Chapter 2
A few minutes later, the door finally opened.
Zayn apologized, “Eleanor, I was just in a video meeting.”
He motioned toward Natalie behind him. “This is the new secretary from HR, Natalie. She came by to drop off a laptop.
“Natalie, meet my wife.”
He acted so naturally that anyone might’ve believed they were just working together.
Natalie stepped forward, trying to shake my hand. Her eyes were filled with resentment. “Mrs. Lloyd, you’re stunning. No wonder you can marry Mr. Lloyd.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes stayed on the red mark on her collarbone.
Natalie smiled and touched her face. “I must look awful. My boyfriend kept me up all night–he’s just that energetic. Sorry, you had to see me
like this.
“I’m different from you. You’re still glowing after your wedding night. I’m honestly jealous.”
Her mockery felt like knives, cutting deep into my heart.
Zayn’s expression shifted. He looked at Natalie gloomily. “Natalie, watch your words.”
Then, he pulled me close and explained gently, “She’s new here. She spent some time abroad, so she’s a bit unfiltered. Don’t take it seriously.
“Don’t let someone irrelevant upset you.”
Zayn drank the supplement on the table and led me to the suite next door.
As soon as we got inside, he started undoing my clothes. I suppressed my nausea and turned away, pulling my collar up.
“Not this month,” I said. “I’m pregnant. I just found out.”
I lied about it, just hoping he’d stop touching me during the divorce cooling–off period.
At first, Zayn looked shocked. Then, I saw him quietly let out a breath of relief.
It wasn’t until later that he finally realized what I had said. He lifted me and spun me around, tears in his eyes
“I’m going to be a dad! You’re amazing. Eleanor. I’ll make sure our baby grows up the happiest in the world!”
He carefully took me home and made tonic soup himself. He followed a pregnancy meal plan and spent the entire morning cooking a healthy lunch for me.
He even told his assistant not to disturb him with anything and said he would give me all his time.
When I looked at him, every little thing he did made it seem like he loved me deeply.
For a moment, I even wondered if what had happened last night was just a nightmare.
But the videos on my phone said otherwise, destroying any hope I had left.
I didn’t know how long I had been asleep before I woke up. The only
Chapter 2
person in the room was the maid.
“Madam Lloyd asked Mr. Lloyd to return to the Lloyd’s residence. He said he’d come back soon.”
My mother–in–law, who had always looked down on me, called me for the first time.
“I told Zayn to bring you the Heart of Eternity. That emerald set is a blessing for you and the baby.”
When Zayn came back, he held a jewelry box and proudly told me it was the Lloyd family’s heirloom.
“In our family, this jewelry set means more than a marriage certificate.
“Giving it to you means my whole family, including my mother, accepts you as my wife.”
I sneered inwardly. “I didn’t even want you anymore. Why would I care about your family’s approval?”
I told him I felt sleepy and locked the jewelry box in the safe without opening it.
The next day, after he went to work, my best friend, Cecilia Anderson, sent me a draft of a news article.
The headline said Zayn’s secret wife might have been exposed.
A reporter had spotted Zayn with a woman, meeting her parents yesterday afternoon. She wore the Heart of Eternity, the Lloyd family’s heirloom.
The photo showed him holding hands with Natalie as they entered a private club.
No wonder it took him eight hours to get to Lloyd’s residence, a trip that should’ve taken just half an hour.
Chapter 2
I took the Heart of Eternity from the box inside the safe, put it in a plastic bag, and brought it to a jewelry appraisal center.
“Miss, while your jewelry is nice, it’s nothing like the real Heart of Eternity. To be honest, this one is a replica.”
I had already suspected it, but hearing the truth out loud still sent a chill down me.
Zayn had chosen to give the real heirloom–something he claimed was more meaningful than marriage–to someone else.
Cecilia called me and said, “The photo came from my team. I’ve blocked the story for now, but I need your permission to publish it.
“Zayn seems to care about you. You just got married two days ago. He
couldn’t have…”
My hand trembled as I held the phone. I cut her off. “Cecilia, he did.
“I’m getting a divorce. Can you keep this a secret for a few more days? I don’t want him to find out yet.
“Alright.”
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