Updated Mar 22, 2026 • ~2 min read
Chapter 13: Conrad Suspicious
CONRAD
Something is wrong with Maren.
I can feel it.
She’s distracted. Secretive.
Leaving work early.
Taking mysterious calls.
And she’s gaining weight.
Not judging. Just… noticing.
“Are you okay?” I ask over dinner.
“Fine. Why?”
“You seem… off. Since we lost Hartley.”
“I’m just disappointed. We worked hard.”
“We did. But I have a theory.”
She tenses.
Subtle. But I notice.
“What theory?”
“I think the Kings had inside information. Someone fed them our strategy.”
Maren’s face goes pale.
“You think we have a mole?”
“I think the Kings are desperate. And desperate people do terrible things.”
She’s quiet.
Too quiet.
“Maren. If there’s something you need to tell me—”
“There’s nothing.”
“Because if someone is feeding information to the Kings—”
“There’s no mole, Uncle Conrad. We just… we lost. Fair and square.”
I don’t believe her.
But I let it drop.
For now.
***
I start investigating.
Quietly.
Pull phone records. Email logs. Calendar appointments.
Maren’s been taking a lot of afternoons off.
Medical appointments, she says.
But she’s never been sick.
Never missed work before.
So I call our insurance company.
Request a list of claims.
And there it is.
OB/GYN appointments.
Multiple.
Maren is pregnant.
My niece is pregnant.
***
I confront Valeria.
My wife.
The voice of reason.
“Did you know Maren is pregnant?”
She looks up from her book.
Surprised.
“What?”
“Pregnant. OB appointments for the past three months.”
Valeria’s expression softens.
“Oh. That explains a lot.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Probably because she knew you’d react like this.”
“Like what?”
“Angry. Judgmental.”
I’m not angry.
I’m… concerned.
“Who’s the father?”
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters. She’s the face of Ross Agency. Pregnant and unmarried will be a scandal.”
“Or it will be a blessing. A grandniece or nephew for you. A new generation.”
I want to believe that.
But I have a bad feeling.
Something about the timeline.
The secrecy.
The way she’s been acting.
I need to know who the father is.
And I have a terrible suspicion.
END OF CHAPTER 13
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