Chapter 3 - The Fake Pregnancy
Audrey kept her expression perfectly blank as the screen of Julian’s phone went dark.
She pulled back from the hug and offered him a warm, convincingly fragile smile.
“I was so scared I had lost you,” Audrey whispered, tracing the lapel of his jacket.
Julian kissed her forehead, completely convinced his charming act was working perfectly.
He suggested they skip the big ceremony and just go to the courthouse to make things official tomorrow.
He claimed he wanted to prove his commitment to her without any distractions or outside interference.
Audrey knew he was simply rushing to secure his legal right to her fortune before Friday.
She needed to buy time to investigate what exactly was happening on Friday.
“We can’t go to the courthouse tomorrow,” Audrey said, looking down at the floor as if she were nervous.
Julian’s jaw tightened slightly, though he kept his voice sickeningly sweet.
“Why not, darling?” he asked.
Audrey looked up, letting a single, perfect tear roll down her cheek.
“Because I think I might be pregnant,” Audrey lied.
The silence that followed was heavy and electric.
Julian’s eyes widened in genuine shock, his mind clearly racing to calculate this new variable.
A child would permanently bind him to the Bellamy fortune, guaranteeing a massive payout even if they divorced.
His face broke into a massive, joyous smile.
He picked Audrey up and spun her around, laughing loudly as if it were the best news of his life.
“A baby,” Julian repeated, setting her down gently. “This changes everything.”
Audrey nodded enthusiastically, completely disgusted by the warm hands resting on her waist.
She told him she wanted to wait a few weeks to plan a small, private destination wedding to celebrate properly.
Julian agreed immediately, deciding that a pregnant bride was the ultimate leverage against any prenuptial agreements.
He kissed her deeply and promised to move his things back into the master bedroom that very night.
Once Julian went upstairs to unpack, Audrey walked straight into her father’s private study.
She locked the heavy wooden door behind her and pulled out a hidden burner phone.
She dialed the number of the most ruthless private investigator in the city.
She gave the investigator Julian and Lenora’s names, demanding a full background check by morning.
Audrey spent the entire night lying awake next to the man who was actively conspiring against her.
The next morning, Julian brought her breakfast in bed, playing the role of the doting father-to-be.
He casually mentioned that they should open a joint bank account to start saving for the nursery renovations.
Audrey agreed with a sweet smile, promising to call her bank manager that afternoon.
As soon as Julian left for work, Audrey’s burner phone vibrated in her pocket.
The private investigator had already sent over the first batch of encrypted files.
Audrey opened the attachments on her secure laptop, her heart pounding against her ribs.
The first photo showed Julian and Lenora sitting at a dimly lit diner.
They were looking over highly classified blueprints of the Bellamy corporate headquarters.
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But it was the timestamp on the photograph that made Audrey’s blood turn to ice.
The photo was taken precisely one year before Julian had ever supposedly bumped into Audrey at the coffee shop.
