Chapter 3

When I was three, my parents separated.

They both moved on quickly and started new families.

For a while, I lived with my grandmother, and life was steady enough.

But after she passed, I spent years being shuffled between relatives, sleeping in spare rooms and corners of houses that weren't mine, constantly aware of how much I owed people just for being tolerated.

That was my life, until I graduated college and met Leon. For the first time, things felt stable.

I'd told him more than once that all I wanted, more than anything in the world, was a place that was truly mine.

Buying a home in this city on two regular salaries wasn't just difficult. It was almost impossible. I knew that. Leon knew that.

I'll admit that lately I'd let the housing thing consume me.

But I never once thought about breaking up with Leon over it.

I genuinely believed he had cheated on me. That's why I said what I said. I was furious, and I reacted.

And for the record — I don't hold any bitterness toward the relatives who took me in. They weren't my parents. They didn't have to help me. That they did was already more than I had any right to expect.

I cried for a long time before Leon finally calmed me down.

He kissed my forehead gently and made a quiet promise. "Trust me. We're going to have that house one day."

I pressed my face against his chest. "Yeah."

Leon pulled back just far enough to look at me, and then, without any warning, he kissed me.

Things escalated quickly. We ended up in bed, and just before things went too far, his phone went off.

We both froze.

Leon grabbed it and checked the screen. A small frown crossed his face.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"My boss," Leon said, sounding pained. "Probably another dinner thing."

I wasn't happy about it either, but I gave him a nudge. "He doesn't do this for just anyone. Go."

Leon's situation with his adoptive parents had always been complicated.

He'd been pushed out into the workforce before he even finished high school, expected to bring in money for the family. They'd taken from him for years. It wasn't until he and I got together that he finally managed to put some distance between himself and their constant demands.

Leon was sharp and a fast learner, but without the right credentials or connections, he'd been stuck. His current boss had built something from nothing, and he was willing to invest in Leon. The catch was late-night dinners and networking that bled into personal time.

Leon rarely turned those down. I understood, and I supported it.

He bit my shoulder lightly in frustration. "I'm coming back to deal with you later."

I kicked him in the shin.

Leon laughed under his breath, pulled his clothes on fast, and was already on the phone with his boss as he walked out the door.

After he left, it hit me.

If Leon really is the heir to a billion-dollar empire, there's no reason for him to keep playing nice with a small-time boss.

But then again — I should probably act the same way I always have. If I suddenly start behaving differently, it'll raise questions.

Then another thought hit me.

The comments mentioned I'd try to use a pregnancy to force Leon's hand.

Which meant I was probably already pregnant.

I got dressed, walked to the pharmacy near our building, and bought three different brands of pregnancy tests.

I used two of them. Both came back with two clear lines.

So it was real.

But would Leon's parents accept me?

If they didn't, would he choose me anyway?

And if he did, would he actually be in a position to fight them on it?

I had no way of knowing.

One step at a time.

I was about to go to bed when the comments exploded.

[Wait — Leon's father is there too?! Is tonight actually the night Leon gets brought back into the family?]

[It seems like it! Niya literally just broke up with him earlier and now — wait, didn't they make up already? Was she supposed to stay broken up with him?]

[Doesn't matter. Leon's already seen her true colors. In his heart, he's probably already done with her.]

Something cold settled in my chest.