Black Opal’s Three Tests of True Love Chapter 06

Leandro stood frozen, paralyzed where he stood.

The penthouse was warm, but a bone–chilling frost seemed to seep straight into his marrow

Alaric snatched the papers first, his face losing every drop of color.

“Pregnant… Odessa was over six weeks pregnant.”

His fingers shook uncontrollably around the clinic report.

“Why… why would she get rid of the baby? What happened?!”

Leandro’s throat tightened, choked by silence.

Looking up, he noticed a bottom drawer left half–open in the vanity corner.

A misplaced ID card sat inside.

He stepped over and picked it up. It was Odessa’s TLC driver’s license, issued by the New York City

Taxi and Limousine Commission.

In an instant, fragmented memories crashed into his mind like a tidal wave.

His breath hitched violently.

“The night before last, when we left the private club in Long Island… you hailed a rideshare. Pull up the trip details from that night. Check the driver’s information!”

Alaric caught on, hastily unlocking his phone to bring up the ride details.

Driver profile:

TLC License Number: 124598.

The license in Leandro’s hand bore the exact same numbers: 124598.

A deafening silence crashed over them.

Every shred of color vanished from their faces.

Alaric swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

“So… the driver who picked us up that night… was Odessa?”

“The fake poverty… the gold–digger tests… she heard every single word.”

His voice cracked completely.

“That’s why she left. She didn’t say a word… she just walked away.”

For the first time in his life, Leandro had no idea what to do.

He had mapped out so many scenarios.

If Odessa failed the test, he would wear his family down until they accepted her; even if he had to take a political bride for appearances, he’d keep Odessa protected in luxury.

He had even imagined how lavishly he would spoil her once her true identity was revealed.

The one thing he had never imagined was that she would walk away without looking back and destroy their child in the process.

Alaric pressed his trembling hands together.

“Did we… did we ruin everything?”

Leandro gave no answer, raspy as he told Alaric to get out.

Within minutes, the penthouse fell back into tomb–like quiet.

Standing in the hollow closet, Leandro’s mind involuntarily drifted to the way Odessa’s eyes used to light up whenever he handed her a gift.

He had always assumed she was thrilled by the luxury tag.

But why had he never stopped to think – of course a girlfriend would be happy getting a gift from

the man she loved.

What gave him the right to write her joy off as greed, instead of love for him?

Why had such an elementary truth eluded him for all those years?

Leandro buried his face in his hands.

His chest felt as though an iron vice was squeezing the life out of him, the pain radiating through

his ribs.

Right then, his phone chimed.

A text from Odessa’s closest friend, accompanied by a video file.

[You scumbag! You knocked up another woman while stringing her along?!]

Leandro’s eyes went wide.

What the hell was she talking about?

He tapped the video.

On screen, Vivienne was standing over Odessa in a café, her hand cradling her flat stomach.

Nm pregnant. It’s Leandro’s.”

Odessa looked up at her.

“Understood. Thanks for the heads–up.”

Her tone was so flat, so chillingly devoid of emotion.

But Leandro had known her for years. He could see how rigid she was, how close she was to breaking apart right then.

The video cut off.

The phone groaned under the crushing pressure of his white–knuckled grip.

And right at that moment, the electronic front lock chimed downstairs.

Leandro’s heart hammered against his ribs.

Odessa!

She came back!