The small white box sat on the bathroom counter.
Arielle stared at it, her hands trembling.
She had bought the test early that morning while Bella was still asleep.
She wore sunglasses, a mask, and kept her head low in the pharmacy. The cashier didn't even look at her.
Now, back at the mansion, the box felt heavier than anything she'd ever held.
She unwrapped it slowly.
Her stomach churned.
"Just do it."
She followed the instructions, then placed the stick down on the sink.
And waited.
---
Two Minutes Later
Her hands covered her mouth.
Her eyes were wide.
Two pink lines.
Positive.
Arielle sat on the bathroom floor, back against the wall, knees drawn up.
The silence of the room pressed in around her.
She didn't cry.
She didn't scream.
She just sat there, staring at the result, as the truth settled deep in her chest.
"I'm pregnant."
Her hand rested over her belly.
It didn't feel real yet.
But it was.
"There's a life growing inside me… and it's his."
---
Later That Day
Arielle watched Bella nap in the sunroom.
The nurse sat nearby, quietly reading.
Everything looked peaceful.
But inside her, a storm was building.
Leonard hadn't come home the night before.
No text. No call.
She didn't even know where he was.
Arielle sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers tight around her phone.
Should I tell him?
What would he say?
Would he even believe it?
He had made it clear—no children. That was the rule. One of the most important ones.
> "Don't fall in love with me."
Don't expect anything real.
And no baby.
And now… she was carrying the one thing he said he didn't want.
---
Evening
Arielle stood by the window as the sky darkened.
Lights flickered on around the mansion.
Still no sign of him.
Still no message.
The longer he stayed away, the clearer it became—Samantha was back, and she had his attention again.
Maybe his heart, too.
Arielle pressed her forehead against the glass.
"This isn't how I imagined it."
She had been so careful.
So controlled.
But now, everything was changing.
And she was scared.
She placed her hand gently over her lower stomach.
> "You're not a mistake," she whispered. "I don't care what he says. I already love you."
A tear slid down her cheek.
"But I don't know how to tell him… not when I know what he'll say."
---
End of Chapter 8