The wedding binder sat open on the coffee table, untouched for days. Pages of carefully chosen floral arrangements, venue options, and dress designs blurred together, mocking her. Two months had passed since her birthday. Two long, lonely months. Not once had Chase acknowledged it. No belated wishes, no thoughtful surprises to make up for it—nothing. The man who once made her feel like the center of his world had suddenly forgotten she existed.

She had tried to be understanding. Tried to believe it was just work. Ben had mentioned the Blackwood Group landing a massive deal, which had supposedly kept Chase buried in long hours and endless meetings. But work had never stopped him before. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for her. Now? Now she lived in their penthouse alone.

The silence was deafening. She couldn't even catch traces of his aftershave in the air anymore. The faint scent of cedarwood and spice that used to linger in their sheets had been replaced by the lonely sweetness of her strawberry shampoo. She sat on the edge of their bed, fingers gripping her phone, staring at the only message he had sent that morning.

Chase: You're going to look beautiful in anything you choose.

Emilia exhaled sharply, pressing her lips together. A text. That was all she got. No offer to go with her. No excitement. Just a bland reassurance as if he were talking about what brand of coffee she should buy. With a huff, she grabbed her keys and coat. If he wasn't going to be here, then fine. She had things to do. Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she exited the penthouse, her mind a storm of frustration and aching disappointment.

The cold air bit at her skin as she stepped out of her car, staring up at the gleaming glass building of Nexus Care Hospital—one of the most prestigious medical centers in the city. Funded entirely by the Blackwood family. Emilia had been here countless times before. For charity galas, meetings, and to check on patients she had grown fond of during her residency. But today, her steps felt heavier.

She needed a distraction. Anything to pull her away from the gaping hole Chase had left in her life. Walking through the pristine hallways, she nodded at passing nurses and doctors, her mind still spinning. Maybe she had been too patient. Maybe she had let this go on for too long.

Maybe Chase had already made his choice—she just wasn't the one he had chosen.

Emilia had tried to ignore the whispers. The lingering stares. The way people hesitated before speaking to her, as if they knew something she didn't. But the tabloids had made it impossible to pretend.

Blackwood Heir and First Love Reunited?

Spotted: Chase Blackwood and Hallie Rogers – Just Friends or Something More? Late-Night Visits, Private Dinners – Is the Wedding Off?

Picture after picture flooded the internet. Chase and Hallie at restaurants. Chase opening the car door for her. Chase standing just a little too close to her outside a hotel.

Emilia had forced herself not to care. But then Roxanne had called.

"Em," Roxanne's voice was cautious, like she was handling fragile glass. "Are you okay?"

Emilia had gripped the phone tightly, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

A pause.

"Em..."

"I said I'm fine, Roxy." Her voice was steady. Too steady. "I'll call you later." She hung up before her best friend could press further.

But she wasn't fine. Not even close.

Emilia stepped into Nexus Care, the air thick with antiseptic and the hum of murmured conversations. She clocked in, the motion automatic, her mind drifting as she smoothed out her scrubs. Today felt off. An invisible weight settled over her chest, pressing down with each breath. But she pushed forward, because that was the job. Keep moving. Keep healing. Keep going.

As she made her way toward her first patient, a nurse intercepted her with a hesitant expression.

"Emilia," she started, voice soft with the kind of pity that sent alarm bells blaring in Emilia's mind. "It's Hallie Rogers."

The floor beneath her seemed to vanish. Her stomach twisted, her pulse a wild drum against her ribs.

No. No, not Hallie.

Emilia barely nodded, forcing her feet forward, even as her hands shook. She had spent years perfecting the art of emotional detachment, of keeping personal and professional separate. But this? This was a cruel test of her limits.

She paused outside the door, inhaling sharply before stepping inside. The sight stole the air from her lungs.

Hallie sat upright in the hospital bed, her posture poised, her expression calm—confident. She didn't look weak. She didn't look frail. If anything, she looked in control, like she belonged there, like this moment had always been meant for her. And sitting beside her, fingers curled gently around hers, was Chase.

He looked up at Emilia, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Guilt? Regret? Or worse—nothing at all?

"You came," Hallie murmured, her voice smooth, her lips tilting into something that wasn't quite a smirk—but close enough.

Emilia swallowed down the burn of tears. "Of course," she said, steady, even as her world tilted dangerously close to collapse.

Hallie glanced at Chase before turning back to Emilia. "I'm glad. I didn't want you to hear about everything secondhand. I wanted you to see it for yourself."

See what? That she had taken everything from her? That she had won?

Chase's grip on Hallie's hand tightened, his thumb brushing against her skin in a gesture so intimate it sent a fresh stab of agony through Emilia's chest. He hadn't touched her like that in months.

"I hope," Hallie said smoothly, "we can all move forward from this."

Emilia stared at her, then at Chase, searching for something—anything—to hold onto. But there was nothing. Just the unbearable weight of loss.

With a deep breath, she nodded. "Take care, Hallie."

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving behind the last remnants of a future that was never truly hers to begin with.

______________________________________________

The fifth-month pregnancy check-up was scheduled for the afternoon, and Emilia had no choice but to push through the morning in a haze. When she finally entered the exam room, she felt the weight of every breath pressing into her ribs.

Hallie was already lying on the exam table, her hospital gown draped over her growing belly. Chase sat beside her, his expression unreadable. The ultrasound technician prepped the machine, the cool gel applied to Hallie's stomach making her shiver slightly.

Emilia swallowed hard, keeping her voice steady. "Are you ready?"

Hallie nodded, her fingers linking with Chase's. The sight nearly knocked the air from Emilia's lungs, but she kept moving, kept doing her job.

The room fell silent as the screen flickered to life, revealing the small, fluttering heartbeat of the baby. Hallie let out a soft, emotional laugh, and Chase exhaled deeply, something close to relief washing over his face.

"There's your baby," Emilia said, her voice barely above a whisper. She pointed to the tiny form on the screen, her own chest tightening with emotions she refused to name.

"She's beautiful," Hallie murmured, eyes shining.

Emilia's hands trembled slightly as she took measurements, her pulse hammering. She should have been the one lying on that table. She should have been the one feeling Chase squeeze her hand, whispering to her about their future.

But it wasn't her. It never would be.

She forced a tight-lipped smile. "Everything looks great," she said. "Strong heartbeat. Growing right on track."

Hallie turned to Chase, squeezing his hand. "We're really doing this," she whispered.

And in that moment, Emilia knew—she had to let go. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how deep the wound, Chase had already chosen his path. And she wasn't on it.

_________

Author's Note: This chapter has officially been rewritten to incorporate some of the questions many of readers had :) More edited and expanded chapters coming soon. Thank you to all of you for being so patient and kind with this, I know normally novels don't happen like this, with edits before chapters and etc but this is my first novel and I'm trying to make it great :)