Chapter 53: Is Zara pregnant?
Riya felt the ground shift beneath her, anxiety seeping into her chest like poison. The thought of Zara carrying Nathaniel’s child was unbearable. If it were true, there’d be no turning back, no space for her in Nathaniel’s life.
The fantasy she had clung to, the hope that someday she could be his woman, would shatter completely.
’No,’ she thought bitterly. ’This can’t be happening. She can’t be pregnant with his child.’
Just then, Zara emerged from the bathroom, pale and visibly shaken. Her hand hovered near her stomach, and her steps were slightly unsteady.
Helga rushed to her side, concern written across her face. "Young Madam, are you alright? What happened all of a sudden?"
Zara opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, Riya’s voice rang out. "Really, Zara... why the sudden puking? Are you pregnant or something?"
Zara froze. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, her eyes gave her away, wide with hesitation. She opened her mouth but didn’t answer right away, struggling to control the nausea still bubbling up.
Then she regained her composure. "No. I’m not," she snapped. "It’s just a stomach bug."
She tried to sound firm, confident, but the color in her face and the tremble in her voice betrayed her. Her flustered expression, the way she avoided eye contact—it all raised more questions.
Riya studied her like a hawk, her suspicion sharpening. ’She is lying. I can feel it. Why would she be so rattled unless she is hiding something?’
If Zara was pregnant, why didn’t she look happy? Why was she acting like it was something to be ashamed of? The doubts in Riya deepened.