There was the faint sound of a sniffle from inside, followed by the creak of the bed. Irene’s throat tightened, but she continued. "You carry a child," she said.

"A child that didn’t ask for any of this. A child who depends on you to survive. That little heartbeat inside you doesn’t care who left. That child is your priority. Your responsibility. Do you understand me?"

There was a long stretch of silence before Ivy’s muffled footsteps broke it. The sound of slippers dragging across the carpet, followed by the soft click of the lock.

The door cracked open an inch, and then, slowly, all the way. Irene exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Irene quickly bent down, picked up the tray of food, and walked in without waiting for permission.

She placed it gently on the bedside table, careful not to meet Ivy’s eyes. Without saying another word, she turned to leave.

"What happened with you two?"

"What?" Irene asked.

"You and Winn," Ivy clarified. "What happened between you two?"

Irene sighed, letting the door slip shut with a soft click. She crossed her arms, leaning against it as if she needed the support. "Ugh... there was no specific thing," she began. "It was a series of things. Little cuts that became wounds."

She hesitated, searching for the right words. "The man was too badly damaged for me, Ivy. We were always fighting over the tiniest things. He was good to me, in his way, but he didn’t understand feelings. Or maybe he just didn’t trust them."

Irene gave a small, bitter laugh. "He understood desire. He understood jealousy. But love?" She shook her head.

"Love to Winn was a battlefield. And I was tired of fighting in a war I didn’t start. After ten years together, I realized if he still hadn’t learned how to trust me, then there was no point in pretending. He was always paranoid, always suspicious. He accused me of cheating with Evans countless times."

Ivy raised a brow. "Didn’t you?"

"No!" she said. "Though, God, I can see why everyone thought so. Evans and I always got along too well for Winn’s taste. He used to say the way Evans looked at me was enough evidence."

"But when Winn eventually found out about us—me and Evans—it didn’t even matter that it happened long after Winn and I were over. He assumed he had been right all along. It became this huge fiasco between the both of them. They nearly came to blows. Winn was furious."

"And almost at the same time, Evans snagged a deal right from under Winn’s nose. Winn was convinced I gave Evans the details, like I’d betrayed him twice over. But I didn’t. Evans’s source has always been anonymous. He still doesn’t even know who it is."

"So he has always been the same," Ivy said softly.

Irene crossed her arms, studying her for a long moment before she spoke. "Ivy... I’m sorry," she said finally. "I know you’re heartbroken. I know it feels like the world’s pressing down on your chest and you can’t breathe."

She paused, walking closer until she could perch at the foot of the bed. "But you cannot wallow in that heartbreak forever. You don’t have that luxury anymore. You’re going to be a mother now."

"Whatever you do right now, whatever decision you make right now," Irene continued, "reflects directly on that baby. That child didn’t ask to be born into this mess, Ivy. You owe it to them to be strong. Get it together—fast. I’m sorry, but that’s how it’s going to be from now on."

Then Ivy nodded. "Are you guys having dinner here or at your place?" she asked.

"We could have it here," she said, smiling gently.

Ivy nodded again, this time a little firmer, a flicker of determination crossing her face. "I’ll come down," she said.

"That’s my girl." Irene rose. She gave a faint smile before heading for the door.

The second she stepped into the hallway, she stopped short. Evans was there, leaning casually against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other.

"What can’t you do?" he murmured as he pushed away from the wall. Before she could protest, he wrapped her in a hug, one of those strong, grounding embraces that made it momentarily hard to breathe.

"I’ll let you know when I find out," she said, giving him a teasing smirk.

"I think I messed things up this time."

Irene’s brows furrowed. "What did you do?"

Evans exhaled heavily and leaned back against the wall again, his playful demeanor slipping. "Someone picked up Winn’s phone," he said. "And it wasn’t Winn." His jaw flexed.

"And well... I’d just found out he got married and—I was pissed, all right? So I went off."

"Who was it?" Irene asked.

Evans dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling hard. "I think it’s his wife."

Irene froze mid-step, turning to stare at him. Her eyes widened. "Oh... Evans. What have you done?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Evans muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as they resumed walking. "You don’t have to say it. I already feel like shit."

"You should," Irene said.

Evans shot her a sideways glare. "Remind me again why I like you?"

"Because I tell you the truth."

He grunted. "I hate that about you."

"Mm-hm."

******

Across the city, in a dimly lit bar. Sharona swept in wearing a black dress. She spotted Raphael in the back booth where he always sat.

"About time," Raphael said, swirling his drink as she slid into the seat across from him.

"Traffic," Sharona lied smoothly, crossing her legs. "Now, spill. What did the will say?"

"Someone’s eager." Raphael grinned, taking a slow sip of his whiskey. "Can’t say I blame you."

"Come on, Raphael," she pressed. "You know I hate waiting."

He chuckled and leaned forward. "Well, there isn’t much that involves you directly. But..." He paused dramatically, enjoying her annoyance.

"But?" she snapped, arching an eyebrow.

"The part of the will that concerns you," Raphael said, setting his glass down, "is that you can inherit everything Winn owns legally—if he keels over and dies without making a will."

(Thank you guys for making this book a success. I have been overwhelmed by the positive comments. I can actually feel the suspense along with you. I know you still hate me right now, but I promise, everything will be fine soon. I will get our two favourite characters together. And i promise, you will not be disappointed. Continue in Author’s note)