Prologue

Edith sighed, losing herself in her thoughts while watching the heavy rain keep beating against the glass. The weather was more depressing than usual, reflecting the storm in her unsettled heart.

"Ma'am, I've finished arranging the preorder flower bouquets. I'll be excusing myself first," Edith's female workers said, pulling her from her thoughts.

Edith blinked, slightly startled, before offering a small smile. "Goodnight, Ruby. Get home safely."

"See you tomorrow, ma'am," she said, waving her hand before turning to leave.

The sound of the door closing softly behind the worker left Edith alone in the quiet flower shop. However, the gloomy silence was cracked through by the sudden ringing of her phone. Edith frowned annoyingly after checking the caller ID.

'Why the hell is he calling me now? Should I answer it?' The thought echoed in her mind.

"No, I need to stop giving him any chance to talk with me," She shook her head, dismissing the thought after recalling their last encounter.

Edith's head was already hazy because of a sudden fever yesterday, and she didn't want to exhaust herself anymore by having any unnecessary conversation. Silencing her phone, she started to coordinate the flower deliveries for tomorrow as fast as she could so that she could close up the shop and go home soon to rest.

As the rain kept pouring heavily, a black Mercedes-Maybach pulled up outside Edith's flower shop. "We have arrived, Boss." Two of the men stepped out of the car.

One opened the umbrella while the other rushed to the back door, pulling it open swiftly. A tall figure emerged, his polished black shoes clicking against the wet ground as he stepped out. Despite the heavy rain, his presence was commanding and elegant.

The man made long strides toward the flower shop, and as he entered, the bell above the door chimed.

"Sorry, we're closed for the..." Edith's voice faltered as she turned and saw him. Her eyes widened in shock at his unnoticed visit to her flower shop.

"Za...Zayden," she stammered, feeling his undeniable presence had already begun affecting her.

"Wh...Why are you here?", Edith asked, her mind racing as she tried to process his unexpected appearance.

Zayden walked closer, his gaze was intense and filled with a mix of emotions that Edith couldn't quite read. As he stopped at a little distance, Edith swallowed, her heart pounding.

"How long have you decided to hide it from me, little bird?", he asked, his voice calm, but it only intensified her fear.

'Does he know... Does he find out about it?' Edith wondered, gripping her dress tightly as she tried to steady herself.

Zayden felt amused observing how she was looking everywhere but him as she failed to process what to respond.

"You never failed to amaze me, do you?", he chuckled, still waiting for her explanation.

Edith felt exposed, as if the secret she had been keeping from this man was laid bare before him. But at the same time, she believed it wasn't possible for him to know.

"If you're here to talk about the stupid marriage proposal again, then there's..." Zayden interrupted her, leaving her words hanging in the air.

"Edith Sinclair... I'm talking about my child there," he said, while his unyielding gaze gestured towards her womb.

Edith's breath caught in her throat. The room seemed to shrink around her as the reality of Zayden's words hit her like a punch. She stared at him, feeling a mix of panic and disbelief.

"It... It's not your child..." She managed to speak, her voice barely a whisper.

Zayden grinned, his eyes moved deliberately from her womb back to meet her gaze.

"So you're telling me that you have shook your hips and spread open your pussy for another man?" He asked, the dangerous chill in his tone reaching straight to her core.

And all Edith could wonder, How did things get to this? The price she had to pay for one night turned out a little too cruel.