"I can’t do this right now."
My voice cos out thin and barely steady.
I grip the edge of the counter tightly because suddenly I feel dizzy all over again.
Thomas wisely says absolutely nothing behind us. Actually, I don’t even look at him, I physically cannot deal with another human being seeing my face right now.
I stare hard at the sink instead while panic claws violently through my chest.
I’m pregnant With Zane’s baby.
Holy shit.
"El," Ivy says quietly again.
I finally look at her and imdiately see the worry written all over her face. That almost breaks .
I force out a shaky breath quickly before I completely lose it in the middle of a supermarket bathroom.
"I’m okay."
The lie sounds terrible and Ivy clearly knows it too.
"You do not look okay."
"I just..." I swallow hard. "I need to think."
She hesitates.
"You want to co ho with you?"
Imdiately panic flashes through .
"No."
Too fast.
I soften slightly.
"I an... no. Not yet."
Because if anybody stays near right now, I genuinely think I might start spiraling out loud.
And I can’t. Not until I figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do.
I quickly grab Ivy’s hands tightly.
"Thank you for coming with ."
"Elaine....."
"I an it."
Emotion burns painfully in my throat.
"I would’ve completely lost my mind alone."
Her face softens imdiately.
"You’re not alone."
That almost makes cry.
I squeeze her hands once more before letting go carefully.
"We’ll talk later okay?"
She still looks unsure, very unsur but finally she nods slowly.
"Call imdiately if you start panicking."
"I’m already panicking."
"You know what I an."
Despite everything, I huff out the tiniest laugh.
Then Ivy glances once toward Thomas standing stiffly near the entrance before lowering her voice.
"Are you going to tell him?"
My stomach drops instantly.
Zane.
Oh God.
"I don’t know yet."
That answer terrifies more than anything else. Because usually when it cos to him, I know, even when things are ssy between us, even when emotions are complicated.
I know. But this? This changes everything.
Ivy hugs tightly before finally leaving the bathroom and I stand there frozen for another few seconds afterward.
Then slowly turn toward Thomas. He politely looks at literally anything except .
Bless him for that honestly.
"Ready to leave, ma’am?" he asks carefully.
I nod weakly.
——
The drive ho is torture. Absolute torture.
The convoy moves smoothly through traffic while I sit curled into the corner of the backseat clutching my bag tightly against my stomach.
Pregnant.
Every ti the word enters my head, panic follows imdiately after.
I stare out the tinted window watching buildings blur past while my thoughts spiral harder and harder.
How do I tell Zane? Do I even tell him now?
What if he doesn’t want this? What if he regrets us entirely afterward? What if this ruins everything?
My throat tightens painfully.
And underneath all the fear...There’s sothing else too.
Sothing quieter and softer. A feeling I don’t even want to acknowledge yet because it scares too much.
I rest a shaky hand unconsciously against my stomach. There could actually be a baby there.
A tiny human.
Mine.....my child and Zane’s.
The thought hits so hard emotionally I quickly pull my hand away again like I burned myself.
No.
Don’t think about that yet
I squeeze my eyes shut briefly.
Outside, security vehicles continue escorting us through the city completely unaware that my entire life just changed inside a supermarket bathroom.
The rest of the drive passes in suffocating silence.
I sit curled against the leather seat staring blankly out the window while my thoughts continue spiraling completely out of control.
The convoy slows briefly at a traffic light, sunlight flashing across the tinted windows before fading again.
Up front, Thomas shifts slightly in the passenger seat. I barely notice at first, but he looks visibly uncomfortable so I ask.
"What is it Thomas."
He hesitates for a mont then quietly:
"Ma’am."
I blink slowly.
"What?"
His eyes et mine briefly through the rearview mirror before returning to the road.
"There’s sothing I think you should consider."
Imdiately my stomach tightens.
The serious tone in his voice makes anxiety crawl sharply up my spine.
"What?"
He hesitates. And suddenly I don’t like this conversation already.
"Wih all due respect..." he says carefully. "You should question how this happened."
I stare at the back of his head.
"What do you an?"
Another pause.
Then....
