1 It was a stormy night in New York when I saved my boss, a man known for his icy, untouchable exterior, after he’d been drugged. I had harbored a silent, desperate love for him for seven years, which meant I knew better than anyone what would happen. After tonight, I would become the very thing he loathed most: a scheming woman who climbed into his bed. But in his feverish delirium, he called out my name over and over again, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t bring myself to leave him. When dawn broke, I dragged my exhausted, aching body back to the office, only to overhear his freezing command to his security team: “Find the woman from last night. Whoever dared to set me up, I will make her pay dearly.” I clutched my files and swallowed the bitter truth. Six weeks later, a positive pregnancy test forced me to make a quiet escape from the city. But he intercepted me at the airport gate, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded in a ragged whisper, “Whose baby is it?” … After slipping out of the hotel room that morning, I only had time for a rushed shower before heading straight to work. The atmosphere on the executive floor of McDonald Enterprises was stiflingly tense. Everyone was whispering about the night before. “I heard Mr. McDonald was drugged.” “Some woman actually had the nerve to sneak into his bed.” “You know how much Gabriel hates opportunists. If he finds her, she’s finished.” I stood outside the boardroom holding a stack of folders, my fingertips turning ice-cold. The double doors weren’t fully closed. Gabriel sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his crisp white shirt buttoned all the way to the top, perfectly hiding the marks I had left on his skin the night before. Victoria sat beside him, gently sliding a cup of black coffee toward his hand. “Gabriel, don’t let it ruin your day,” she murmured softly. “There are too many women in New York looking for a shortcut to the top. It was just a slip-up on the hotel’s end.” Gabriel let out a harsh, dry laugh. “A slip-up? That’s exactly how my father was set up years ago, leaving the family with a child they had to sweep under the rug. Women like that? I’ll ruin every single one of them I find.” Standing outside, I felt a physical squeeze in my chest. Last night, his skin had been burning with fever. I only wanted to help him back to his suite, but he had gripped my wrists with terrifying strength, begging me in a raw whisper, “Jane, don’t leave me.” Seven years of loving him in silence made it impossible to push him away. But in giving in, I had sealed my own doom. The executive assistant opened the door and signaled for me to enter. I kept my head down, quietly placing the prepared reports in front of Gabriel. He looked up, his dark eyes boring into mine. “Where were you last night, Jane?” I forced my voice to remain steady. “After assisting you to your suite, sir, I returned to the office to compile the financial statements.” “Someone entered my room afterward. You didn’t notice?” Through the cracked door, the whispered rumors still floated in: climbing into his bed, cheap tricks, social climber. Every whispered word felt like a physical blow. I tightened my grip on the leather folder. “Should I pull the hotel’s security footage, sir?” “Do it,” he muttered, irritably loosening his collar. “I want to see exactly who had the nerve.” Looking at the dark shadows under his eyes, a familiar ache bloomed in my chest. He had been in so much pain last night. If I had truly abandoned him in that state, what would have happened to him? The truth hovered right at the tip of my tongue. “Mr. McDonald, actually, last night…” Gabriel raised his eyes to meet mine. “Jane, I was set up last night. Don’t worry yourself with the details.” His tone was completely devoid of warmth. “Women who use their bodies as bargaining chips are disgusting. I find them repulsive.” The confession died in my throat. I lowered my gaze. “Understood, sir. I’ll investigate immediately.” Gabriel stared at me for a few silent seconds, his brow furrowing. “Why do you look so pale?” I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” He pulled a box of stomach medication from his drawer and tossed it onto the desk in front of me. “Take it.” The box landed with a soft thud. He was always like this. Cold and demanding one moment, yet tossing out these tiny fragments of tenderness the next. For seven years, I had fed on these breadcrumbs, foolishly convincing myself that if I just waited a little longer, he might notice me. I picked up the medication. “Thank you, Mr. McDonald.” His expression instantly turned icy. “What did you just call me?” In private, he had forbidden me from using his formal title. He used to say, Jane, you’re different from the others. But now, I didn’t dare test his limits. I was in the breakroom dissolving the medication in warm water when Victoria found me. She wore a tailored white dress, her makeup flawless, her smile sweet but deadly. “Jane,” she said softly. “How much do you know about last night’s power outage at the hotel?” My hand trembled, hot water splashing onto my fingertips. She didn’t miss my flinch; in fact, she seemed to have anticipated it. “That hotel is owned by my family, Jane. I’ve already secured the backup security footage from before and after the blackout.” She slid her phone across the counter. The video was grainy, but I recognized myself instantly. On that stormy night, in the pitch-black hallway, I was supporting a barely conscious Gabriel, pushing open his suite door. The next frame showed me stepping out hours later, my clothes disheveled, my steps unsteady. “Jane,” Victoria whispered, “if this video gets leaked, what do you think the tabloids will say about you? More importantly, how do you think Gabriel will react?” A deep chill settled into my bones. “He was drugged last night. I was only helping him.” “I know,” she smiled, “but the public won’t care. All they’ll see is you taking advantage of an incapacitated man to climb into his bed.” I clenched my cup. “I can explain it to him myself.” Victoria laughed as if I’d said something hilarious. “Explain what? That you’ve been secretly pining after him for seven years? That you finally found the perfect opportunity to pounce when he couldn’t fight back?” