Chapter 7: The Day I Learned I Could Lose Everything

Elinor Frost POV:

The next week passed in uneasy silence.

A silence filled with unanswered questions, hidden fears, and growing danger.

Braden stopped sleeping at the house.

Or perhaps he slept there and left before sunrise.

I honestly didn't care enough to find out.

What I did care about was the child growing inside me.

The secret that became harder to hide with every passing day.

I attended doctor's appointments alone.

I bought prenatal vitamins alone.

I listened to the faint, miraculous heartbeat alone.

And somehow, that tiny heartbeat gave me more comfort than my husband had in three years.

The first time I heard it, I cried.

Not from sadness.

From relief.

The baby was healthy.

For now.

That was all that mattered.

I sat in my car outside the clinic, staring at the ultrasound photo.

A tiny life.

A tiny future.

A reason to keep fighting.

My phone buzzed.

Guy.

"How did it go?"

"Healthy," I replied.

"Good."

His answer came almost immediately.

"And Braden?"

"Still doesn't know."

"Keep it that way."

I stared at the message.

For once, I agreed.

The less Braden knew, the safer my child would be.

At least that was what I kept telling myself.

When I arrived home that afternoon, something felt wrong immediately.

The front gate stood partially open.

Mrs. Gable never left it open.

Never.

A chill ran down my spine.

I parked quickly and entered the house.

"Mrs. Gable?"

No answer.

"Mrs. Gable?"

Silence.

My pulse accelerated.

Then I heard voices upstairs.

A woman's voice.

Destany.

My blood turned to ice.

I ran upstairs.

The door to my bedroom stood open.

Destany was inside.

Going through my things.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She turned calmly, holding a photograph from one of my drawers.

"Relax," she said. "I was curious."

"Get out."

"Such hostility."

"Get. Out."

Instead of leaving, she smiled.

"You know, Braden used to talk about you."

"I don't care."

"He said you were predictable."

My jaw tightened.

"And he was right."

She placed the photograph back down.

"You always stay. Always forgive. Always wait."

"Not anymore."

Something dark flashed across her face.

"We'll see."

I stepped toward the door.

"Leave before I call the police."

Destany laughed.

"Police? Really?"

"You're trespassing."

"Braden gave me the code."

The words hit harder than I expected.

Of course he had.

Why wouldn't he?

This house had stopped being my home a long time ago.

It was simply another place where Braden's choices hurt me.

"Congratulations," I said coldly. "You have the code. Now leave."

For a moment, she simply stared at me.

Then her eyes drifted downward.

To my stomach.

Again.

The same look.

The same knowing expression.

Fear crawled through me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you know something."

A slow smile spread across her face.

"Maybe I do."

My pulse thundered.

"What do you know?"

"Enough."

My hands clenched.

"Get out."

"You really think a baby will save your marriage?"

The room froze.

Every sound disappeared.

Every breath stopped.

For one horrible second, I couldn't move.

"What did you say?"

Destany smiled.

"Oops."

My stomach dropped.

She knew.

She actually knew.

"How?"

"Does it matter?"

"How?"

"The music industry is full of people who talk too much."

Rage exploded inside me.

"You had someone access my medical information?"

"Don't be dramatic."

"Get out!"

I screamed the words.

For the first time, genuine surprise crossed her face.

"You're pregnant," she said quietly.

"And you're still filing for divorce."

"Leave."

"You're making a mistake."

"Leave."

"Braden won't let you go once he finds out."

"Leave!"

Something ugly appeared in her eyes then.

Something dangerous.

"That baby is just another obstacle."

The words chilled me.

A warning bell screamed in my head.

Danger.

Real danger.

For the first time, I wasn't afraid for myself.

I was afraid for my child.

Destany took a step closer.

"Do you really think he loves you now?"

"No."

"Then why keep it?"

My hand instinctively covered my stomach.

"Because it's my child."

"It's his too."

"Not for long."

"You don't get to decide that."

"Actually," I said quietly, "I do."

Her expression darkened.

"You're selfish."

"I'm protecting my family."

"Family?"

She laughed bitterly.

"You still think you have one?"

The front door slammed downstairs.

A male voice echoed through the house.

"Elinor?"

Braden.

Destany immediately stepped back.

Her entire demeanor changed.

The predator disappeared.

The innocent victim returned.

I watched the transformation with disgust.

"Braden!" she called.

Seconds later he entered the room.

His eyes moved between us.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Destany said sweetly.

"She's lying," I replied.

Braden frowned.

"Destany, why are you here?"

"I came to talk."

"Without permission?"

She looked genuinely surprised.

"Braden..."

"Answer the question."

For a brief moment, even I was shocked.

This was the first time I'd seen him challenge her.

"I just wanted to help," she said.

"By breaking into my wife's bedroom?"

The room fell silent.

Destany's face hardened.

"Your wife?"

"Yes."

"Interesting."

The tension between them was suddenly obvious.

Cracks were forming.

Tiny ones.

But cracks all the same.

Destany looked at me one final time.

The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable.

"This isn't over."

Then she left.

The moment she disappeared, I felt my knees weaken.

Braden noticed.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"You look pale."

"I'm fine."

"Elinor."

"Stop pretending you care."

The words landed hard.

Braden flinched.

Actually flinched.

For a second, guilt flashed across his face.

"I do care."

"Too late."

His eyes closed briefly.

When they opened again, something had changed.

Not love.

Not redemption.

But fear.

Fear of losing control.

Fear of losing me.

Fear of losing whatever future he had assumed would always be waiting.

"We need to talk," he said.

"No."

"Please."

The word stunned me.

Braden Harmon didn't say please.

Yet here he was.

Desperate.

Afraid.

Almost broken.

But some damage couldn't be undone.

"Goodbye, Braden."

I walked past him.

Past the marriage.

Past the lies.

Past the man I once loved.

And as I closed the bedroom door behind me, one terrifying realization settled into my heart.

Destany knew about the baby.

Which meant the countdown had begun.

And sooner or later, someone was going to get hurt.