Forbidden: My Husband's Brother

Something Big?

REYNA'S POV

I sat on the edge of my bed, holding the soft end of my dress between my fingers. The room smelled like the lavender spray the maids used every afternoon. It was supposed to calm people, but it did nothing for me today. My mind kept replaying Jessica’s face from the café, that cold smirk, that little tilt of her head, like she was telling me without words, You’re still clueless, Reyna.

I hated that feeling. I needed something real. Something I could hold in my hand. Something Nicholas couldn’t brush off with his calm words.

Nicholas stood by the window, looking out at the garden. His jacket was off and his sleeves rolled up. He always looked busy even when he was silent. When he turned and saw me staring, his brow lifted.

“You’re quiet,” he said. “Too quiet.”

I forced a tight smile. “I just… want to clear my head. I think I’ll go out for some grocery shopping. Maybe buy some fruits. Just breathe a little.”

“Grocery shopping?” he repeated, like the idea confused him.

“Yes.” I tried to keep my voice light. “I want to feel normal. It’s been a long day.”

He watched me too closely. “Take a guard.”

I shook my head quickly. “No. I don’t want anyone around me. I’ll be careful.”

“Reyna...”

“I’m pregnant, Nicholas. Not made of glass,” I said gently. “I just need some air. Please.”

He didn’t look pleased, but after a moment he gave a slow nod. “Fine. But stay in busy places. And call me if anything feels wrong.”

“I will,” I promised.

Once I turned and walked back to my room, the smile dropped from my face. My heart was beating faster than before. As soon as the door closed, I sat on the bed and pulled out my phone. My hands shook a little. I called Marcus.

He picked up almost immediately. “Ma’am? Is something wrong?”

“No,” I said quietly. “I just wanted to know… if you found anything yet. Anything at all.”

There was a short silence. “Not yet,” he said. “But I’m still working on it. I’ll update you as soon as I find something real.”

My eyes burned for a moment. I blinked it away. “Okay. Thank you.”

His voice softened. “Please be careful, ma’am.”

“I will,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure.

FEW MINUTES LATER: GROCERY STORE

The grocery store was cool and quiet. I pushed the small basket along the fruit aisle, picking up apples one by one. I kept staring at them, but I wasn’t really seeing them. All I could hear was Jessica’s voice in my head.

I took a shaky breath and grabbed a few more apples. Then I added ginger tea for my nausea, and a chocolate bar because I needed something sweet even if I pretended I didn’t.

After paying, I stepped into the warm afternoon. The sunlight felt nice on my skin. I closed my eyes for a second, letting the heat sink in.

Maybe if I stayed here long enough, everything would stop spinning. But life doesn’t work that way.

I walked toward the parking lot to meet the cab I ordered. The lot was wide, with rows of parked cars shining in the sun. I held my grocery bag carefully, trying not to drop anything.

Then I stopped walking. Not because someone blocked me, but because something deep inside me froze. Behind the third row of cars… two people stood close together.

Jessica. Her blonde hair, that expensive purse, that annoying confidence. But she wasn’t alone.

A man stood beside her. Tall. Sharp. Dressed in a suit. The kind of suit you don’t buy unless you have real money or real power. He wasn’t touching her, but he stood too close for it to be random.

I tightened my grip on my grocery bag, pretending to adjust it against my hip. My heart started racing, but my face stayed still. I quietly stepped between two cars, staying low and out of their sight.

My fingers slid into my purse and wrapped around my phone. “Come on, Reyna,” I whispered to myself. “Don’t mess this up.”

I lifted my phone slowly, checking the screen angle. My hand trembled once, but I steadied it, forcing myself to breathe.

Click. The sound was off. Thank God. Click. Click. Three clear photos. Jessica’s face. The man’s face. Them standing together, talking quietly.

The man turned slightly, and I felt my stomach twist. I knew that face. Not personally. But I’d seen him at the Hall mansion more than once. Jessica and a Hall family member? Secretly meeting?

This was not nothing. This was big. I backed away slowly, careful with each step, making sure my shoes didn’t make noise.

I walked in the opposite direction, pretending to check my phone, pretending to be just another shopper who had forgotten where she parked.

I didn’t look back. My cab reached the far exit, and I climbed in quickly.

“Home,” I said, my voice barely steady.

By the time I got home, the sun had started to set. The house felt quiet, almost too quiet. I held the grocery bag close to my body as I walked up the stairs.

I thought I would go straight to my room. But Nicholas stood waiting outside my door. He leaned on the wall, arms crossed, his tie loosened. His face didn’t look angry. It looked… tired. Worried. And something else I couldn’t read.

“Welcome back,” he said softly.

I froze for a second. “You waited for me?”

“Yes.” He pushed off the wall.

His steps were slow as he came closer, his eyes searching my face. “Did you… get what you needed from the grocery store?”

My throat tightened. For a moment, I almost said no. I almost told him everything right away. But my heart hammered too hard, and the lie slipped out before I could stop it.

“Yes,” I said. “I did.”

He nodded once, like he was trying to read between my words but wasn’t sure if he should push. “Okay. Good.” He stepped past me, heading toward the stairs. “I’ll let you rest then.”

He turned his back, and something inside me panicked.

I wasn’t ready to be alone with this. Not tonight. Not with the fear still sitting heavy in my chest, cold and sharp. Maybe it was the way he waited for me earlier. Maybe it was the soft look in his eyes before. “Wait,” I said before I could stop myself.