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a harsh hiss. “Jane, you know him better than anyone. He despises women who use these cheap tricks. If you confess, you’ll only make him sick to his stomach.” She had me pinned, and she knew it. “Resign,” she demanded. “Leave New York. Otherwise, I will send this video to every member of the McDonald family.” I stood frozen in the breakroom long after she left. The water had gone cold. The burn on my finger began to throb, but the ache in my chest was far worse. In the days that followed, my focus shattered. When I made my fourth data entry error in a single week, Gabriel slammed the folder onto his desk. “Jane! I pay you three times the market rate for an assistant. Am I paying you to daydream?” I swallowed the exhaustion that was making my head spin. “I’m sorry, Mr. McDonald. It won’t happen again.” He stared at me for a long moment, his tone softening slightly. “If you’re sick, go home and rest. Don’t wander around in front of me looking like a ghost. It’s annoying.” But I didn’t dare leave. I was terrified that Victoria would hand him the video the moment I stepped out of the building. I couldn’t bear the thought of his rare affection turning into pure disgust. During an evening meeting, the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee hit my nose, and my stomach turned violently. I barely managed to excuse myself before sprinting to the restroom. When I walked out, Gabriel was standing at the end of the corridor, his face etched with worry as he held the unread meeting materials. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” I looked away, avoiding his gaze. “I’m fine.” “Fine? Then why were you throwing up?” His voice was sharp, but he held out a cup of warm water. “Drink this.” I didn’t take it. His expression darkened. “Jane, are you defying me now?” In the past, I would have cherished these moments. He sounded angry, but he always remembered my weak stomach. His tone was harsh, but he was the one handing me the water. But now, his tenderness felt like a trap, making it even harder for me to let go. I took the cup. “Thank you, Mr. McDonald.” Gabriel stared at me, his gaze intense and unreadable. “What is going on with you lately? You’re avoiding me, you’re calling me Mr. McDonald, and you’re skipping meals.” He paused, his voice dropping. “Jane, are you hiding something from me?” For a split second, my eyes stung, and the urge to tell him everything almost overwhelmed me. I wanted to beg him to believe that I hadn’t planned any of it, that it was just a moment of weakness because I loved him too much. But Victoria didn’t give me the chance. She stepped out of the conference room, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she called out with a sweet smile, “Gabriel, the event planner is waiting for you to finalize my birthday banquet.” Gabriel turned his head to look at her. That single look was enough to snap me back to reality. Victoria was his childhood friend. She could stand by his side, call him by his first name, and pull him away from me with a single sentence. I was just his assistant, the assistant who had snuck into his bed and whose explanations would sound like cheap lies. I handed the cup back to him. “It’s nothing. Just tired.” Over the next few weeks, Gabriel’s frustration grew because the mystery woman remained unidentified. The tension on the executive floor was suffocating. I couldn’t sleep. My stomach constantly felt like a heavy block of ice. One afternoon, when he snapped at me during a briefing, my vision blurred, and my knees buckled. “Jane, you really haven’t been yourself lately,” Victoria said, stepping closer to Gabriel with a look of mock concern. “Gabriel, don’t be so hard on her. She’s probably just overwhelmed. Then again, with my birthday party coming up, there are so many details to coordinate. If Jane can’t handle it, maybe she should take some time off.” I knew exactly what she meant. She wasn’t offering me a break; she was pushing me out. Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your performance has been slipping. Hand over your current projects to Sarah. Go home and rest. Don’t push yourself.” I snapped my head up. I could endure Victoria’s threats, but hearing Gabriel dismiss me so easily cut me to the quick. I had worked beside him for seven years. I knew his schedule, his preferences, his dislikes, even the exact temperature he liked his tea. Yet Victoria had managed to dismantle all of my hard work with a single sentence. I forced a tight smile. “Understood.” Gabriel’s expression grew even colder. “What is that tone supposed to mean?” I didn’t reply. If I said another word, the tears I was fighting back would spill over. That night, I stayed late in my empty office. I drafted my resignation letter, deleted it, and wrote it again. Several times, I hovered over Gabriel’s contact info, wanting to text him one simple question: Did I ever stand a chance with you? But his last text on my screen remained professional: Ensure Miss Victoria’s birthday gift list is finalized by tomorrow morning. I stared at those words until they blurred, then quietly deleted all my unsent messages. The day I