unmarked, radiating something indefinably wrong.

When Sophie didn't move, Emma worried she might suspect something. She added quickly, "Sophie, I know you're going through hell right now, but you can't fall apart. You have to take this medication, or your body won't hold up."

Afraid the pills might work too fast and leave her implicated, Emma jumped to her feet, grabbing her purse. "I've got an emergency at work, so I'll let you rest. Take care of yourself, and call me if you need anything."

She was out the door in seconds, as if something were chasing her.

The instant it clicked shut, the apartment fell into dead silence.

Sophie's gaze drifted from the white bottle to the pile of expensive supplements crowding her entryway.

Exhaustion and emptiness swallowed her whole. She had no appetite, but forced herself into the kitchen anyway, reheating leftovers from the fridge and mechanically shoving a few bites into her mouth.

For her baby, she couldn't collapse.

After eating, she didn't even have the energy to clean up. She went straight to the bedroom and threw herself into the soft bedding, using sleep to escape this suffocating reality.

Across town, in one of the city's most exclusive private clubs, dim lighting and low music filled the air.

Sebastian occupied the largest corner booth alone, several empty bottles already littering the table in front of him.

Gone was his usual control and composure. He just sat in silence, glass after glass, pouring burning liquor down his throat.

Eric walked in to find exactly that scene.

"Well, well. Which CEO went bankrupt and is drowning his sorrows?" Eric whistled, dropping into the seat across from him and pouring himself a drink without asking.

Sebastian looked up. His ice-blue eyes were bloodshot, staring at Eric like he was a stranger.

Eric laughed at his unapproachable expression, elbowing him. "Come on, it can't be that bad. Did Emma dump you? No way, you two seemed fine."

Sebastian ignored him, tipping back another glass.

The alcohol burned his throat but couldn't touch the churning frustration and rage in his chest.

Seeing his silence, Eric grew more curious. "So it's not Emma? Then who? I'd love to meet whoever's got the great Sebastian Carter this wrecked."

"I fired her." Sebastian's voice finally emerged, gravelly and rough.

Eric blinked, then caught on. "Sophie? You fired her? Why? She was your most trusted—"

"She's pregnant."

Sebastian cut him off, forcing those words through clenched teeth.

Eric froze completely, his glass suspended in midair, smile vanishing.

It took him a full thirty seconds to process that information.

"Pregnant?" He set down his glass, leaning forward, his voice dropping. "So what? Her pregnancy is her private business. What's it to you? You fired her over that?"

Sebastian's silence was answer enough.

Eric stared at him like he'd grown a second head, finally sensing something off.

"Wait. Sebastian, you've got a problem." Eric's gaze sharpened. "You didn't blow up because of her work mistake. You're upset about the pregnancy itself."

He locked eyes with Sebastian as an absurd thought surfaced.

"You don't..." Eric's voice cracked. "You like her?"

Sebastian's fingers tightened around his glass until the knuckles went white. He didn't deny it.

Eric sucked in a breath. This was more shocking than if the Carter Group had gone bankrupt.

This man—this ice-cold, untouchable man—had actually fallen for someone?

"Jesus Christ." Eric swore under his breath, finally connecting the dots. "So you're getting hammered tonight not because of work, but because you just found out the woman you like is pregnant with someone else's kid?"

"You're jealous out of your mind, aren't you?"

Every word was a sharp blade, cutting through Sebastian's defenses.

The humiliation of being exposed made Sebastian's expression darken further.

But Eric didn't give him a chance to lash out. He sighed, switching to a more serious tone and starting to analyze. "Before you lose it completely, use your brain for a second. What kind of person is Sophie? Proud, independent, right? If she really had a stable boyfriend, would she have hidden the pregnancy so completely that everyone found out in the middle of a meeting?"