Chapter 4

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

The contents of Dani's purse lay scattered across the polished marble floor.

Her phone.

Her planner.

Her keys.

A tube of lipstick.

And partially hidden beneath the edge of her notebook—

The pregnancy test.

Dani's blood turned to ice.

No.

No, no, no.

Not here.

Not in front of Stella.

Not in front of Julian.

Not now.

The world seemed to slow.

Every heartbeat thundered inside her ears.

Then Julian moved.

One step.

Smooth.

Controlled.

His polished shoe came down directly over the white plastic stick.

Covering it completely.

The movement happened so naturally it could have been accidental.

Except it wasn't.

Dani knew it.

And judging by the brief flicker in Stella's eyes, she suspected it too.

"Dani."

Stella's voice remained calm.

Pleasant.

Dangerously pleasant.

"Are you alright?"

Dani forced air into her lungs.

"Yes."

The answer came too quickly.

Too sharp.

A mistake.

Stella's smile widened slightly.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

Enough for Dani.

Enough to make her stomach tighten.

Julian crouched and began gathering the spilled items.

His expression never changed.

No concern.

No curiosity.

No indication that anything unusual had happened.

It was almost impressive.

Watching him pretend.

Watching him become someone else.

He handed her phone back first.

Then her planner.

Then her keys.

His fingers brushed hers briefly.

The touch lasted less than a second.

Yet somehow it steadied her.

"Thank you."

He gave a short nod.

Nothing more.

The performance remained intact.

Stella watched everything.

Every movement.

Every glance.

Every silence.

And that worried Dani more than if Stella had asked direct questions.

Because direct questions had answers.

Stella preferred observation.

Preferred collecting information.

Preferred waiting.

Like a spider.

Patient.

Careful.

Certain the web would eventually catch something.

"You've seemed distracted lately."

The statement landed softly.

Like a compliment.

Like concern.

Dani immediately recognized it as neither.

"I'm just tired."

"Working too hard?"

"Probably."

Stella laughed lightly.

"That's what everyone says before they burn themselves out."

Julian straightened.

"Dani has handled this fundraiser almost single-handedly."

Dani looked at him in surprise.

So did Stella.

Julian rarely defended anyone.

Especially publicly.

Especially employees.

Stella tilted her head slightly.

"You sound protective."

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop.

Julian's expression remained unchanged.

"I'm practical."

"Of course."

Something unreadable passed through Stella's eyes.

Then disappeared.

The moment stretched.

Tight.

Uncomfortable.

Dani suddenly felt trapped between them.

Caught inside a conversation she didn't fully understand.

A conflict that had started long before she arrived.

Long before she worked for Vance Holdings.

Long before she made the worst decision of her life.

Footsteps approached from the ballroom.

Several investors rounded the corner.

The tension vanished instantly.

Or rather—

It disappeared beneath a layer of expensive politeness.

"Mr. Vance."

"Mrs. Vance."

The greetings came quickly.

Professionally.

Julian nodded.

Stella smiled.

Perfect.

Beautiful.

Flawless.

The couple everyone admired.

The power pair featured in business magazines.

The marriage people envied.

A complete lie.

Dani saw it now.

Not clearly.

But enough.

Enough to recognize the cracks.

Enough to understand that whatever existed between Stella and Julian wasn't love.

It wasn't even affection.

It felt like warfare.

The investors soon moved on.

As soon as they disappeared, Stella glanced at her watch.

"We should get back."

Nobody argued.

The fundraiser still had hours left.

And Dani still had work to do.

Back inside the ballroom, everything felt louder.

The music.

The conversations.

The laughter.

Every sound scraped against Dani's nerves.

She moved through the crowd automatically.

Checking seating arrangements.

Coordinating speakers.

Answering questions.

Smiling when necessary.

Pretending she wasn't carrying a secret capable of destroying her life.

Twice she caught Stella watching her.

Not staring.

Watching.

A subtle difference.

A more dangerous one.

And every time Dani noticed, Stella smiled.

As if she knew something.

As if she was waiting.

An hour later, the mayor's speech finally began.

The room quieted.

Donors took their seats.

The stage lights brightened.

Dani slipped toward the back of the ballroom, grateful for a moment to breathe.

Her stomach rolled again.

The nausea was getting worse.

She pressed a hand against her abdomen.

Please.

Not here.

Not tonight.

A voice spoke behind her.

"You're pale."

Julian.

Again.

Dani turned.

He stood several feet away.

Close enough to speak privately.

Far enough to avoid attention.

Always careful.

Always calculating.

"I'm fine."

His gaze sharpened.

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

"You're lying."

The certainty in his voice unsettled her.

He wasn't guessing anymore.

He knew something was wrong.

He just didn't know what.

Yet.

Dani looked away.

Big mistake.

Julian stepped closer.

Not enough to touch her.

Enough to make her nervous.

"Talk to me."

The words were quiet.

Almost gentle.

That softness scared her more than his coldness ever could.

Because cold Julian was easy.

Predictable.

This version wasn't.

The version who noticed when she skipped lunch.

The version who remembered details she forgot mentioning.

The version who looked at her like she mattered.

That version was dangerous.

Because she wanted to trust him.

And she couldn't afford to.

Not anymore.

Not with a baby involved.

Across the room, Stella laughed at something a donor said.

Julian's gaze flicked toward his wife.

Instantly, his expression hardened.

The softness vanished.

Gone.

Like it had never existed.

Dani watched the transformation happen in real time.

And suddenly understood something.

Julian wasn't cold all the time.

He was cold around Stella.

There was a difference.

A significant one.

The realization unsettled her.

Because it raised questions she didn't want to ask.

Questions she definitely didn't want answered.

The fundraiser finally ended close to midnight.

Guests filtered out.

Staff began cleaning.

The ballroom slowly emptied.

Dani stayed behind to review final reports.

One last task.

Then she could go home.

She was exhausted.

Emotionally.

Physically.

Mentally.

She rubbed her eyes and gathered her papers.

A shadow fell across the table.

Her stomach dropped.

Julian.

Of course.

Who else?

The room was nearly empty now.

Only a handful of employees remained.

Far enough away not to hear.

Julian reached inside his suit jacket.

Dani froze.

He pulled out something white.

Small.

Plastic.

Her breath stopped.

The pregnancy test.

He placed it on the table between them.

Silence.

Long.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Dani couldn't look away.

Neither could he.

Julian rested one hand on the table.

His gaze locked onto hers.

Cold.

Sharp.

Relentless.

"What exactly are you hiding from me?"