The walls felt like they were closing in.
Audrey sat on the edge of her bed, her phone lying face down beside her, as though even looking at it would suffocate her. The rumors hadn't stopped—if anything, they had grown louder, uglier, more invasive.
Everywhere she turned, there was something new.
Another accusation.
Another insult.
Another piece of her being torn apart.
Her hand rested unconsciously on her stomach.
Her child.
They were dragging her child into this.
Her breathing became uneven.
"No…" she whispered, shaking her head as if she could physically push everything away. "Stop…"
But the voices in her head didn't stop.
The headlines.
The comments.
The judgment.
Her vision blurred.
The room tilted.
And before she could steady herself—
Everything went black.
"Audrey! Audrey!"
Jane's voice rang with panic as she caught her sister just in time.
Her heart raced as she shook her gently. "Audrey, wake up!"
No response.
Fear gripped her chest instantly.
Without wasting another second, Jane grabbed her phone and dialed.
Nathan's phone rang just as he stepped out of a meeting.
He frowned slightly at the unknown number before answering.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Nathan?" Jane's voice was urgent. "It's Jane—Audrey's sister. She fainted. I'm taking her to the hospital now."
Nathan didn't hesitate.
"I'll be there."
By the time Audrey was admitted, Jane had already been pacing outside the room, her hands trembling.
The moment she saw Nathan walking toward her, she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"She'll be fine," the doctor assured them shortly after. "She's just under a lot of stress. She needs rest—mental and physical."
Jane nodded quickly. "Thank you, doctor."
Nathan's shoulders eased slightly.
As soon as he heard Audrey was okay—
He turned to Jane.
"You can go home. I'll stay with her."
Jane studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Take care of her," she said quietly before leaving.
When Audrey woke up, the room was dimly lit.
And Nathan was there.
Again.
She wasn't surprised.
"You fainted," he said calmly, as if it had become a routine.
Audrey sat up slowly, avoiding his gaze. "I'm fine."
"You're not."
Silence.
Nathan stood, walking closer until he was standing right in front of her.
"We can't keep going like this," he said.
Audrey finally looked at him. "Going like what?"
"Like we're strangers."
Her chest tightened.
Nathan held her gaze, his voice steady.
"Be my woman."
The words hung heavily between them.
Audrey blinked, caught off guard.
"No," she said almost immediately.
Nathan didn't react.
"I'm serious," she added, her voice firmer. "I'm not doing this."
He studied her for a moment but didn't push.
"Rest," he said instead, stepping back.
Later that evening, Audrey returned home.
Jane was waiting.
The moment she saw her, she rushed forward. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Audrey said, sitting down.
Jane hesitated, then asked carefully, "Did Nathan talk to you?"
Audrey sighed. "Yes."
"And?"
"He wants me to be with him," Audrey said flatly. "I said no."
Jane blinked.
"You said… no?"
Audrey frowned. "Why are you reacting like that?"
Jane took a deep breath.
"Because he already spoke to me," she said.
Audrey stilled. "What?"
Jane nodded. "Before asking you, he came to me. He told me everything—about you, about wanting to take responsibility… about wanting to be serious with you."
Audrey stared at her, stunned.
"He asked for my permission," Jane continued softly. "And I gave it."
Silence filled the room.
"You should accept," Jane added gently. "Not because of the situation… but because he genuinely cares about you."
Audrey looked down at her hands.
Her mind replayed everything.
Nathan's actions.
His silence.
His presence.
His care.
Slowly—
She exhaled.
"Okay," she whispered.
The next morning, Audrey did something no one expected.
She opened her social media account.
And posted.
"A lot has been said about me. A lot of lies. But here is the truth—
The father of my child is Nathaniel Cruz."
Within minutes—
The internet exploded.
Elsewhere, tension brewed in a much older house.
Damian's mother sat across from her father, her expression serious.
"You're just going to ignore this?" she asked.
The man frowned. "Ignore what?"
"The possibility," she said pointedly. "That the child might be Damian's."
He stilled.
"That's not—"
"Are you sure?" she cut in. "Think about it. She was with Damian before all of this."
The seed of doubt was planted.
And it grew quickly.
Later that day, Nathan received a call.
"I want a DNA test," the older man said firmly.
Nathan's expression darkened instantly. "That's unnecessary."
"I'm not asking," he replied. "I need to be sure."
Nathan's grip tightened around his phone.
"No."
Audrey had heard everything.
She stood quietly by the doorway, her heart heavy.
When Nathan ended the call, she stepped forward.
"Do it," she said softly.
Nathan turned to her. "No."
"It will give him peace," she insisted. "And it will end this doubt."
Nathan studied her.
Then finally—
He sighed.
"Fine."
Days later, the results came back.
Positive.
The child was Nathan's.
The older man's shoulders visibly relaxed.
He turned to Audrey, his expression softening.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "For understanding."
Audrey nodded politely.
But inside—
Something stirred.
A quiet thought.
A lingering doubt.
What if…
Her hand moved gently to her stomach.
She said nothing.
But for the first time—
Audrey wondered if she, too, needed certainty.