"You said you were taking precautions right? Well I uhmmm overheard you and Ivy."
Coldness spreads slowly through my chest.
"I was."
"Yes."
Sothing about the way he says it makes my pulse spike. I straighten slowly in my seat.
"Thomas."
He exhales quietly.
"I’m only saying this because I’ve worked around n like Mr. Zane for years."
Confusion flashes through first. Then irritation.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
He grips the steering wheel tighter.
"That perhaps..." He chooses his next words very carefully. "This wasn’t entirely accidental."
For a second I genuinely don’t understand him. Then realization hits and rage follows imdiately after.
"What?"
My voice cos out dangerously sharp. Thomas glances at briefly again.
"I’m not accusing him directly, ma’am."
"It sure sounds like you are."
"I’m saying wealthy powerful n sotis take matters into their own hands when they want sothing."
My entire body goes rigid.
"No."
The word leaves instantly. Thomas continues carefully anyway.
"You should at least ask yourself how soone gets pregnant while consistently taking birth control."
I stare at him in complete disbelief. Actually disbelief, anger burning hot and imdiate inside my chest.
"You think Zane tampered with my pills? Or did sothing.?"
"I didn’t say that specifically."
"But that’s what you’re implying."
Silence.
My breathing sharpens.
"That’s insane."
"Maybe," Thomas says quietly. "But not impossible."
"No."
I shake my head harder now.
"No."
Because absolutely not.
Not Zane. Not him. Yes, sure he’s controlling sotis, protective to the point of insanity and possessive
But this? No. There’s a line and Zane would never.....Would he?
The horrible thought sneaks in before I can stop it. Imdiately afterward cos another mor, him kissing my stomach this morning absentmindedly. The way he stared at after I got sick at the funeral that strange unreadable look on his face.
My chest tightens painfully.
No.
I shove the thought away instantly.
"You’re wrong," I say sharply.
Thomas nods once.
"I hope I am."
That sohow makes even angrier.
"I’ve been with him every single day," I snap. "You think I wouldn’t notice sothing like that?"
"I think people notice what they expect to notice."
I stare at him.
Fury crackles hotter through now because suddenly I hate that his words planted doubt at all.
I hate it. I hate him for saying it and worst of all? J hate the tiny ugly voice in the back of my head whispering what if.
"No," I repeat more quietly now. "Zane wouldn’t do that to ."
Thomas says nothing else after that but the damage is already done. The rest of the drive ho becos even worse sohow.
Because now alongside fear and panic...Doubt slithers silently into the spaces between my thoughts.
"Why are you telling this?."
"Because I see you as my sister....a sister I need to protect."
We don’t say anything else after that.
The second the car stops, I’m out before Thomas can even open the dot properly.
"Ma’am....."
I ignore him completely.
My heart is pounding violently now, anger burning so hot through that I can barely think straight. The front doors swing open before I even reach them. One of the guards says sothing to but I don’t hear a word.
I storm through the house so fast my heels slam hard against the marble floors. Straight toward Zane’s office.
I don’t knock. I shove the door open so hard it bangs loudly against the wall.
Zane looks up imdiately from where he’s seated behind his desk.
He’s on a call.
"...I said move the shipnt by Tuesda...."
The second he sees my face, he stops, hs brows pull together instantly.
"I’ll call you back."
He ends the call without another word and slowly rises to his feet. Concern replaces the focus on his face imdiately.
"Elaine?"
I slam the office door shut behind so hard the sound echoes.
His expression sharpens now.
"What’s wrong?"
I’m breathing hardand My emotions are everywhere all at once.
Anger....So much anger.
I march toward him until I’m standing directly in front of his desk.
"What did you do?"
He blinks once.
"What?"
"What did you do!?" I repeat louder.
confusion flashes across his face now.
"Elaine, what are you talking about?"
That sohow makes angrier, because he looks genuinely confused Or maybe he’s pretending.
I don’t know anymore.
"Don’t do that," I snap.
"Do what?"
"That!"
His jaw tightens slightly.
"Talk to properly."
My chest rises and falls sharply.
"Did you get fucking pregnant?!"
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