Chapter 1 The Beginning Of The End

• OLIVIA’S POV
• I smooth down my simple cream dress, bought with my intern pay, and try to calm my nerves. Tonight was supposed to be special. I barely recognize the hopeful woman on the shiny walls of Kingston Tower's executive floor. My journey from intern to falling in love with Alexander Kingston has felt like a dream.
• Amanda interrupts. “Miss Chen, Mr. Kingston wants to see you now.”
• “Is everything okay?” I ask, noticing her tension.
• She averts her eyes. “Mr. Kingston will explain.”
• I took a breath, lifted my chin, and stepped into Lex's office. He stands by the window, his back to me.
• “Lex?” I whisper. “Is everything okay? The guests are arriving for the engagement party…”
• He turns, his gray eyes cold. I flinch. “Tell me, Olivia,” he says sharply. “How long did you think you could fool me?”
• “What?” I gasp, clutching my purse. “Lex, I don’t understand—”
• “Don’t.” He steps closer, anger simmering. “I have proof.”
• He presses a button, and a screen lights up. Blurry security footage shows someone resembling me in a garage, handing papers to James Morton, CEO of our biggest rival. The timestamp? Last Tuesday.
• “That’s not possible!” I stammer. “Lex, that’s not me! I was with Victoria that night, working on the spring collection. Ask her!”
• “The timestamp says otherwise. You’re sharing Kingston’s secrets,” he says coldly. “I trusted you, Olivia. This is how you repay me?”
• Tears sting my eyes, but I hold them back. “Please, Lex, believe me. I’d never betray you!”
• “Love?” He laughs harshly. “You’re just after my money. The innocent fashion intern act was clever. I’ll give you that.”
• The door opens, and the scent of Chanel No. 5 fills the room. I turn to see Isabelle Kingston, Lex’s half-sister, smirking in a sleek red dress.
• “Oh dear, is this a bad time?” She purrs.
• Lex gestures to her. “Perfect timing. Help me escort Miss Chen out. Our guests will be intrigued to hear how the future Mrs. Kingston turned out to be a corporate spy.”
• As security appears, I find my voice. “Lex, please. This isn’t right. If you ever truly loved me—”
• “That’s enough.” His eyes are ice. “Take her away. And Olivia?” He gives me one last, cold look. “If you come near me or my company again, you’ll regret it.”
• As I’m led out, my world collapses. Isabelle’s smug smile is the last thing I see before the doors close, and Lex turns his back on me.
• I stumble through the door of my apartment and slam it shut. Emily, my best friend, rushes over.
• “Olivia, are you okay? What happened?”
• I shake my head, struggling for words. “He believes her, Emily. He thinks I’m a gold-digger—a corporate spy.”
• Emily’s eyes widen. “That’s insane! What about the engagement party? It was supposed to be a celebration!”
• I let out a bitter laugh. “It was a setup. Isabelle must have planned it, and Lex believed every word.”
• Emily’s face hardens. “We need to clear your name, Olivia. We can’t let Isabelle get away with this.”
• “It’s too late,” I whisper. “Lex has made up his mind. I don’t think he’ll ever trust me again.”
• Tears spill over, and Emily pulls me into a hug. I let them fall, grieving the life I thought I had.
• The next morning, my phone buzzes with notifications. Headlines flash across my screen:
• My heart sinks. Emily grabs my phone. “Don’t read that,” she warns. “It’s just lies and speculation.”
• Emily sighs, taking the phone. “Olivia, stop. We need to clear your name, not feed into this gossip.”
• Days turn to weeks. I’m completely cut off from Lex. Calls go to voicemail; emails bounce back. Even my attempts to contact his friends are met with silence.
• One morning, I woke up feeling off. As I swung my legs over the bed, a wave of nausea hit me. I stumbled to the bathroom, barely reaching the toilet before vomiting. Emily rushed in from the couch.
• "Olivia, are you okay?"
• I nodded, still queasy. "Just stress, I think."
• But the nausea persisted. By the third morning, it clicked—I might be pregnant.
• "What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered, panic rising.
• Emily took a breath, softening. "We'll figure it out, Olivia. But first, let’s take care of you."
• The next day, I decided to take a pregnancy test. At the pharmacy, I felt my heart race.
• "Where are the...uh, pregnancy tests?" I asked the pharmacist.
• "Aisle three," he said, grinning knowingly.
• Outside, Emily raised an eyebrow. "Got it?"
• I nodded, shoving it into my bag. "Let's go before I die of embarrassment."
• Emily grinned. "Dramatic much?"
• Back at my apartment, we stood in the bathroom, the test kit between us like a ticking bomb.
• "How long does it take?" I whispered.
• "Three minutes," Emily replied, setting the timer. She reached for my hand. "No matter what it says, we’ll get through this."
• I nodded, heart pounding. Three minutes felt like hours. Finally, the timer beeped.
• "It's time."
• Emily squeezed my hand. "Let's do this."
• I flipped the test over. PREGNANT.
• "Olivia, what is it?" Emily asked, eyes wide.
• I turned, holding the test. "I'm... pregnant."
• I shook my head, feeling tears well up. "This can't be happening. I'm not ready."
• The reality hit hard. I was pregnant with Lex's child—the man who’d humiliated me. I pulled away, stumbling back to the bathroom and locking the door. I sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face.
• Why had I fallen for Lex, only for him to destroy me?
• As the tears subsided, a realization dawned. I had a choice. I could let this pregnancy break me, or I could use it to rebuild.
• I stood, looking down at the test stick. I was going to be a mom. A spark of determination flickered.
• "Emily?" I called, my voice shaky.
• The door opened. "Hey, are you okay?"
• I nodded, smiling weakly. "I think it’s time we told Lex about the baby."
• "What are you doing, Olivia?" Emily asked, worried. "You don’t have to see him. You’re better off without him."
• I took a breath, steeling myself. "I need closure. I need to know I did everything I could to salvage this."
• Emily sighed. "Fine, but I’m coming with you."
• Together, we went to Lex’s penthouse. I knew this could be my last chance to see Lex, and I was determined to make it count.
• On getting there, the security guard recognized me. "Olivia, here to see Mr. Kingston?"
• I nodded. "Yes, I am." He nodded back.
• "Thank you," I said, walking toward the penthouse. Emily shot me a reassuring look as I opened the door.
• Inside, silence filled the space. But from the bedroom, I heard noises—moans.
• "Do you hear that?" Emily whispered.
• I nodded, a chill running down my spine. "What is it?"
• We crept closer, the sounds getting louder. My heart raced. I pushed open the bedroom door, and there they were.