Chapter 151

In her apartment, Valeria stared at the pregnancy test with pure euphoria. Two bright pink lines—she was absolutely thrilled.

Finally! Fucking finally!

After weeks of scheming and planning, her master plan was coming together.

Her first impulse was to text Jasper immediately, but she caught herself. She had no clue how he’d react to a pregnancy. Things between them had been… complicated lately—hot and cold, though her little manipulations had kept him relatively sweet on her. Still, Valeria wasn’t about to risk it. This had to be handled perfectly.

Then it clicked—Megan.

Valeria knew Megan was desperate for a grandkid. If she found out about the pregnancy, she’d be over the moon. So Valeria would let Megan “discover” it naturally.

But checking her phone, she realized she was running late for work. She grabbed her stuff and rushed out.

Since the whole competition disaster, Valeria had taken a backseat publicly but was busier than ever running things behind the scenes. They were launching new collections, and as the unofficial creative director, every designer’s work had to go through her first. She’d give “feedback” and “creative direction”—most of which was complete BS.

Everyone at J & A treated Valeria like the boss’s wife now. Ever since Anastasia quit, the place was basically Valeria’s personal kingdom. Everyone kissed her ass and played nice. Since Jasper never objected, they all went along with it.

But behind closed doors, people whispered that the company was heading straight off a cliff. Jasper didn’t know shit about design, and Valeria was barely competent herself.

But she loved playing the power-hungry queen, acting like she knew everything while being a total control freak. Everyone was just waiting for the inevitable train wreck. Since Jasper had basically handed her the reins, they could only smile and take it.

Valeria swept into the office looking like she owned the place. With her little secret weapon growing inside her, she felt unstoppable. She settled into her office—Anastasia’s old office, which she’d deliberately claimed as her own. She’d completely erased Anastasia from this place.

So much for Miss Perfect. Look how well we’re doing without her precious ass.

Valeria sat in her throne, waiting for the designers to come grovel and report to her. Soon her loud, hitchy voice could be heard throughout the office.

The staff outside just exchanged looks and shook their heads. “Jesus, this is torture, God, we miss Anastasia.”

Around lunchtime, Joanne called wanting to go shopping and grab food. They did this regularly since Valeria always played the generous big sister and footed the bill. Jasper had some business dinner tonight, so Valeria was free.

When Joanne called, she jumped at the chance. Her endgame was becoming Mrs. Hale, so she had to keep the Hale women happy. Plus, today she had some major news to drop—though she wanted to be sneaky about it. Joanne’s invitation was perfect timing.

Valeria got dressed strategically, picking a flowy, loose dress that would hide her flat stomach while making her look soft and maternal. She did her makeup with subtle pink lips, smiling at her reflection.

Soon, bitch. Soon.

“Val, you look absolutely stunning today!” Joanne squealed the second she saw her, grabbing her arm. “Like, seriously glowing!”

Valeria smiled sweetly. “Aw, thanks! I’ve just been feeling really good lately. So where do you want to hit up?”

They bounced between designer stores, with Valeria buying Joanne an expensive bracelet without even checking the price. Joanne was practically vibrating with excitement. “Oh my God, Val, you’re seriously the best!”

“Don’t be silly—you’re like my little sister!” Valeria laughed.

Jasper’s paying for it anyway, she thought. Might as well use his black card for something useful.

Valeria didn’t mind spending his money if it meant securing her spot with the Hale family.

For lunch, Valeria picked this fancy place downtown. When they were ordering, she made a big show of avoiding anything raw, then specifically ordered the pan-seared salmon. When the fish came out and was set right in front of her, Valeria immediately made a disgusted face.

Joanne looked concerned. “Val, what’s wrong? You look like you’re gonna throw up.”

Valeria played it perfectly confused. “I don’t know… the smell of fish is just making me super nauseous today. It’s so weird.”

Joanne might be young, but she’d binged enough reality TV to recognize the signs. “Val,” she whispered conspiratorially, “when was your last period? Could you be… you know… pregnant?”

Valeria’s eyes went wide with fake shock. “Oh shit… I think I’m like a week late. And I’ve been so freaking tired lately. Do you think I could actually be knocked up?” She put on her most surprised expression.

“Holy crap, yes! Oh my God, I’m gonna be an aunt!” Joanne practically shrieked, then caught herself and whispered, “Mom’s gonna lose her mind when she finds out!”

Megan had been obsessing over grandkids for years.

Valeria quickly grabbed her hand. “Don’t say anything to your mom yet! I’m not even sure if it’s real. What if it’s just stress or something? Let me take a proper test first—I want to surprise her myself.”

“Okay, okay, my lips are sealed!” Joanne giggled.

But Valeria knew exactly what would happen. With Joanne’s big mouth, this news would be in Megan’s ears by tomorrow morning.

Right on schedule, Megan called the next day, her voice sweeter than honey. “Valeria, sweetheart, why don’t you come for dinner this weekend? I’ll have the chef make some special nutritious dishes.”

Valeria could barely contain her excitement but kept her voice innocent. “That’s so sweet of you, Mrs. Hale. I’d love to come.”

After hanging up, Valeria leaned back in her chair with a triumphant grin. She placed her hand on her still-flat stomach and whispered, “Alright, little one. You better help Mommy seal this deal. This is our ticket to the top.”

Weekend dinner at the Hale estate.

Megan was all over Valèria, constantly glancing at her stomach. “Valeria, honey, you haven’t been overworking yourself, have you? You need to take better care of yourself.”

“Thank you so much for worrying about me, Mrs. Hale. I promise I’ll be more careful,” Valeria replied sweetly. “Oh, I brought you those face serums you mentioned loving.”

“Oh, you sweet thing! You didn’t need to do that!” Megan gushed, accepting the expensive gift and loving Valeria even more.

Jasper sat at the table looking confused. “Mom, what’s with all the special attention for Valeria tonight?”

Megan just smiled mysteriously and kept loading Valeria’s plate with food.

After dinner, Megan finally couldn’t hold back anymore. “Jasper, Valeria’s pregnant with your baby and you didn’t even tell us?!”

Jasper’s head whipped around, staring at Valeria in complete shock. “Wait—you’re pregnant?!”