handed in my physical resignation letter, Gabriel’s fury shook the entire executive floor. He slammed the paper onto his desk. “Who gave you permission to leave? I told you to take a few days off, and you throw a tantrum and quit?” I kept my eyes on the floor. “It is no longer appropriate for me to remain your assistant, sir.” “Who decided that?” his voice boomed. “Miss Victoria,” I replied quietly. “And you do whatever she tells you?” I looked up. “She is your childhood friend, and soon to be your fiancée.” Gabriel stared at me for a long, agonizing moment, then let out a bitter, mocking laugh. “What? Did you find a better offer somewhere else?” His words stung like a whip. “No, sir.” “Then stay put,” he snapped, tossing a revised contract onto the desk. “I’m giving you a raise. Stop using your resignation to test my patience. I don’t have time for your games.” I stared at the paper, finding the situation utterly tragic. He thought I was playing hardball for a higher salary, trying to force his hand by threatening to leave. He had no idea how terrified I was, terrified of the disgust that would fill his eyes if he ever found out about that night, terrified of the question he would inevitably ask: Jane, were you trying to use me to climb the ladder, too? I pushed the contract back toward him. “I am not playing games.” Gabriel’s expression turned murderous. “Then what is this? Are you defending that woman from the hotel? Jane, you’ve been with me for seven years. You know my boundaries. Even if you try to cover for her, I will find her, and I will make her pay.” My eyes burned. Years of loyalty and carefully guarded trust crumbled to dust in a single second. The next time my dizziness forced me to visit the clinic, the doctor handed me a laboratory report. Pregnant. Six weeks. It lined up perfectly with that stormy night. Sitting on the cold plastic chair in the clinic hallway, my hands and feet went numb. But after the initial wave of panic subsided, I found myself gently resting my palm against my stomach. It was still completely flat, but I knew a tiny life was growing inside. This was the only tangible thing left to me from the man I had loved in silence for seven long years. Gabriel might hate me, but I couldn’t bring myself to give up this child. I agonized over whether to tell him. But when I returned to the office to gather my belongings, I overheard Victoria’s voice coming from the executive lounge. “Gabriel, your mother said it’s time we make our arrangement official. The families are waiting for an announcement.” Gabriel’s response was flat. “I told you, there’s no rush.” Victoria hesitated, her voice carrying a delicate whine. “But everyone is talking about your assistant, Jane. They say there’s something going on between you two. Your mother even asked if she would interfere with the family’s plans.” The lounge went completely silent for several seconds. Outside the door, I clutched the folded ultrasound report, my heart hammering against my ribs. Then, Gabriel’s cold, indifferent voice shattered my hopes. “She is my assistant. She does not influence my decisions.” That was when Tristan appeared. He was Gabriel’s biggest business rival, and the only person who had ever seen through my carefully guarded secret. Seeing the laboratory report in my trembling hands, he didn’t ask who the father was. He simply took off his heavy wool coat and draped it over my shaking shoulders. “Jane,” he said gently. “Let’s get you out of here.” I clutched the paper tightly. “I want to leave New York.” Tristan was quiet for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll help you.” He arranged a private physician for me, found me a secure place to stay, and eventually placed a one-way ticket to Sydney on the table before me. “You don’t have to run,” he noted. “Do you want me to tell him?” I shook my head. I knew Gabriel too well. He despised the woman from that night with a passion. He would never accept a child conceived under those circumstances. This baby was my choice alone. On the day of my flight, I rolled my suitcase into the terminal. But just as I reached the security line, a group of suited security guards blocked my path. Gabriel stepped out from behind them, his face dark with suppressed fury. “Jane,” he growled, stepping into my space. “Resigning, moving out of your apartment, trying to fly out of the country… You’ve grown quite bold.” I gripped the handle of my suitcase, backed into a corner by his imposing frame. “This is my personal life, Mr. McDonald.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Your personal life? Does your personal life involve running away with Tristan?” My face drained of color. “This has nothing to do with him.” “Nothing to do with him? Then why did he book your ticket?” Gabriel’s eyes were bloodshot, a dangerous fire burning in their depths. “Jane, have I spoiled you too much? So much that you think you can just run off with another man?” My throat felt dry and tight. “You have plenty of people to replace me, sir.” “Whether I have replacements is not for you to decide.” Gabriel suddenly lunged and snatched my handbag. I reached out frantically to grab it back, but during the struggle, the bag slipped, spilling its contents across the polished floor. Medication, my passport, the plane ticket… and the folded pregnancy report. The air in the terminal seemed to freeze. Gabriel bent down and picked up the paper before I could reach it. He unfolded it. His eyes scanned the bold lettering: Pregnant. Six Weeks. The paper crumpled in his tightening fist. He looked up at me, his eyes dark with a wild, chaotic storm, his voice trembling with ice. “Jane,” he whispered. “Is it Tristan’s?”
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