DARK HEARTS - BILLIONAIRE MARRIAGE CONTRACT ROMANCE

LOSSES

"I just want us to have a real chance at happiness, Alex. To fix things between us."

"That ship has sailed, don't you think?"

"Not if we both agree to try." Her hopeful gaze captures mine.

It's moments like these that make me believe her when she says she isn't trying to trap me. Then again, she could be using these moments to do just that. Hoping I'll finally believe her and let my guard down again.

I just can't figure her out.

What's her angle?

"You won't find happiness with me, Evelyn. Only contempt." I snatch her hope away. Watching her expression go blank and unreadable again.

Truthfully, we could have been something great had she have not betrayed me.

It's a tragedy, really.

One where neither of us wins and our dark hearts continue to beat alone.

I'm mid sip of my coffee when Evelyn cries out in pain, grabbing her stomach. Then a look of horror spreads across her face. She reaches between her legs and when she pulls her hand out, her fingertips are coated with blood.

No.

Scooping her up in my arms, I carry her back to my car and get her to a hospital as fast as I can. For hours I'm made to wait in the waiting room. Her family and mine showing up to comfort me when the doctor finally emerges with a grave look on his face.

"How is she?" I ask.

"She's doing well." He offers me a comforting smile. "She's resting."

"And the baby?"

"I'm afraid... he didn't make it."

After offering his condolences, the doctor leaves us to our stunned silence.

I should be relieved Evelyn's plan blew up in her face, but I'm not.

I'm truly fucked and utterly gutted.

***

Lying in this hospital bed with my womb now empty, endless tears pour down my face. As much as I didn't want to be pregnant, I'd come to accept that I was. Even allowing myself to hope and plan for the future. Only, now that future is gone. And there's a part of me that fears I will lose Alexander too. The baby was the only thing keeping him in my life.

The door to my room opens and Alexander appears before me moments later.

"He's gone." I tell him. Feeling like a complete failure as both a woman and a mother.

"I know." He nods. "The doctor told me."

Meeting his gaze, I ask him, "What now? What will happen with us?"

"Do you really want to have this conversation? We just lost our child, Evelyn."

"Why wait?"

"You're still mourning." He stares incredulously at me. "And I'm not heartless."

"No." I huff. "Just spineless."

Narrowing his eyes at me, he shakes his head. "I won't dignify that with a response. Nor will I argue with you in this state."

"Why? Don't feel sorry for me now."

"Evelyn... stop." He pleads.

"Have you called Selena to give her the good news yet?" I continue to push him.

Why?

I don't know.

Except I'd rather push him away than give him the power to hurt me. And I don't want anyone's pity. Least of all his.

Alexander stares silently at me with the pity I don't want present in his eyes.

"I'm a big girl, Alexander. I'll be fine. You don't have to hold my hand or pretend like you want to be here."

"I do want to be here. For you, and for our... for our son." He swallows hard.

"Why?" I study his face for a reaction that doesn't come. "You've been prancing around with Selena Vasquez despite how that makes us both look. So, why do you care? Or did you think I wasn't aware you were seeing her?"

"Stop... please."

"I'll stop when you admit you're relieved our son is dead."

Secretly, I'm hoping I'm wrong, but afraid I'm not.

"I wanted our son." He assures me. "And things between us are rather complicated, wouldn't you say?"

So, he keeps saying.

"Not anymore?" I sniffle. "And now that our son is gone, you're no longer obligated to stick around?"

He opens his mouth to say something but doesn't. Because I think we both know things are too messed up between us for our marriage to work now. And that's fine. Except, I considered being with him for the rest of my life.

I got used to the idea and opened myself up to the possibility of happily ever after with him.

And now that possibility rests in his hands.

"I love you." I blurt out.

Why?

Again, I don't know.

Except there's a part of me that's desperate to reach him and make him understand he wouldn't just be walking away from me if he chose to leave now. He would be breaking my heart.

It could also be the hormones talking.

Grimacing, Alexander takes a step back. Staring at me with an expression I can't decipher. And not in a good way.

"It's just the hormones talking." He dismisses my omission. Not that I expected anything different. "Eventually, they will subside, and you'll come to realize what I have. That it will never work out between us, and once our three years is up, it's best we go our separate ways."

Fuck.

Turning my back to him, I shut down completely. Jackson was nothing compared to this. But I won't give Alexander the satisfaction of knowing he's hurt me. Not like I did with Jackson. I won't be the girl who shamelessly chases after him, begging him to love me back. It won't work anyway.

Not with him.

For now, I will just focus on mourning our son and preparing for the backlash that will surely follow our very public divorce in three years. Busying myself with building what my father started all those years ago, while slowly putting myself back together.

Whatever will keep my mind off the loss of our son and the fact that there's nothing left between us.