A Night Stand With The CEO

05

Serena's POV

The first thing I felt was the pounding ache in my head. My eyes cracked open to sunlight pouring through the window, each ray stabbing straight into my skull.

My whole body felt sore, like I’d been put through a wringer. Last night was a blur, and I couldn’t piece together much beyond arriving at Julian’s mansion.

Sighing, I pushed myself out of bed, rubbing at my temples. I needed coffee, aspirin, and maybe some answers about what on earth had happened last night.

As I made my way to the dining room, I found Julian already there, sitting at the table, eyes downcast as he skimmed a book and sipped coffee.

“Good morning,” I muttered, half expecting him to ignore me. To my surprise, he looked up, his gaze impassive.

“Morning,” he replied, eyeing me briefly before his attention drifted back to his book.

“What happened last night?” I asked, trying to sound casual despite the anxious flutter in my stomach.

He didn’t look up from his book. “You had a little too much to drink, that’s all.”

I froze, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. Great. I could only imagine what kind of embarrassing nonsense had come spilling out of my mouth; alcohol always loosened my tongue in the worst ways.

My stomach clenched, but I took a seat across from him and started picking at the breakfast laid out on the table. He was reading something, ignoring me in that infuriatingly calm way of his.

I tried not to fidget as I grabbed a pancake, feeling the silence stretch between us. I wasn’t about to probe further, so I kept my eyes on my plate, hoping my embarrassment would fade.

A few moments later, Julian finally broke the silence. “Your mother called last night,” he said, his tone unreadable.

I froze mid-bite, then forced myself to swallow. “Did she?” I asked stiffly, trying to mask the resentment that bubbled up. My mother was the last person I wanted to think about right now, especially after everything she’d done.

Julian raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking over me briefly before he returned to his book. My chest tightened with irritation as I put down my fork, finally muttering, “What does she want? After selling me off and ruining everything…”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I realized how harsh they sounded. Julian’s face was unreadable, but he slowly put down his book, his jaw tight.

“Well, I’m sorry for dragging you into my shame as a cripple,” he said coldly, each word heavy with sarcasm.

My heart sank as I realised how my words must have sounded. “Julian, I didn’t mean…” I began, but he was already moving back from the table, his wheelchair wheels rolling as he headed toward the door.

The maid moved to help him, but he brushed her aside. “I can manage,” he said curtly, and she stepped back, glancing at me with an awkward, sympathetic look before she disappeared down the hall. I opened my mouth to apologize again, but Julian didn’t look back.

I sat there, feeling the weight of my own words settle heavily on my shoulders. I hadn’t meant to hurt him, but the damage was done. I sighed, looking down at the plate in front of me, suddenly losing my appetite.

My gaze drifted to the book he’d been reading. How Not to Care About Life. I frowned at the title, wondering what kind of person even thought about reading something like that. Julian was a mystery I hadn’t bothered to understand, but a part of me felt guilty for not trying.

With a frustrated sigh, I took another bite of my breakfast, trying to ignore the churning in my stomach, but it only made things worse.

Without warning, I felt a wave of nausea rise up, and I bolted from the table, barely making it to the bathroom before everything I’d eaten came right back up.

When I finally managed to pull myself together, Julian was there, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes as he asked, “Are you okay?”

I wiped my mouth, feeling mortified. “I don’t know… I haven’t been feeling well.”

Julian’s concern deepened, and without missing a beat, he said, “We should go to the hospital.”

I wanted to protest, to tell him I’d be fine, but my head was still swimming, and my legs felt like jelly. Nodding, I followed him to the car, letting him take charge for once.

The ride was silent, his gaze never meeting mine, but there was an odd tension in the air, like he was holding back something.

At the hospital, we were ushered through a whirlwind of tests. I sat there, clutching the armrests of my chair as the doctor came back with a clipboard in hand. He looked at me, his face carefully neutral as he delivered the news.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You’re pregnant.”

The words barely registered, and I sat there in stunned silence, my mind racing. Pregnant. I couldn’t believe it, this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. A child was the last thing I’d planned for, especially in a marriage like this.

I risked a glance at Julian. I half-expected anger, disappointment… but instead, there was something else in his eyes. Relief. Maybe even a glimmer of happiness.

In the car ride home, he finally broke the silence. “I want you to keep the baby,” he said, his voice firm, as if he’d made the decision for both of us.

My pulse quickened, but I forced myself to look straight ahead. “Julian, I don't think I want to keep it. ” I said softly, but even as I spoke, the weight of my words sank in. Did I even know what I wanted?

He was quiet for a moment, then continued, “You can’t ignore this, Serena. But no one else has to know. For now, it can just be between us.”

I turned to him, brow furrowing. “Why should we hide it from everyone?” I asked, irritation bubbling up in my tone. “What game do you think you’re playing, Julian?”

He met my gaze with a calm, unreadable expression, but he didn’t answer right away. His silence only made me more frustrated, but I sensed something deeper at play, something he wasn’t willing to share just yet.

“Please, Serena,” he finally said, his voice softer, almost vulnerable. “Just…trust me on this.”

His words hung in the air, and I swallowed, unsure of how to respond. The weight of the situation settled on me, the uncertainty gnawing at my insides. .

But for now, all I could do was nod, hoping that somewhere in this mess, I’d find a way to understand the man I’d married, and the life that was now growing inside me.