The airport terminal buzzed with the usual chaos of arrivals and departures, the scent of brewed coffee mingling with jet fuel and anticipation. People hurried by with suitcases in tow, families reuniting, couples embracing, and lone travelers lost in the shuffle of strangers. Amid it all, Emma Blackwood stood quietly by the baggage claim, a hand resting on the slight curve of her stomach.
She glanced around, searching for a familiar face.
A year ago, she never would have imagined coming back to this city — to the estate, to the name Blackwood, to the life she'd left behind. After Caleb's death, it had taken everything she had and the thought of her unborn child not to disappear completely. The grief, the loneliness… it had been unbearable. But today wasn't about grief.
Today was about family. Her brother was all she had and he had promised a long time ago to always be there for her and protect her.
The click of polished shoes on marble floors made her turn, and there he was.
Eric Blackwood.
Tall, sharp-jawed, dressed in a tailored coat and moving with the confidence of a man who owned the ground he walked on. But the moment he saw her, something shifted. The cool, untouchable CEO vanished, and in his place stood the big brother she remembered.
"Emma."
The sound of her name in his voice undid her. In an instant, she was moving toward him, and he was already closing the distance.
He caught her in a fierce embrace, lifting her off the ground for a heartbeat before setting her back down.
"God, it's good to see you," he murmured, holding her at arm's length to look at her. "You look… you look good."
She gave a small, self-conscious smile. "I was worried you wouldn't recognize me. It's been too long."
She looked the same and entirely different. Her once vibrant features were softer now, tired but beautiful. Long auburn hair spilled over her shoulders. She wore a loose coat that did little to hide the curve of her pregnant belly.
"It's been hellishly long," Eric agreed, his gaze softening as it dropped to the curve of her stomach. "Is everything okay? The baby?"
Emma nodded, her eyes stinging. "Yeah. The doctors say everything's fine. I just… I couldn't stay away today. I needed to be here."
"You should've told me. I would've sent the jet."
"And missed the look on your face when you saw me standing here? Never."
He laughed, the sound low and genuine, and for the first time in months, Emma felt like herself again.
"I missed you so much," she whispered.
"I missed you too, Em."
Across the terminal, unnoticed by either of them, a figure lowered her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes.
Crystal Caldwell.
The mother of Eric's fiancée, Georgia, stood by the arrivals corridor, half hidden by a large potted plant, lips pursed in disapproval. She had been on her way to a spa appointment before tonight's engagement party when fate handed her a scandal on a silver platter.
There, in broad daylight, was Eric Blackwood — the man her daughter was set to marry — greeting a mysterious, pretty brunette with an intimate embrace. She couldn't hear what they said, but she didn't need to.
The way he touched the woman's face, the tenderness in his eyes… it screamed of an affair.
Crystal slid her phone from her designer handbag with a practiced hand and started recording. A brief, silent video of the encounter, just enough to fan the flames she intended to spark. The video caught Eric cupping Emma's face gently, her head resting against his chest.
"Let's see what Georgia has to say about this," she muttered, tapping her screen.
The message sent, she smiled to herself. She didn't care much for Eric beyond the fortune attached to his name, but she wouldn't let any woman — mistress or not — jeopardize their plans.
Not when they were this close.
⸻
Back at the terminal, Eric took Emma's bag, slinging it over his shoulder as they made their way to the parking garage.
"I'll take you to the house first," he said. "You can rest, freshen up. It's been a long flight."
"Are you sure? I don't want to be in the way with all the party preparations and—"
"Emma, stop. It's your home too. It always will be."
The words struck something deep in her, and she managed a small, grateful smile.
"Thanks, Eric."
⸻
Back at the Caldwell estate, Georgia lounged in a silk robe, sipping from a champagne flute, with her friends Candace and Mira. The party preparations were in full swing. She barely glanced at her phone as it pinged.
Then she did, a frown creasing her perfectly made-up face.
And froze.
The video played out in agonizing clarity. Eric. And a pregnant woman. Hugging like lovers. Her stomach twisted.
The glass slipped from her fingers, shattering on the marble floor.
" No. No, no, no," she screamed.
Georgia's world tilted.
"That bastard," she whispered.
And in that moment, jealousy, heartbreak, and fury twisted into a dangerous resolve.
She dialed Eric's number. He picked up at the first ring
"Hi baby, I can't talk now. But I have a surprise for you. I'll see you at the party okay?"
"Okay, she managed to say and the call dropped
Yes her mom was right. He couldn't even talk to her because he was with his mistress. She wasn't going to just fold her hands and let this happen.
"Watch him, Mom," she texted back. "Find out where he takes her. I want to know everything."no
"What's going on Georgia?" Her friends asked.
She showed them the video in reply.
"Oh my God!" Candace gasped
" You can't let this happen," Mira added with shock in her eyes.
"Of course I won't," Georgia replied with fury in her eyes.
It wasn't just about love anymore.
It was about betrayal.
And no one betrayed a Caldwell.