Chapter 4Pregnant and on the Run: When the CEO Found Out

For the Next Few Days

I had to pretend as if nothing had happened, going about my days catering to Lucas’s every need like usual.

Today was his birthday.

Lucas is picky—a man with a taste for exclusivity. He only eats custom cakes from Crown Heights Bakery, a private, high-end patisserie.

A while back, I wanted to surprise him. So, I enrolled in a private baking class with one of their top pastry chefs, just so I could make him a cake myself.

This morning, I went to the bakery bright and early, determined to make him a cake he’d remember.

But fate had other plans.

As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I ran into her.

Chloe Young. Lucas’s ture love.

I froze, instinctively wanting to avoid her.

But to my surprise, she recognized me immediately.

“Lily, isn’t it?”

There was no point in hiding now. She was a born-and-bred socialite, with access to every whisper and secret in the city. Of course, she’d know who I was.

“I didn’t expect Miss Young to know me,” I replied casually, keeping my tone polite. I grabbed the baking tools and ingredients, pretending to be completely unfazed by her presence.

“Are you making a cake for Lucas?” Her tone was clipped, as though offended by my indifference.

“Hm,” I hummed nonchalantly, keeping my focus on the task at hand.

“Well,” she scoffed, “I’ve already ordered his birthday cake. There’s no need for you to bother. It’ll just go to waste—no one’s going to eat what you make anyway.”

Her words stung, but I wasn’t about to let her see it.

I shot her a sharp glance and replied with a sweet, mocking smile, “Oh, don’t worry. Lucas can have your cake during the day, and mine at night. After all, he spends every night at my place. I’d say our relationship is far more… intimate than yours.”

Her face flushed with anger, her composure slipping. “How vulgar!”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I shrugged, turning back to my work.

Seething, Chloe stormed out of the kitchen, her heels clicking furiously against the tiled floor.

For the past three years, I’ve been the one celebrating Lucas’s birthdays with him. But now that Chloe’s back in the picture, I guess I’m no longer needed.

That’s fine. If he doesn’t want the cake, I’ll eat it myself. I’ve been craving cake anyway.

Making the cake wasn’t easy. My frosting skills were terrible, and it took me over ten tries to get it right.

But I enjoyed the process. The chef was patient, walking me through each mistake until I finally produced something presentable.

By the time I finished and brought the cake home, it was already afternoon.

Exhausted from the morning’s effort—and from my pregnancy—I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

When I woke up, the sky outside was already dark.

A strange sense of loneliness crept over me as I lay there in the empty house. The silence was suffocating, and a wave of sadness washed over me.

Lucas hadn’t come home.

Of course, he hadn’t. Chloe was the one who mattered to him. He was probably with her now, blowing out candles and celebrating his birthday.

I closed my eyes, trying to force myself back to sleep.

But then, the mattress shifted beside me.

The faint scent of cedarwood filled the air, familiar and comforting.

I opened my eyes to find Lucas sitting next to me, his dark eyes warm with amusement. His voice was soft, almost teasing.

“Awake now? Were you not planning to celebrate my birthday with me?”

I stared up at him, my emotions suddenly overwhelming me. Tears welled up as I felt a lump in my throat.

“You’re back so late,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “I left work at four-thirty and came straight home. I’ve been waiting for you—for hours.”

I blinked, confused. “I thought… I thought you wouldn’t come back.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, his tone light. “Didn’t you say you had a surprise for me? Don’t tell me you forgot.”

I quickly wiped my tears and sat up. “Oh! I didn’t forget!”

Hurrying to the kitchen, I retrieved the cake from the fridge and carried it out to him.

“Ta-da!” I said, presenting it with a big grin. “This is your surprise! I made it myself. Is it a good one?”

Lucas smiled, a rare, genuine expression. “You put a lot of effort into this,” he said, his voice soft.

“Of course I did! So… what’s my reward?” I teased, batting my eyelashes.

He chuckled and pulled me close, his voice low and indulgent. “I’ll have my secretary transfer a million dollars to your account—and throw in the deed to this house.”

I froze for a moment, stunned by the unexpected generosity.

My heart raced, but I quickly composed myself, putting on a show of reluctance. “Lucas, I don’t care about money or property.”

He cupped my face gently, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “But I care. I want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

We ate the cake together on the couch, watching a show.

Lucas usually only eats a single slice, but tonight he had several.

I rested my head on his lap, gazing up at his sharp jawline. He wasn’t a good man—not by any stretch.

But God, he was beautiful.

I placed a hand on my stomach, thinking about the baby. If they inherited even half of Lucas’s looks, they’d grow up to be stunning.

Then a thought occurred to me. Lucas had said he came straight home after work. Did that mean he hadn’t celebrated with Chloe?

Was it possible that, deep down, I still meant something to him?

Unable to stop myself, I called his name softly.

He didn’t look away from the screen, but his voice was warm. “Yeah?”

“If I… if I were pregnant, would you want the baby?”

That got his attention. His head snapped down, and his hand instinctively rested on my stomach. His gaze was serious, searching.

“Are you pregnant?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

I hesitated, my heart pounding. “No… I mean, what if I were?”

Lucas thought for a moment, his hand still on my stomach. “I don’t like kids. Never have. But if there was a baby…”

I held my breath, waiting for him to finish.

But before he could, his phone rang.

The ringtone was familiar, and so was the name on the screen. Chloe.

Lucas hesitated, then answered the call.

I couldn’t make out her words, but her voice was soft and sweet. Lucas’s tone, however, remained neutral, and the call ended quickly.

When he hung up, he turned to me. “I have to go back to the estate. Don’t wait up—get some rest.”

I nodded quietly, watching him leave.

The door clicked shut, and the emptiness of the house returned.

I knew where he was going.

Back to Chloe.