Ivy’s POV
Saturday morning in our fortified apartnt felt like a rare gift. I sat cross-legged on the bulletproof glass-reinforced living room floor, watching Max construct towers with his blocks while Zoe sprawled across the leather sofa, her legs dangling over the armrest. We discussed weekend plans in hushed tones, grateful for this precious respite from our usual Saturday security briefings. Caleb had recently reduced the mandatory family council etings, reserving them only for genuine ergencies that threatened the organization.
The sharp ring of my encrypted phone from the marble kitchen counter shattered our peaceful conversation. I glanced at the caller identification and recognized the number, though sothing felt unsettling about it. dical facility. Unusual timing.
"Hello?"
"Ivy? This is Sarah from Dr. Taylor’s private practice. How have you been managing, sweetheart?"
"Oh, Sarah! I’m managing well, thank you. How are things with you?"
"Excellent, dear. I was anticipating your call to reschedule that appointnt you had to cancel. It has been quite an extended period now."
My stomach plumted like lead. The appointnt. How could I have completely overlooked it? "Dear God, Sarah, I apologize profusely. These recent weeks have been absolutely overwhelming."
"No cause for concern, honey. I’m contacting you because I’m updating confidential patient records today, and your file is positioned directly before on my desk. Since your current birth control coverage has lapsed, I thought perhaps you might consider coming in today? Dr. Taylor has an available slot this afternoon if that interests you."
The words struck like arctic water. Birth control coverage lapsed. My mind scrambled frantically, attempting to calculate dates, but everything felt hazy and disconnected.
"Sarah, could you verify my file? How long has my coverage been expired?"
"Let examine this... appears to be for quite so ti now. You had the subcutaneous implant that provides extended protection..."
Her voice dissolved into background static as terror seized my chest. An extended period. An extended period without any protection. The elevator encounter with Caleb blazed through my mory with devastating clarity. This could not be happening again. Not now. Not with everything so dangerously complicated.
I must have produced so audible reaction because suddenly Zoe materialized beside , carefully extracting the phone from my trembling hands. She spoke briefly with Sarah before disconnecting.
"Ivy, focus on . Breathe alongside ." Zoe’s voice sliced through the panic consuming .
I stared at her as if she were communicating in an alien language. My chest felt constricted, as though soone was systematically squeezing all oxygen from my lungs. Zoe grasped my hands firmly, demonstrating slow, deliberate breaths until I could synchronize with her rhythm.
"Zoe... the elevator... it occurred weeks ago..." I struggled to formulate coherent thoughts.
"I understand, honey. I have arranged your appointnt for this afternoon. Go shower and prepare yourself while I request Finn to supervise Max." Zoe had imdiately shifted into ergency managent mode.
Minutes later, we hurried from the building, leaving Max under Finn’s reliable protection. Finn observed my distressed condition but wisely refrained from pressing for details when Zoe remained deliberately silent. She knew he would imdiately alert Caleb if he suspected anything genuinely serious.
Outside the dical facility, Zoe squeezed my ice-cold hands and t my gaze steadily.
"Whatever transpires inside, we will confront it together. You are not isolated in this situation."
A solitary tear traced down my cheek as we entered the building. Sarah welcod us with her characteristic warmth, quickly preparing chamomile tea when she noticed my obvious distress. Dr. Taylor erged from his private office monts later, beaming at both of us.
"My most cherished patients! I have been wondering when you would visit."
"Hello, Dr. Taylor," Zoe embraced him affectionately. Since Finn’s family had essentially adopted her into their inner circle, she had developed a close relationship with his uncle as well.
"I am thriving wonderfully, though I do not see nearly enough of you these days. Austin kept occupied with the latest genetic research conferences, but I expected more frequent visits from you living so nearby now."
"Life in this city moves at breakneck speed," Zoe laughed. "Plus you are constantly traveling to fascinating destinations."
"And Ivy, how have you been coping?" Dr. Taylor directed his attention to , extending his hand.
"Terrified, honestly. I have made a potentially catastrophic error." My voice cracked with raw emotion.
"Let us not assu the worst before we possess any definitive information. Co, let us conduct a proper examination." Dr. Taylor guided us into his secure private office.
He began with standard dical inquiries, weaving in lighthearted anecdotes and gentle humor to alleviate my tension. Once my breathing had stabilized, he requested I change into an examination gown for the physical assessnt. His professional silence during the examination only intensified my anxiety. He collected blood samples personally, marking them urgent for laboratory processing.
"Results will require a while. Let us wait comfortably." Dr. Taylor escorted us to a small sitting area within his office, serving coffee and pastries that Sarah had thoughtfully arranged.
We discussed our adjustnt to city life and Max’s developnt. I ntioned my parents’ relocation to the farm, and Dr. Taylor promised to visit them during his next trip to Greenleaf. The conversation helped occupy the ti, though my stomach remained knotted with apprehension.
Sarah’s gentle knock announced the arrival of test results. Dr. Taylor reviewed them ticulously before raising his eyes to mine.
"Ivy, you are pregnant. Congratulations on this wonderful news. Max will have a sibling..."
The room spun violently around . My vision narrowed as consciousness slipped away.
I awakened on the leather couch with Dr. Taylor monitoring my blood pressure. The reality crashed over in overwhelming waves. Pregnant. Again. Zoe watched with barely contained excitent dancing in her eyes.
"I am receiving another godchild!" she announced joyfully.
"Only you could make smile right now," I managed through tears and nervous laughter. "At least this ti I know who the father is!"
Our shared laughter filled the room, breaking so of the suffocating tension.
"Ivy, you are incredibly resilient. This pregnancy will be different," Dr. Taylor assured . "I will have Sarah schedule all your prenatal appointnts imdiately to prevent any missed visits. I am prescribing prenatal vitamins, anti-nausea dication, and other necessities."
"Thank you," I nodded, feeling slightly more grounded.
"Zoe, I cannot inform Caleb about this. Not yet." I noticed Dr. Taylor’s expression shift behind his glasses.
"That will be nearly impossible, Ivy. The girls would preserve your secret indefinitely, but Finn and Thorne have beco close allies. My boyfriend is not exactly renowned for his discretion," Zoe warned.
"My nephew was never reliable with confidential information," Dr. Taylor agreed. "Ivy, if you will permit to say so, Caleb deserves to know. I understand your situation is complicated, but..."
"Wait, how do you know about Ivy and Caleb?" Zoe interrupted, clearly surprised.
"Finn introduced us recently. Caleb required information about DNA testing procedures. Actually, I ca in today specifically to et with him. You might encounter him when you leave," Dr. Taylor admitted reluctantly.
"Finn never ntioned any of this to ," Zoe muttered irritably.
"Professor, I need your complete discretion. Caleb is getting married very soon, and I will not be responsible for disrupting his life," I pleaded, knowing he would honor patient confidentiality.
Ard with prescriptions and a complete appointnt schedule, we prepared to leave. Dr. Taylor extracted promises for future social visits with his family. Stepping out of his office, I exhaled with relief at the empty waiting room. But as we finished saying goodbye to Sarah and turned toward the exit, I found myself face to face with Caleb and his insufferable fiancée clinging possessively to his arm.
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