Chapter 4 - The Gala Of Vipers
I felt all the blood rush completely out of my face.
"I am not pregnant!" I shouted at the television screen, panic rising rapidly in my chest.
Ryan immediately turned the television off and set the remote down on the marble counter.
"I know you aren't, Ellie, and I certainly didn't leak this garbage to the press."
"Then who did?" I asked, my voice trembling with sudden fear.
"The Sterling family," Ryan answered, his dark eyes narrowing with intense, cold anger.
Daniel’s new girlfriend belonged to the Sterlings, my ex-fiancé's brand new ticket to wealth.
"They want to force me into confirming a pregnancy, only to expose it as a lie next month."
"It would destroy my credibility and give the board the excuse they need to fire me."
I gripped the edge of the kitchen island, feeling entirely out of my depth.
"So we tell the press it is a lie right now," I suggested desperately.
Ryan shook his head slowly, walking over to pour me a steaming cup of coffee.
"If we deny it immediately, it looks like a panicked cover-up."
"We have to attend the charity gala tonight, smile for the cameras, and let the rumors burn themselves out."
A team of professional stylists arrived at the penthouse precisely at noon.
They transformed me into someone I barely recognized in the mirror.
I wore a breathtaking emerald green gown that swept the floor, diamonds glittering heavily at my throat.
When Ryan saw me step out of the bedroom, he stopped breathing for a fraction of a second.
"You look absolutely beautiful, Ellie," he murmured, offering me his arm.
The charity gala was a blinding sea of flashing cameras and incredibly wealthy people.
Ryan stayed close to my side, his hand resting protectively on the small of my back.
We navigated the treacherous social waters perfectly, smiling at all the right moments.
I actually started to believe we were going to survive the evening without a disaster.
Then a striking, older woman in a severe black dress completely blocked our path.
She had Ryan's piercing dark eyes, but absolutely none of his hidden warmth.
"Mother," Ryan greeted her, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature.
Eleanor Blackwood did not even bother to look at her own son.
She stared directly at my stomach with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust.
"You can fool the press with this pathetic street rat, Ryan," she whispered venomously.
May you like
She stepped closer to me, her expensive perfume smelling sharp and suffocating.
"But I know you aren't pregnant, sweetheart, and I will destroy you both by morning."
