His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 26

Donovan glanced in the direction Conrad had left, then grabbed Hank. “What’s Mr. Beryl’s relationship to her? A mistress? A kept woman? ”

Hank shot him a disdainful look and spat out a single word with a smirk. “Wife.”

The word hung in the air, and for a long moment, Donovan couldn’t process it.

Annika was Conrad’s wife? But hadn’t the rumors said Conrad’s old flame was back, and he was divorcing his wife?

He recalled the stern, protective look on Conrad’s face just moments ago. That didn’t seem like a man who didn’t love his wife. A cold dread washed over Donovan.

Annika was hunched over the sink, retching violently, when a reflection in the mirror caught her eye. It was a man in a tailored suit.

She froze. Almost as a reflex, she spun around to face Conrad’s cool expression. For a split second, she thought she saw a flicker of panic in his deep-set eyes, but it vanished as quickly as a shooting star, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined it.

Annika wanted nothing more than to be away from this man, to not share the same room with him. Acting on instinct, she turned to walk out, but a wave of dizziness washed over her as she took the first step. Her body swayed twice, and then she was falling.

“Annika!”

She heard Conrad’s desperate shout just before her world went black, her limp body collapsing into his strong arms.

...

When Annika woke up, the sharp scent of antiseptic hit her, and everything around her was white.

Seeing her bite her lip in silence, Conrad couldn’t hold back any longer. “Is it mine?”

The question felt like a shower of icy needles piercing Annika’s soul, leaving her to bleed internally. As a dull ache throbbed in her chest, her body trembled. Whose else could it be? He was the only man she had ever been with, before or after their marriage. Conrad was the only one she would ever willingly give herself to, body and soul.

Her silence was all the confirmation he needed, and the knot of tension in his chest loosened. A smile touched his eyes, and his voice softened. “Leave the Sargent Group’s troubles to me. You just focus on getting well. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll have Hank go buy it.”

“Are you pitying me?” Annika cut him off.

They had already signed the divorce papers; all that was left was to file them at city hall. She couldn’t bear this sudden gentleness from him. To her, it was all because of the baby, nothing more.

Sensing she’d been misunderstood, Conrad placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her intently, speaking each word with deliberate care. “Annika, you’re carrying my child. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”