---- Chapter 6 She came home with a raging fever. She collapsed into bed, her body shaking with chills, her mind drifting in and out of consciousness. Darius stumbled in late that night, drunk and reeking of another woman's perfume. He found her unconscious and, in a moment of panicked sobriety, rushed her to the hospital When she woke up, the first thing she saw was a nurse checking her IV drip. "You're awake," the nurse said with a kind smile. "Mr. Madden has been sitting by your side all night. He just stepped out. Should | call him for you?" Joana shook her head, a weak, silent gesture. The nurse nodded and left the room. The private suite was quiet, but Joana could hear Darius's voice in the hallway. It was a voice she had never heard from him before-light, joyful, and completely carefree. It was the voice of a man unburdened by guilt or worry. His footsteps faded down the hall. He was leaving. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, Joana pulled the IV from her arm and slipped out of bed. Her legs were ---- shaky, but she forced them to move, following the direction of his voice. She reached the end of the corridor and froze. There, outside the obstetrics department, was Darius. He was gently supporting Kaylee Owens by the arm, a radiant smile on his face. Kaylee was also beaming, her hand resting protectively on her slightly rounded stomach. Kaylee saw her first. Her smile faltered for a second, then returned, wider and more triumphant than before. "Joana! What a coincidence to see you here." Darius whipped his head around. The color drained from his face. He instantly dropped Kaylee's arm, taking a step away from her as if she were on fire. "Joana," he stammered, rushing to her side. "It's not what it looks like. | just ran into Kaylee. She's pregnant, and she felt dizzy, so | was just helping her." Joana's gaze drifted from his panicked face to Kaylee's belly. The sight was a physical blow, knocking the air from her lungs. "When did you get pregnant?" Joana asked, her voice dangerously quiet. "Who's the father?" Kaylee laughed, a tinkling, malicious sound. "About a month ago," she said, stroking her stomach. "My boyfriend is so good to me. He bought me a villa, gave me a blank check, and he's even planning to buy a private island for me. He says he'll ---- build a castle there for our baby." Every word was a confirmation of a new, deeper betrayal. Joana stared at her, a strange, broken smile forming on her lips. "That's wonderful," Joana said, her voice hollow. "You should invite me to dinner sometime. I'd love to meet the father." Darius's face went rigid. "She doesn't have time," he snapped, grabbing Joana's arm and pulling her into a protective embrace. He glared at Kaylee. "She's just a brand ambassador. Don't pay any attention to her." Kaylee's face paled. Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking at Darius with a wounded expression. "I overstepped." She turned and hurried away, wiping her eyes. Darius watched her go, a flicker of concern in his eyes, before his attention snapped back to Joana. He guided her back to her room, his touch gentle, his words soothing. After getting a prescription, they went home. Darius was distracted and restless. He shut himself in his study, claiming he had work to do. The moment Joana entered their bedroom, her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. It was Kaylee. The message contained a photo of a sonogram report. It was followed by a flood of texts. ---- "The baby is Darius's." "He told me he was tired of you. He says you're as exciting as a quarterly business report, while I'm his greatest adventure." "He says I'm exciting. He can't get enough of me." "He's with me almost every night." Joana took a deep breath, forcing down the wave of bile that rose in her throat. Just then, Darius came into the room, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She quickly turned off her phone screen. "What are you looking at?" he asked, his voice soft in her ear. He peered over her shoulder, but all he saw was a blank screen.