Once Upon A Lie

Fifty-seven:

TW: Mentions of abortion. 

Fifty-seven:

"Oh good. You're awake."

Aleksander looked up and saw Zoya standing in front of him. He groaned. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. What the hell are you doing here, Zoya? Why did you get involved in this?"

"Because," said Zoya, "you fucked me, and you treated me like nothing. I listened to you for three years talking about your 'precious Alina'. The only reason that she's precious to you is that she inherits half of your company."

He was tied up. Still. There was no way Fedyor and Ivan were going to let him go. Nikolai needed him gone. "You knew we were engaged. You knew it was always going to be her that I ended up with. I never lied to you about that."

Zoya crossed her arms over her chest. "No, but you never listened to me either. I told you that I could make The Fold more powerful if we combined The Little Palace with it. I told you that we could rule our companies together. But you only cared about her. Well, maybe that will change once we're married."

Aleksander snorted. "I'm not marrying you, you psycho bitch."

Zoya glared at him. "Careful, Aleks. That's not a very feminist thing for you to say. Especially to the mother of your unborn child."

Aleksander stiffened. "What are you talking about? We never----"

She grinned at him. "Yes, we did. Of course, you don't remember it because you were shit-faced. You came over to my house and practically begged me to fuck you. It was right around when Alina fell off the bleachers. A little over a month ago."

He stared at her. "So that would make you----"

"Almost a month along," Zoya replied, with a smile. "I'm personally hoping for a little boy, but I don't know, a little girl would be sweet too."

"You're keeping it?" Aleksander said. He didn't mean to sound so incredulous, but he had never thought of Zoya as the maternal kind. He couldn't picture her with a child. Let alone his.

Zoya smiled. "Of course, I am. What a question. I also told your father. I spoke with him today. I was so concerned about you missing. I wanted to make sure that my child was provided for. He's even agreed to amend the family will. We're meeting about it today."

"You're lying," said Aleksander, "my father wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't he?" said Zoya. She shoved her cell phone in his face. Sure enough, there was an article in the Ravkaan Daily News.

PREGNANCY SCANDAL! TEENAGE HEIRESS ZOYA NAZYALENSKY PREGNANT WITH THE HEIR OF THE FOLDS CHILD

Aleksander's stomach churned. "Has Alina seen this?"

Zoya shrugged. "I don't know. But I imagine she got the message I left her, worrying over the father of my child, and how he's gone missing. Such a rude girl. She hasn't even called me back yet to congratulate me on the pregnancy. Do you think she'll be our godmother? I mean, she's been your oldest and dearest friend for years. It would be terrible of her not to."

"You're lying," said Aleksander, "I'm not sure how, but you're lying. There isn't a child."

"Oh, there's a baby alright." Zoya rummaged in her pocket, then pulled out a picture. The sonogram. A tiny, little spec stared back at him.

Fuck.

Fuck.

FUCK.