He Called the Waitress His Wife at the Gala

CHAPTER 2 - THE WOMAN IN RED

The blonde woman did not move.

Neither did Hugh.

For one long second, all three of them stood reflected in the marble floor like strangers in a painting no one wanted.

Then the woman in red turned to Lucia.

"I'm not sleeping with your husband," she said, her voice tight with anger. "I am his attorney."

Lucia blinked. Attorney.

Hugh dragged a hand over his face. "Nina, not here."

"Especially here," Nina snapped. "Because apparently your wife works in this hotel and is pregnant, and you never thought to mention either fact."

Lucia's fingers tightened around the cart handle. Her baby gave a small kick, as if sensing her distress. She breathed through it and kept her chin up.

"You should go," she said.

Nina looked at her for a long moment. The fury in her face shifted into something closer to pity. "I think you deserve to know he wasn't divorcing you."

Hugh's head jerked up. "Nina."

But it was too late.

Lucia felt the floor tilt beneath her. "What?"

Nina's voice softened. "He hired me to find you."

Lucia stared at Hugh. Months of grief, rage, and humiliation collided so hard she could barely stand. "Find me? I was in our apartment for three weeks after you vanished."

"I know." His voice cracked. "When I came back, you were gone."

She laughed once, a broken little sound. "Came back from where?"

He looked over his shoulder, as if the empty hallway itself might be listening.

Before he could answer, the elevator doors opened at the far end. A silver-haired man stepped out, saw Hugh, and froze.

"Hugh," he said sharply. Then his eyes moved to Lucia's belly. "Dear God."

Lucia had never seen him before.

But Hugh went white.

The man spoke again, quieter this time. "She doesn't know about your father, does she?"

"I think you deserve to know he wasn't divorcing you."

Lucia forgot the room service cart, forgot the music, forgot how to breathe.