Pregnant with my sisters husband

The rain came down hard against the sleek glass windows of the Hartman family estate, the steady patter filling the silence of the room. Lily stood near the grand fireplace, her back stiff, eyes trained on the flames that danced and flickered, casting long shadows across the high ceilings and marble floors. The fire was too warm for her, too suffocating, but it was nothing compared to the tension rolling off her mother as she paced behind her.

"I just don't understand why you can't let things be," her mother, Evelyn Hartman, snapped, her heels clicking with each angry step. "Your sister's life is already complicated enough without you dragging this out."

Lily didn't flinch, though she wanted to. The weight of her mother's words pressed against her spine, heavy and unrelenting. She could feel Evelyn's eyes burning into the back of her head, sharp and accusing. It was always this way-Alana was the star, and Lily the inconvenient afterthought.

"I'm not dragging anything out," Lily replied evenly, keeping her voice calm. "It's a business deal. Nothing more."

Evelyn's scoff was loud enough to echo in the vast room. "You think I'm a fool? You think your sister won't see right through this? She knows how you've always felt about Adam."

The mention of his name caused a tight knot to form in Lily's chest, one she fought hard to swallow down. Adam Westbrook-tall, dark, and far too handsome for his own good-wasn't just a business partner now. He was her sister's husband. The man who had been off-limits the moment Alana had set her sights on him, even though Lily had met him first.

"Whatever happened between Adam and me was a long time ago," Lily said, her tone clipped. "We're both professionals. I'm not going to jeopardize this deal over some... ancient history."

Her mother stopped pacing, her voice lowering as she spoke. "This isn't just about a deal, Lily. This is about your sister's marriage. Her life. If you make things complicated for her, if you let those old feelings show, it will destroy everything."

Lily finally turned to face her mother, her eyes hard. "What about my life, Mom? Does that matter at all?"

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing in a way that made Lily feel small. "You know better than to ask that. This family-your sister-needs stability right now. Adam is everything to Alana, even if they're going through a rough patch. You need to stay away from him. Focus on the work."

Lily's heart twisted painfully in her chest. Alana's perfect life, her perfect marriage, was always the priority. Even if it was all a facade. She had watched them from the sidelines for years, watched the cracks in their relationship deepen, but no one ever spoke of it. To everyone else, Adam and Alana were the golden couple. To Lily, they were a constant reminder of everything she could never have.

"I'm only focusing on the work," Lily said softly, though the lie tasted bitter on her tongue.

Evelyn didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push further. She simply turned and walked toward the door, her back straight, her presence commanding as ever. "Good. Keep it that way. And remember, this is about the family's future. Don't make a mistake you'll regret."

As the door closed behind her mother, Lily exhaled slowly, her hand gripping the mantel for support. The heat from the fire was unbearable now, but she couldn't seem to move away. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, louder with each passing second. Don't make a mistake you'll regret.

But the truth was, Lily was already living with the regret. She had been living with it for years.

Adam Westbrook had once been hers-if only for a fleeting moment. It had been years ago, back when they had first met, long before Alana had swooped in and claimed him for herself. Lily had fallen hard and fast, unable to resist the pull of his charm, his confidence, the way his dark eyes had seemed to see straight through her. For one glorious summer, they had been close-too close. And then, in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.

Adam had chosen Alana.

Lily could still remember the look in his eyes the day he had told her. The regret, the hesitation, the unspoken apology. But he had made his choice, and Lily had been forced to step aside, forced to watch from the sidelines as her sister married the man she loved.

Now, years later, she was being pulled back into his orbit, whether she wanted it or not. The business deal between Adam's real estate empire and the Hartman family's holdings was too important to ignore. And as much as she wanted to keep things professional, she knew it was only a matter of time before old feelings resurfaced.

The sound of her phone vibrating on the coffee table pulled her out of her thoughts. She reached for it, glancing at the screen. Adam's name flashed across it, and her heart skipped a beat.

Taking a steadying breath, she swiped the screen and brought the phone to her ear. "Adam."

"Lily," his voice was deep, smooth, and it sent a shiver down her spine. "I was hoping we could talk about the terms before the meeting tomorrow. There are a few details I'd like to go over."

Lily's pulse quickened, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Of course. We can meet in my office tomorrow morning."

There was a pause on the other end, the kind that made her stomach tighten. "Actually, I was thinking we could meet tonight. Somewhere private. There's too much at stake to leave this to the last minute."

She hesitated, her mind racing. Meeting him tonight? Alone? The last time they had been alone together...