1. The Slap Heard Across the City

Faye's heels echoed on the marble floor of the rooftop club, each step a reminder that she didn't belong in this world. Not in this city of glass towers and flashing lights, not among the wealth and power that flowed through the veins of those inside the exclusive Skyline Lounge. She was an outsider, barely scraping by, but tonight, she was determined to face them all.

The air was thick with music and chatter, but she could feel the stares cutting through it all. The women in designer dresses and the men in custom suits had always found her an oddity—a girl who used to work for one of the city's top CEOs, a girl who looked far too much like the king's late fiancée.

King Alaric was a titan in the business world, a ruthless, icy billionaire who controlled half the city. And just like in the rumors, he had never truly moved on from his past love. Faye had always been a reminder of what he lost.

She could still feel his eyes on her, as though he was dissecting every part of her being, searching for something familiar, something that wasn't her.

Lady Meline, one of the city's elite, slinked toward her with a smile that dripped venom. She had been waiting for her moment, waiting to tear Faye down in front of everyone. "You think wearing a pretty dress and putting on airs will make you one of us?" she sneered, her manicured fingers reaching for the brooch Faye had borrowed for the evening. "You're just a cheap imitation."

The moment the brooch was ripped from her gown, something in Faye snapped.

For years, she had put up with their whispers, their scorn. She had allowed herself to be humiliated because she thought she didn't belong in their world. But no more.

Without thinking, Faye slapped Meline across the face, the sharp sound cutting through the music and halting all conversation. The room went silent. Every gaze turned toward them.

Meline staggered back, her hand flying to her cheek in shock. "You—how dare you—"

"I'm done letting people like you push me around," Faye said, her voice steady even as her heart raced. She had spent years living in the shadows, but tonight, she was stepping into the light.

As if on cue, Alaric appeared from the upper balcony, his cold, commanding presence dominating the space. The crowd parted for him like the sea, and within seconds, he was standing in front of her, his gray eyes locked on hers.

"Is this how you plan to make an impression?" Alaric asked, his tone flat but dangerous. His expression, though unreadable, gave Faye a chill down her spine.

"This is how I plan to stand up for myself," Faye responded, tilting her chin upward, refusing to be intimidated.

Alaric's lips curled into something resembling a smirk. "You've changed." The words were soft, but the way he said them felt like both a challenge and an observation.

Before Faye could answer, his hand reached out, picking up the fallen brooch from the ground. He handed it back to her, the brief touch of his fingers sending an electric jolt through her. "We'll talk about this later."

He turned his back on her and addressed the crowd with a wave. "The night is over. Get out."

The silence that followed was shattered as people started filing out, muttering among themselves, their eyes darting between Faye and Alaric.

As the last of them left, Faye turned to face the man who had haunted her dreams for so long, the man who had once been kind to her, but had since become an enigma. "What do you want from me, Alaric?" she asked, tired of the games.

He stared at her, and for a moment, something passed between them—a shared understanding, maybe even regret. But then his eyes hardened once again. "What are you hiding from me, Faye?"

Faye's heart clenched. Did he know? Could he possibly know what she had been hiding for months? She forced her hands to stay still, resisting the urge to place them over her stomach. It was too soon to show, too soon for anyone to know.

But his gaze lingered on her, piercing, as though he could see right through her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied, her voice steady even as panic rose in her chest. She had kept her secret for this long. She wouldn't let him ruin everything.

Alaric stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only she could hear. "You can't keep running, Faye. Not from me."

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. He was right. She couldn't keep running. Not now that everything had changed.

Because she was pregnant with his children.