Chapter 20: My Root 1
"There’s an emergency," Mara shrieked, her face ashen. But before Maria could react, she quickly added, "But don’t worry, everything is fine. Did you need something?"
She forced her voice to stay calm, unwilling to add her problems to Maria’s already heavy burden. Besides, maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was all in her head. Ethan loves me. He still looks at me the way he did the first time we met. Doesn’t he?
But the nagging voice in her mind refused to be silenced.
Maria studied Mara carefully, her sad eyes filled with hesitation. Maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t ruining a perfect home. Maybe things between Mara and Ethan weren’t as picture-perfect as she had thought. The guilt she had been carrying felt a little lighter.
"I wanted to tell you something, but I guess..." Maria trailed off.
Mara straightened her posture, forcing a smile, refusing to let doubt consume her. "Tell me, Maria. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Ethan will be back soon."
She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—Maria or herself.
"It’s nothing serious," Maria said quickly, forcing a smile. "I thought we could do something together, but on second thought, you need rest. I’ll just go clear my head."
Mara studied her, sensing something was off, but she was too drained to press further.
Maria hesitated for a moment. Maybe she didn’t need to tell Mara about the pregnancy. And since Ethan hadn’t mentioned it either, that only meant one thing—he was keeping more secrets.
Her thoughts flickered to the kiss she had shared with Ethan. Maybe she should find him. Talk to him. Figure out where they stood before things spiraled further out of control.