The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 160 - One Hundred and Sixty

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty

Alicia’s POV

I’d been feeling off for days. Tired in a way that sleep couldn’t fix. Nauseous at random times. Emotional over nothing. I’d chalked it up to stress, to running halfway across the world, to everything that had happened.

Then Sophie got her period.

She came out of the bathroom looking relieved. "Thank god. I was three days late and I was starting to worry. Can you imagine if I was pregnant? That would be a disaster."

I laughed. Tried to make it sound natural. "Yeah. Total disaster."

But her words had triggered something in my mind. A calculation I didn’t want to make.

When was my last period?

I tried to remember. Before the Maldives trip? After? I’d been so distracted with Malachi and the divorce and running to Italy that I hadn’t been paying attention to my cycle.

Weeks. It had been weeks.

No. No, it couldn’t be. I was just stressed. Stress messed with cycles. That was normal. That was fine.

But I had test kits in my bag. I’d bought a pack months ago when I’d been late before and Travis had made a comment about it. I’d shoved them in my travel bag and forgotten about them.

"I’m going to shower," I told Sophie.

"Okay. Want me to start dinner?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

I went to my room. Locked the door. Dug through my bag until I found the box. Three tests. Unopened.

My hands were shaking as I pulled one out and went to the bathroom. Locked that door too even though no one else was on this floor.

I took the test. Set it on the counter. Couldn’t look at it. Just stared at my reflection in the mirror while I waited.

Three minutes. The longest three minutes of my life.

When I finally looked down, there were two lines. Clear. Unmistakable. Positive.

I took the second test. Same result.

The third test. Same.

All three tests. All positive. All telling me the same impossible truth.

I was pregnant.

Heat flooded through my body. My vision blurred. I sat down hard on the bathroom floor with my back against the door.

Pregnant. With Malachi’s child. Because we’d been stupid. Because most of the time we hadn’t used protection. Because in the heat of the moment, in the desperation of stolen encounters, we hadn’t been careful.

A few times with condoms. The rest raw and urgent and reckless.

And now I was pregnant.

I pressed my hands against my stomach. Flat. Normal. No sign yet of the life growing inside. The little being that had no idea about any of this chaos. About running. About hiding. About the man who was its father being someone I couldn’t be near.

What would Malachi’s expression be if he found out? Would he be happy? Possessive? Would he use it as a reason to track me down? Would he see it as another way to own me?

I couldn’t tell anyone. Not Cassie. Not Sophie. Not anyone. If anyone knew, it might leak out. Might get back to Malachi. And then he’d never stop looking for me.

I needed a plan. Needed to figure this out before anyone could find out.

I cleaned up the tests. Hid them at the bottom of the bathroom trash under tissues and packaging. Then I went back to my room and sat on the bed.

I needed money. Needed to work. Needed to build a life here that could support me and a baby. But how?

Any job I applied for would require identification. Social security numbers. Background checks. Things that could be traced. Things that Malachi was probably monitoring right now, waiting for me to surface so he could find me.

The second I used my real name on any official paperwork, he’d know. He’d find me. And then what?

I couldn’t use my name. Couldn’t access my bank accounts. Couldn’t do anything that left a paper trail.

So what could I do?

I thought about my mother. She’d been a maid. Had worked for wealthy families in Dark City, cleaning their houses, taking care of their children, doing the invisible work that kept their lives running smoothly.

She’d been paid in cash. No contracts. No official employment. Just money under the table for work done quietly.

I could do that. Could find families who needed help. Could work without leaving traces. Could build a life in the shadows until it was safe to come back into the light.

If it was ever safe.

I pulled out my new phone. Started searching. "Housekeeping jobs Lake Como. Cash positions. No contract work."

There were some listings. Not many. But enough. Wealthy families who wanted help but didn’t want to deal with official employment. Who wanted someone reliable but invisible.

I could be invisible. Had been practicing it my whole life.

A knock on my door. "Alicia? Dinner’s ready."

"Coming."

I went downstairs. Sophie and Cassie were setting the table. Pasta and salad. Simple. Normal.

"You okay?" Cassie asked. "You look pale."

"Just tired. Still adjusting to the time change."

"It’s been over a week."

"I know. I’m a slow adjuster."

We sat down. Ate. Sophie talked about texting Charlotte and Cameron, about how they were planning to visit during summer break if she was still here. Cassie talked about David coming to visit next week.

I pushed food around my plate and thought about the life growing inside me. About how everything had just gotten infinitely more complicated.

"Alicia." Cassie’s voice pulled me back. "You’re not eating."

"Not very hungry."

"You’ve barely eaten all week. Are you sick?"

"No. Just stressed."

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"I’m fine. Really."

But I wasn’t fine. I was pregnant and alone and hiding from a man who’d probably lose his mind if he found out. Who’d use it as leverage. Who’d never let me go if he knew I was carrying his child.

After dinner, I helped clean up. Went back to my room. Looked at those job listings again.

One caught my eye. "Housekeeper needed for private villa. Light duties. Cash payment. Discretion required. Must speak English."

I clicked on it. Read the details. The pay was decent. The hours flexible. And they didn’t ask for references or identification. Just wanted to meet in person to discuss.

I could do this. Could work. Could save money. Could prepare for a baby that no one could know about yet.

I drafted an email response. Professional but not too formal. Expressing interest. Offering to meet.

Then I stared at the draft for ten minutes before deleting it.

What was I thinking? I was pregnant. I shouldn’t be applying for housekeeping jobs. I should be resting. Planning. Figuring out medical care and prenatal vitamins and all the things pregnant women were supposed to do.

But I didn’t have the luxury of doing things the right way. I had to survive. Had to stay hidden. Had to make this work somehow.

I rewrote the email. Sent it before I could overthink again.

Then I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

A baby. Malachi’s baby. The physical proof of everything we’d done together. Everything we’d felt. Everything that had felt so right until it had all gone so terribly wrong.

My hand went to my stomach again. "I’m going to take care of you," I whispered. "I don’t know how yet. But I will. I promise."

My mind trailed to Malachi again. I convinced myself I hated him now. Didn’t want him anymore. But something deep inside me longed for him to find me and for me to feel safe in those arms again. I want—

My phone buzzed. Response to my email already.

"Can you meet tomorrow? 10 AM at Café Bella Vista in town. I’ll be wearing a blue scarf."

I typed back.

"I’ll be there. Thank you."

Tomorrow. I’d meet this person tomorrow. Would figure out if this could work. If I could do this.

If I could build a life here with a secret growing inside me that changed everything.

A knock on my door again. "Alicia? You sure you’re okay?"

"I’m fine, Cassie. Just going to sleep early."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks."

I heard her footsteps fade down the hallway. Then silence. Just me and my thoughts and the impossible situation I’d found myself in.

Pregnant. Hiding. Alone. With the father of my child hunting me across continents while I tried to disappear.

This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go. But then again, nothing about my life had ever gone the way it was supposed to.

I’d figure it out. I always did. I’d survived my father. Survived Travis. Survived running.

I’d survive this too.

I had to. For the baby. For Sophie. For myself.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But all I could see was Malachi’s face when I told him I was pregnant.

Except I’d never tell him. Could never tell him. This was one secret that had to stay buried.

No matter what.