Chapter 9
Amy stood at the top of the wooden staircase, her hands resting protectively over her slightly rounded stomach as she looked down at her estranged husband. She hadn't expected him to find her this fast, but looking at his haggard face, unkempt hair, and bloodshot eyes, she felt no fear—only profound pity. "You look terrible, Daniel," Amy said quietly, her voice carrying effortlessly across the silent, book-lined room.
Daniel swallowed hard, taking a slow step onto the bottom stair as if afraid she would vanish into thin air if he moved too quickly. "Amy, please... let me come up stairs. Let me explain everything that happened that night at the gala," Daniel begged, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "There is nothing left to explain, Daniel; you chose your empire, Vanessa chose her ambition, and I chose my child," Amy replied steadily.
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She turned her side slightly toward the light, allowing the loose folds of her oversized knit sweater to reveal the undeniable contour of her pregnancy. Daniel stopped dead on the stairs, his eyes widening in absolute, paralyzing shock as his brain struggled to process the visual reality before him. "You're... you're pregnant?" Daniel whispered, his voice trembling as he reached out a shaking hand toward her.
"Seventeen weeks pregnant, Daniel—the exact same week you were flying to London and Chicago with Vanessa," Amy stated coldly. The words hit Daniel like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of his lungs and dropping him heavily onto the wooden stair step. He buried his face in his hands, finally breaking down into deep, racking sobs as the full magnitude of his monumental betrayal crashed down upon him.
