Chapter 4

Mia Reed POV

What I didn’t know was that, by a window on an upper floor of the inpatient department, Ethan was standing completely still, watching me.

His hand was clenched tightly around the window frame, his expression so dark it looked like it might shatter. The pain on his face was impossible to hide.

But he didn’t come down.

A long time later, he pulled the curtains shut.

After I cried enough, I wiped my face hard with my sleeve.

What was the use of crying?

I, Mia Reed, had never been the kind of person who sat on the ground waiting for pity.

I’d known Ethan Foster for so many years. He had been cold to me, avoided me, rejected me—when had I ever given up?

This time would be no different.

And the more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

I knew Ethan’s character. No matter how ruthless he was when he did things, he was still reasonable. There was no way he would collude with outsiders to frame me.

But he had done exactly that. And he had done it so urgently, so absolutely.

It was too abnormal.

He had to be hiding something from me.

I took a deep breath and stood up.

Fine. If you won’t tell me, I’ll investigate it myself.

It wasn’t as if I had no connections.

There were a few longtime employees in Boundary Tech’s PR department who were on good terms with me and hadn’t had time to draw a clean line between us yet. Ethan and Olivia Bennett’s schedules, media movements—I could get all of them as soon as they happened.

In the days that followed, I kept an eye on every piece of news about Ethan.

But the more I paid attention, the more restless I became.

The media was flooded with reports about Ethan and Olivia.

Ethan was already a top figure in the tech world—the founder of Boundary Tech, a genius programmer. Wherever he went, cameras followed.

Olivia was the daughter of Bennett Group, born with traffic of her own. Put the two of them together, and they could practically make the trending list every single day.

Half a month later, what I waited for was an explosive headline.

[Ethan Foster and Olivia Bennett Officially Engaged; Engagement Banquet to Be Held Next Month]

I stared at the screen of my phone, and blood rushed straight to my head.

Engaged? He had only driven me away half a month ago, and now he was going to get engaged to Olivia?

What drove me even crazier came after that.

Olivia accepted an interview, smiling sweetly at the camera.

“Actually, you could say we were childhood sweethearts. When we were little, our families lived close to each other, and we grew up together. The adults in both families even arranged a childhood engagement for us.”

“So you and Mr. Foster have a very deep foundation for your relationship?”

Olivia smiled, revealing a shy expression.

“I guess so. When we were ten, we even played house. He insisted on pretending to be the groom and marrying me, and he even braided a ring out of willow branches. It was childish, but thinking about it now, it was pretty sweet.”

Childhood sweethearts? A childhood engagement?

When I was ten, I had only just met Ethan in the orphanage.

For these sixteen years, Ethan and I had been inseparable. Olivia Bennett had never even shown her face!

I was the one who had always stayed by Ethan’s side!

What right did Olivia have to suddenly appear and squeeze me out?

I went through every related report I could find.

The engagement banquet was set for next month.

The venue was the Peninsula Hotel in the city center.

A crazy idea slowly took shape in my mind.

Ethan wouldn’t give me a chance to speak, was that it?

Then I would create the opportunity myself.

One month later, the Peninsula Hotel was ablaze with lights.

Wearing a wig and a mask, and holding an invitation I’d gotten through someone else, I blended in with the guests and entered the banquet hall.

I held a glass of champagne and stood in a corner, watching the hall glitter with flowers and crystal chandeliers, watching the guests exchange toasts and pleasant laughter, watching the photo of Ethan and Olivia printed on the stage backdrop.

In the photo, Ethan was wearing a dark suit, and Olivia was holding his arm. The two of them looked exceptionally well matched.

I drained the champagne in my glass in one gulp, acidity churning in my stomach.

Onstage, the host was warming up the crowd, saying the happy couple would soon make their entrance.

I took a deep breath. While the staff weren’t paying attention, I rushed onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the host’s hand.

I removed my wig and tore off my mask.

“Sorry to interrupt. I have a few things I must ask today’s groom in front of everyone.”

The entire room fell silent. Countless phones were raised.

Ethan and Olivia were standing at the backstage entrance. When they saw the person onstage, both of their expressions changed at the same time.

Ethan strode toward the stage, suppressing his anger.

“Mia Reed, get down.”

“I’m not getting down. You changed all my contact information, the company won’t let me in, and there are security guards posted at your front door. If I want to ask you one question, this is the only way I can do it.”

Olivia rushed after him, looped her arm through his, and gave the audience a soothing smile before turning her head and lowering her voice.

“Mia Reed, have you caused enough trouble? This is my engagement banquet. Do you believe I’ll have someone drag you out right now?”

“Where are the security guards? Hurry up and get her out of here!”

I ignored her completely and looked straight at Ethan.

“Ethan Foster, I just want to ask you one question. We grew up together. Am I not even allowed to ask one question?”

“What do you want to ask? Ask it and then leave.”

“Fine.”

I looked at the man I had loved for sixteen years.

At this moment, he was getting engaged to someone else, with Olivia by his side.

I gripped the microphone tightly and asked in front of the entire room:

“Ethan Foster, what do you plan to do about the child in my belly?”