Chapter 1336:
Shock rippled through Karen as her mind pieced together a troubling possibility. Could her instincts be right? Was Cathy carrying Wesley’s baby?
Karen had felt something was off that day. Why would Cathy still go to Empire for fun if she had an upset stomach? Pregnancy explained everything. The implications hit hard. If Wesley truly was the father, what future did that leave for Elena? Elena seemed completely in the dark. Was it even right to tell her?
Anxiety pressed in, twisting Karen’s thoughts into knots she could not untangle. Both Wesley and Elena mattered to her, but in different ways. Her feelings toward Elena had shifted the day she’d discovered the truth: the racer she admired—Olivia—was Elena all along.
For years, Karen had idolized Olivia. The idea of having her idol as a sister-in-law once filled her with joy. She had looked forward to it. But now, that excitement faded, smothered by what Wesley had done.
When dinner finally came, Karen’s appetite had vanished. She only picked at her food. Unable to focus on her friends, she excused herself early, her mind churning with worry as she made her way home. Sleep would not come. She tossed in bed, heart pounding with dread.
Eventually, she sought Elena out.
At a small café, Karen’s nerves betrayed her. She played with her hands, silent and uncertain.
Elena, growing more impatient and a little dizzy, watched her carefully. “Karen, could you please stop fidgeting and just say what you need to say?”
Karen went still. She inhaled and, choosing her words, asked, “Elena, what do you really think of my brother? I mean, you and he are about to get married.”
A gentle correction from Elena followed. “I’m not your sister-in-law yet, Karen. That hasn’t happened—at least, not for now.”
If not for the secret she carried about Cathy, Karen might have joked that it was only a matter of time. Now, she could not say those words. The risk was too great. If Elena learned Cathy was pregnant with Wesley’s child, she would walk away from him forever.
A ripple of unease ran through Karen, and she shifted her tactic. “Sorry about that,” she said.
Karen hesitated before finally voicing her question. “Elena, if my brother made a really serious mistake, would you be able to forgive him?”
A confused frown crossed Elena’s face. “What kind of mistake are you talking about?”
Caught off guard, Karen rushed to cover her tracks. “Oh, nothing specific! I was only speaking in theory, that’s all.”
One shaky hand brushed across her brow as she realized how close she’d come to slipping the truth.
Unbothered, Elena kept her composure. “I don’t like answering pretend questions. There’s no point if it’s not real.”
That left Karen in stunned silence.
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