Chapter 2
I ignored them both and headed straight upstairs.
That night, Brandon–who usually couldn’t stand the smell of milk–suddenly brought me a glass
“You’re in the final stretch now,” he said, voice unusually gentle. “You really need to keep up your calcium and protein. Here you go.”
I stared at the glass he handed me, my eyes darkening-
“I don’t want it.”
His smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it, keeping his tone patient and coaxing.
“I’m doing this for you–and the baby. Come on,
don’t be difficult.”
Then, without giving me a chance to resist, Brandon tipped the glass and forced the milk down my
throat.
The sickly–sweet taste clung to my mouth. And before long, a wave of drowsiness swept over me. My limbs grew heavy. My vision blurred.
Just before slipping under, I could’ve sworn I saw several figures standing at the edge of my bed When I woke up the next morning, every inch of my body ached so badly I could barely move. The moment Brandon left for work, I grabbed my phone and opened the video app.
I had bought a hidden camera after leaving the clinic yesterday and placed it inside a flowerpot as soon as I got home.
My breath hitched the second I hit play.
Shame and fury punched me straight in the chest.
On screen, Brandon flung my bedroom door open–his arm wrapped tightly around Madison.
“Brandon, are you sure we should be doing this?” she purred, half–laughing. “I mean… she’s eight months pregnant.”
Madison was practically
elting against him, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
18
Brandon looked down at my sleeping body with ice in his gaze–cold and utterly devoid of1 “She’s the reason you left in the first place. If she hadn’t pushed you away, we never would’ve spent all that time apart. Now, she gets to learn the price of messing with you.
Chapter 2
ΦΙ
Thank you for helping us measure
He waved his hand.
A man I’d never seen before walked into the room.
“Brandon, Isn’t this going to mess with the bet?” he asked, sounding half–amused.
Brandon’s voice was flat. “She’s eight months in. It’s already decided. We’ll run a DNA test once the baby’s out.”
The man let out a disgusting chuckle.
And then–Madison stepped forward and kicked me.
Right in the stomach.
“You sure you gave her enough sedatives?” she asked sweetly, brushing nonexistent lint off her
dress.
Brandon nodded. “She’s been like this for months. Don’t worry. She won’t wake up.
He turned to Madison and gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Once she delivers, I’ll take the DNA results and throw them in her face. Then I’ll brand her a whore and kick her out of the Whitmore family for good. Nothing will stand in our way anymore.”
His eyes glinted with something cruel, something sharp enough to draw blood.
I couldn’t breathe.
He wrapped his arms around Madison and the two of them walked out–leaving me lying there, drugged, unconscious, and broken.
Tears streamed down my face as I watched it all unfold on the screen.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, I took the pills the doctor had prescribed.
Just as I was finishing, Brandon’s voice rang out from the doorway, sudden and sharp.
“What are you taking?”
I met his gaze, calm and composed. “Calcium supplements.”
He visibly relaxed and nodded. ‘Good. Take care of yourself.”
He turned and headed upstairs. “I forgot a file.”
As soon as he was out of sight, I grabbed the phone he’d left on the table.,
-bolning Us measure
I punched in Madison’s birthday and just like that, the screen unlocked.
A full–screen photo of Madison popped up,
She was barely clothed, posing like she was shooting a magazine cover. A “tasteful nude,” 1
suppose.
Figures. Of course he’d set up dual systems on his phone–just to keep his dirty secrets separate.
I quickly opened his messaging app.
The top–pinned chat? Madison, obviously.
Second from the top? A group chat with all his sleazy little friends.
The name of the group?
“Reservation Queue.”
