Chapter 5: The Secret Behind Lucas Parker

Lucas pushed the folder toward me, but I didn't open it immediately.

“Mr. Parker, before we discuss anything else, I want to understand why you told everyone that you had spent six months pursuing me.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“Because it was the quickest way to stop Nicole from humiliating you further.”

“You could have simply told her to stop.”

“I could have. But she would have continued spreading rumors after the event. By making it clear that I was involved, I gave her a reason to think twice before attacking you again.”

I frowned. “And what happens now? Everyone in the company probably thinks we're dating.”

“I'll correct the misunderstanding if you want me to.”

His straightforward answer caught me off guard. He wasn't asking me to pretend to be his girlfriend or demanding anything in return.

“Thank you for helping me last night,” I said. “But I don't want my personal life to become another office rumor.”

“Neither do I.” Lucas opened the folder. “That's why I asked you to come here. I want to make sure your professional position remains unaffected by what happened.”

Inside were documents related to the department's latest restructuring plan. My name appeared beside a new leadership assignment.

I stared at the page in disbelief.

“You're appointing me to lead the new financial operations team?”

“Your performance reports are excellent. You've managed difficult projects, improved reporting efficiency, and helped train several junior employees. The position is based on your qualifications, not last night's events.”

I studied his expression, searching for any sign that this was a favor disguised as a promotion.

“I don't want special treatment.”

“Then don't accept special treatment,” he replied. “Accept the position if you believe you've earned it. If you don't, decline it.”

For the first time in a long while, someone had placed a decision in front of me without trying to control my answer.

I reviewed the documents carefully and asked several questions about the responsibilities. Lucas answered each one patiently.

After a few minutes, I closed the folder.

“I'll accept the assignment.”

He nodded. “I expected you would.”

I stood, preparing to leave, but his next words stopped me.

“Winnie, there's something else you should know.”

I turned back.

“I didn't invent the entire story about those six months. I've noticed your work for quite some time.”

My eyebrows rose. “What does that mean?”

“It means I knew who you were before last night. I've read the reports you prepared and watched you handle situations that other managers avoided. I respected your work long before I knew anything about your relationship with Blake Carter.”

I wasn't sure what to say.

Lucas continued, “But respect isn't the same as knowing someone personally. I won't pretend otherwise.”

His honesty made me feel strangely relieved.

“Then I hope we can keep things professional,” I said.

“That's entirely up to you.”

I left his office with the folder tucked under my arm, feeling slightly more grounded than I had when I entered.

For the first time since the proposal, I had something to focus on besides betrayal.

Unfortunately, Blake had other plans.

By lunchtime, he had appeared outside my department three times. Each time, my assistant informed him that I was busy. Each time, he left a message asking me to meet him.

On his fourth attempt, I finally walked out to confront him.

“Blake, what do you want?”

He looked exhausted. His tie was loose, and the confident expression he had worn during the proposal was gone.

“I need to explain what happened.”

“You proposed to Nicole. I was there. Everyone was there. What part of that requires an explanation?”

“It isn't as simple as you think.”

I almost laughed at the familiar excuse.

“Then make it simple for me. Did you mean to marry her?”

He hesitated.

That single pause hurt more than I expected.

“Yes,” I answered for him. “You meant it.”

“Winnie, I care about you.”

“You care about me so much that you let me stand there believing you were proposing to me.”

He lowered his head.

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did. And you did it in front of everyone.”

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then Blake reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

My stomach tightened.

Inside was another diamond ring, smaller than the one he had given Nicole but still beautiful.

“I bought this for you,” he said. “I was going to give it to you privately after the event.”

I stared at the ring, unable to believe what I was hearing.

“You bought two rings?”

“Winnie, please listen—”

“You planned to propose to Nicole in public and give me a ring in private?”

He looked away.

The silence was answer enough.

Something inside me finally stopped hoping.

“Put it away, Blake.”

“You haven't even heard the whole story.”

“I don't need to. I spent ten years believing your promises. I won't spend another minute begging you to explain why I was never enough.”

I turned to leave, but he caught my wrist.

“What about everything we've been through? My parents love you. You were there when I had nothing. You can't just throw ten years away.”

I gently pulled my hand free.

“I didn't throw them away. I lived them. I loved you through them. But that doesn't mean I have to keep living the same pain forever.”

His eyes dropped to my handbag, where the corner of my hospital report was visible.

“Winnie, is there something else you're hiding from me?”

My heart began to pound.

For one second, I considered telling him about the baby. Then I remembered his words to Nicole, his public proposal, and the way he had asked me not to make a scene.

“No,” I said quietly. “There's nothing you need to know.”

I walked away before he could question me further.

That afternoon, Nicole cornered me near the elevators.

“So it's true,” she said, looking me up and down. “The CEO is protecting you now.”

I pressed the elevator button. “Move, Nicole.”

She laughed bitterly.

“You always get everything, don't you? The good grades, the promotion, the respect. And now Lucas Parker is taking your side. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is for me?”

I turned to face her.

“You slapped me in front of our coworkers, called me shameless, and accused me of stealing your fiancé. Yet somehow you're the victim?”

Her face tightened.

“You don't understand what Blake and I have been through.”

“You're right. I don't understand why you needed to lie about me to justify your choices.”

The elevator doors opened, but neither of us stepped inside.

Nicole leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“You should stop asking questions, Winnie. There are things about your precious relationship that you don't know.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“What are you talking about?”

She smiled without warmth.

“Ask Blake why he really kept you a secret for ten years.”

Before I could respond, she stepped into the elevator and pressed the close button.

I stood alone in the corridor, her words echoing in my mind.

Why had Blake kept our relationship secret even after he became successful? The company policy had explained the beginning, but it no longer explained everything.

The ban had been lifted only a week ago. He could have told the truth then. He could have acknowledged me, spoken to me privately, or at least been honest about his intentions.

Instead, he had chosen Nicole.

That evening, I returned home and took the pregnancy report from my bag. I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the doctor's notes until the words blurred.

I was still frightened. I still had difficult decisions to make. But I knew I couldn't let Blake's confusion become the foundation of my child's future.

My phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

I answered cautiously.

“Winnie Cooper?” a woman's voice asked.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“My name is Margaret Carter. I'm Blake's mother.”

My breath caught.

She had always treated me kindly, and I had spent countless nights caring for her husband during his illness.

“Mrs. Carter, is everything all right?”

“No, dear. I've been trying to reach you all day. Blake told us he was getting married, but he didn't explain what happened between you.”

I closed my eyes.

“I'm sorry, Mrs. Carter.”

“Don't apologize. I know how much you've done for our family.” Her voice trembled. “There's something you need to know about the night Blake bought that ring.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“What happened?”

She hesitated before answering.

“Blake came to see us several weeks ago. He told us he was going to make an important decision, and he asked us not to interfere. But the name he gave us that night wasn't Nicole's.”

My heart pounded so hard that I could barely breathe.

“Whose name did he give you?”

“Yours, Winnie. He told us he was finally going to make you his wife.”

I stared at the wall, unable to speak.

If Blake had truly intended to marry me, what had changed? And why had Nicole sounded so certain that there was a secret behind our ten-year relationship?

Mrs. Carter's next words made my blood run cold.

“Winnie, I think someone has been hiding the truth from both of you. And I don't think it's a coincidence that everything changed just before your anniversary.”