Chapter 2 - THE ROOM HE NEVER ENTERED
Adrian returned to the mansion shortly after six.
The house was unusually quiet.
No music drifted from the kitchen.
No dinner waited beneath silver covers.
No familiar footsteps approached when he opened the front door.
He found Elena in the east wing.
She was kneeling beside an open suitcase, folding tiny pink clothes.
Adrian stopped in the doorway.
The room had once been a guest bedroom.
Now its walls were painted pale yellow.
A wooden crib stood beside the window.
A rocking chair sat beneath a framed watercolor of three rabbits.
And on a soft blanket in the center of the room lay a baby girl.
She had dark curls.
Round cheeks.
And enormous brown eyes.
Adrian stared.
The baby looked directly at him.
Then smiled.
Something inside his chest broke.
“Elena.”
She looked up.
Her expression changed immediately.
“You shouldn't be here.”
Adrian barely heard her.
He stepped toward the blanket.
The baby kicked her feet.
He stopped.
“Is that...?”
Elena rose.
“Yes.”
His throat tightened.
“Sofia?”
She nodded.
Adrian stared at his daughter.
Seven months old.
Seven months of birthdays measured in weeks.
Seven months of first smiles.
Seven months of sleepless nights.
And he had missed every second.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Elena's expression hardened.
“I did.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“I told you.”
Adrian shook his head.
“No.”
She laughed.
It was a terrible sound.
Not amused.
Not happy.
Just exhausted.
“Of course you don't remember.”
“Elena—”
“Eight months ago, I came to your office.”
Adrian frowned.
“I don't—”
“You were meeting Bianca.”
He went still.
“I told your receptionist it was important. She called upstairs.”
Elena's eyes filled.
“You sent a message saying you were busy.”
Adrian swallowed.
“I didn't know—”
“I waited three hours.”
He couldn't speak.
“Then I went home.”
She looked toward the crib.
“And I realized I couldn't keep waiting for you to notice that your wife existed.”
Adrian stared at her.
“You should have told me again.”
Elena's expression changed.
For a moment, he thought she might slap him.
Instead, she whispered, “I did.”
She walked to a drawer and removed a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
An ultrasound.
On the back, in Elena's handwriting, were four words.
We're having a baby.
Adrian stared.
“I put it on your desk,” she said.
His stomach dropped.
He remembered a white envelope.
He remembered Bianca telling him it contained an invitation to a charity luncheon.
He remembered handing it to his assistant without opening it.
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Elena...”
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
He looked at her.
She stood beside the crib.
Her face was pale.
Her hands trembled.
“You wanted a divorce because Bianca made you feel needed.”
Her voice broke.
“I needed you too.”
Adrian couldn't breathe.
Elena continued.
“I needed you when I was sick every morning. I needed you when the doctor told me I might lose the baby. I needed you when I went into labor early.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“And I needed you when our daughter was born.”
Adrian stared.
“But you weren't there.”
She picked up Sofia.
May you like
The baby rested her head against Elena's shoulder.
“You were never there.”
