Pregnant With His Heir, He Married The Actress Instead Chapter 01

Pregnant With His Heir, He Married The Actress Instead Chapter 01

I’d been his kept woman for seven years.

And now he was getting married.

On our last night together, he fucked me like a man possessed, taking me in every position he could think of.

When I woke up, he looked thoroughly satisfied. He slipped a five-carat diamond ring onto my finger and said in a low voice, “From now on, come stay here every night like you always do.”

My body went rigid. Zayne Hale arched a brow and let out a mocking laugh.

“You didn’t actually believe that, did you? Are you really that unable to let me go?”

“My fiancée gets jealous easily. I don’t want her finding out about us.”

“I set you up on a date for tonight. Take it seriously and go through with it, all right?”

What he didn’t know was that after I walked out that day, I boarded a sailboat bound for San Diego.

And I never returned to Seattle after that.

***

The moment the words left his mouth, it felt like someone had slapped me across the face in public. My skin burned with humiliation.

“What kind of reaction is that?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you actually fell in love with me.”

He lounged against the headboard, loose and completely at ease, watching me.

I lifted my eyes and caught sight of the bright red scratches streaking across the lean muscles of his back.

From eighteen to twenty-four, I had spent seven full years in this arrangement with Zayne.

At first, he sent his driver to pick me up from Seattle Metropolitan University every other day. Later, except for class, I spent most of my time living here.

The mansion on Queen Anne Hill overlooked all of Elliott Bay at night.

I adopted a cat and named him Spud.

Zayne was always busy with work, but he still took the time to help me pick out toys for the cat. When I got sick, he would even make me a bowl of homemade chicken and rice soup.

It was almost as if we were a real couple.

My gaze dropped back to the five-carat diamond ring on my middle finger.

Zayne lowered his head and kissed my lips. His voice was rough when he said, “You’ve always wanted this ring, haven’t you? Think of it as a breakup gift.”

“From now on, we’re just boss and employee.”

“Cassidy Chambers is an A-list actress at the top of her game, and you’re one of Seattle’s best-known news anchors. Don’t turn bitter and start leaking dirt on her.”

“I protect my own.”

It wasn’t just a reminder. It was a warning.

Tears burned behind my eyes.

I forced a smile.

Just as I was about to speak, my stomach lurched, and I ran straight for the bathroom.

“Raina.”

Zayne followed me in.

His expression darkened as his eyes cut sharply to my stomach.

“The Hale family would never accept an illegitimate child.”

“You’ve been with me this long. You should know exactly what happens when a woman gets pregnant without my permission.”

My breath caught. I quickly moved my hand away from my stomach and forced myself to lift my head calmly.

“I was up all night. I think I just caught a chill.”

A faint crease formed between his brows, and then he turned and walked out.

Only then did I finally let out a breath.

I had gone to the hospital the day before because I wasn’t feeling well, and the doctor had told me I was pregnant.

Counting backward, it must have happened two months ago, on Zayne’s birthday. That night, he said he didn’t want to wear a condom.

He had fucked me until I could barely keep my eyes open.

I forgot to take the pill afterward.

I had planned to tell him about the pregnancy today.

Now there was no point.

Just like he said, the Hale family would never accept an illegitimate child.

I had seen what they were capable of six years ago.

The model Zayne’s older brother kept overseas got pregnant, and right after the baby was born, both mother and child disappeared.

Someone had sent the scene photos to my inbox.

I only looked once, but I still had nightmares for a month straight.

When I finally calmed down, I took the ultrasound printout from my bag.

I gently traced the tiny black dot on the image, then crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash.