Chapter 97
Sydney’s POV
Mark seemed frozen in place. The hand holding the lighter stayed poised at the tip of the cigarette still between his lips as he looked at me—or rather, gaped at me.
His hands fell to his sides. His words came thick with disbelief. “You’re not joking.”
I gave him a blank look. When did we become such friends that I’d be making a joke like this? I thought. He must have thought the same because he shook his head and we just stared at each other for a while.
Suddenly, Mark seemed to understand me. He quickly pocketed the cigarette and lighter.
He looked alarmed, slightly panicked, and took a step closer. His gaze flickered briefly from the hallway to my face. I wondered—slightly amused despite the emotional turmoil—if he was going to run. Does the mention of a baby or the sight of a pregnant woman scare him so much?
Instead, he took a step forward and asked, sounding concerned, “Is it Lucas’s?” His eyes slid down the hallway again. “Do you want me to bring him back? For you, I can allow him to stay here.”
I rolled my eyes. Why would he ask him to leave in the first place? And why is he acting nice? Then I remembered—he’d lost his memory.
I shook my head and gave an indifferent look. “There’s no need for that. I don’t want my man to stay with me just because of the child—that’s like trapping him, and that will only lead to disaster.” I looked down the hall, trying to hide the pain I was sure shone in my eyes. “He left because he wanted to, not because you asked him to. If he still loves me, he will come back. I will keep waiting for him here.”
I turned back to Mark as I heard him sigh. His gaze stayed locked on me, and he said, “I feel sorry for your current situation.”
I raised my eyebrows slightly, surprised at the look on his face. He actually *did* look sorry. Wow. Is this really Mark?
“I will be honest though,” he continued, “I am still very happy that you chose to stand by my side, not his. I am grateful.”
“Then you should thank your grandmother,” I said coldly, suddenly vexed that this whole shares issue had caused the first big fight between Lucas and me. “It is her you need to be grateful to. She is a wise and visionary woman. If she hadn’t asked me to give her my word in advance, trust me, I would have made a different choice today.”
He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Instead, he simply put his hands back in his pockets and looked away.
I broke the silence, feeling my anger rise. “I’m sorry.” Why was I even apologizing? “I am so fucking annoyed by your presence right now. I have to leave.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned my back on him and walked down the hallway. I could feel his gaze on my back as I strode away.
My phone vibrated in my hands. Checking it, I saw several missed calls from Grace. I nearly smacked my forehead, remembering I had dialed her number before seeing Mark. She must have gotten worried when I didn’t answer.
I picked up. “Hey!” I said, the urgency clear even in my voice. “Come pick me up.”
There was a short pause, and I could easily picture Grace’s eyes searching me if I were in front of her. Then she said softly, though confusion edged her words, “Sydney, what’s wrong? Did something happen? You sound... off.”
I swallowed. “Nothing is wrong.” Oh, so much was wrong. Then I added in a small voice, “I just want to go home.”
Grace didn’t ask any more questions. “I’ll be there in a jiffy,” was all she said before I hung up.
Looking around, I realized I was already outside. The bustling noise of the busy streets near and far began to register: honking cars mixed with the occasional screeching of tires.
I turned and saw the bench that was always there, at the far end of the coffee shop beside the GT Group building. Thankfully, no one was sitting there. I walked over and slowly lowered myself onto the seat.
My eyes stared into the distance, but my mind drifted even farther, filled with doubt and fear.
Soon enough, Grace’s car appeared in my sight. Thankfully, I didn’t need to shout her name or walk back to the front of the GT Group building—she saw me sitting there.
She nodded and stopped. I numbly rose, opened the door she’d cracked halfway open, and climbed into the car beside her.
Neither of us said anything as Grace drove to the GT Group’s parking area and made a U-turn.
As she drove home, I kept my gaze glued to the window beside me, but I could feel her constantly watching me. Finally, she broke the silence gently, “Do you want to talk about it?”
I turned my face forward, looking at the cars ahead, then shook my head. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes, my chest rising as I sighed.
That was one thing I loved about Grace—she never pushed or forced me to speak. She always knew when I needed peace and always gave it. It was like her little superpower.
I didn’t hear her say anything. She just quietly drove us home.
By the time we reached our apartment and the engine stopped, I had finally sorted through my emotions and was ready to speak.
As Grace removed the key from the ignition, I blurted out, “Lucas and I broke up, he’s going back to Italy, and I’m pregnant with his child.”
I didn’t need to see Grace’s face to know she was stunned. She definitely hadn’t expected so much to happen in such a short time. Truth be told, neither had I.
I finally looked her way and saw her firm grip on the steering wheel as she took it all in, probably thinking about how to respond.
“Sydney...” she finally turned toward me, and our eyes met. As usual, her eyes were filled with concern for me. I hated that I always made her worry. Why does stuff always have to sprout up from nowhere in my life?
“Yes?”
“What... what are you going to do?” Her voice trembled as she asked the question.
I looked ahead and, with another sigh, answered, “Obviously, I will keep the child. As for Lucas...” I trailed off, suppressing the sudden pain, anger, and pity that arose as I said his name. “I will leave him be.”
“So...” Grace began tentatively, but I already knew what she was thinking.
“Yes,” I said, saving her the stress, “I don’t plan to tell him the news.”
Grace exhaled. Then, suddenly asking in a falsely relaxed tone, she said, “Can I be the child’s godmother then?”
My smile widened as the warmth of her support helped soothe the pain in my heart. I could already see how much easier the journey and trials would be with my best friend by my side. I glanced at her and said, “Of course. If it’s not you, who else? I couldn’t find a more suitable godmother than you.”
She undid her seatbelt and leaned toward me, engulfing me in a warm hug. “Thank you,” she said gently. “Thank you for giving me the chance to be the unborn baby’s godmother. I can’t wait to hold him or her in my hands.”
I hugged her back and let the tears fall freely. I released the heartache as I clung to her, wetting her shirt with my tears. Grace silently held me as she always did. Her hold on me tightened, and I heard the soft sound of her muffled sobs.
