Ivy’s POV
The weekend stretched endlessly before like a minefield I had to navigate alone. My mind felt fractured, thoughts scattered in every direction as I tried to make sense of what was happening to my body and my place in this violent underworld.
Sunday afternoon, I gathered my closest allies at my fortified apartnt in the family compound. The weight of my secret pressed against my chest as I looked at their expectant faces. When I finally told them about the pregnancy, chaos erupted in the most heartwarming way possible. Zoe, Ruby, and the other wives imdiately launched into a heated debate about who would earn the coveted title of godmother.
"I’m already Max’s godmother, so I’m obviously disqualified," Zoe announced with mock disappointnt, which only intensified the competition among the others in our tight-knit sisterhood.
"Ruby, I need you to promise sothing," I said, my voice carrying the gravity that ca with living in our dangerous world. "Don’t tell Parker yet. I want to handle that conversation myself when the ti is right."
They all nodded solemnly, understanding the delicate politics of keeping information from other family heads, even allied ones.
Monday morning hit like a freight train loaded with concrete blocks. Every muscle in my body felt heavy, and an overwhelming fatigue seed to seep into my bones. I could barely keep my eyes open as I sat at my desk in the Thorne Group offices, trying to focus on the laundered transaction reports in front of .
"Ivy, wake up," Xavier’s gentle voice cut through the fog in my brain. "Co on, you need to lie down on the couch in my office."
I lifted my head from where it had been resting on my desk, blinking in confusion at the consigliere’s concerned face. "What happened?"
"You were sleeping at your desk again. I think I should give you so ti off," he said, genuine worry evident in his voice as he studied my pale complexion.
"I fell asleep?" The realization hit with a wave of irritation. "I think I’m having a really severe stress crisis from all the family politics."
Xavier knew better, of course. The way he looked at told he suspected exactly what was wrong, especially after Caleb had spotted at the private clinic on Saturday.
"I think you should see our family doctor, Ivy. I’m starting to worry about you. You’re so pale lately. Could this be anemia? Are you eating properly?" Xavier extended his arm to help stand, and I gratefully accepted the support as dizziness washed over .
"Actually, Xavier, I can barely keep anything down. I’ve already lost several pounds," I admitted, leaning against his shoulder for stability. But the mont I got close, a wave of nausea hit , and I jerked away abruptly. "Oh my god, Xavier, what is that sll?"
"Sll? What sll?" He lifted his arm, sniffing himself with genuine confusion. "It’s just my cologne, Ivy. The sa one I wear every day."
"No, it’s not the sa! It’s way too strong!" I said, making a disgusted face that I couldn’t control.
"Wow, friend, what an ugly expression," Gemma teased as she walked into the room and caught sight of my horrified look. As one of the capo’s wives, she had learned to find humor even in our deadly serious world.
"She said I sll terrible, Gemma!" Xavier said with an exaggerated pout.
"That’s impossible! You’re the best-slling consigliere I know. Your cologne is even better than Dominic’s. Let investigate." Gemma proceeded to sniff around Xavier like a detective searching for clues. "No, you sll absolutely delicious."
"You don’t find it overwhelmingly strong? Nauseating?" I insisted, still fighting the urge to gag.
"Friend, it must be because you haven’t been eating properly and your senses are getting hypersensitive," Gemma said diplomatically, trying to diate the situation with the wisdom that ca from surviving years in mafia families.
"Co on, lie down in my office for a while, and I’ll order sothing for you to eat. Sothing really appetizing," Xavier said, treating like precious cargo that needed careful handling. "What sounds good to you?"
"Chocolate cake!" The words tumbled out of my mouth with surprising enthusiasm, my eyes practically sparkling at the thought.
Xavier left the room chuckling at my sudden excitent. Gemma instructed to rest because I looked incredibly weak, then followed him out. So ti later, I woke up alone with a perfect slice of chocolate cake waiting for . I sat up and demolished that cake with an intensity that surprised even .
After washing my face in the bathroom, I found Gemma at her desk and asked her to join for coffee in our secure break room.
"Did you eat the cake?" she asked, studying my face with the sharp eye of soone trained to spot weakness in our unforgiving world.
"Yes, I devoured it. I’ve been really exhausted lately, Gemma. Xavier ntioned giving a few days off and I think I should accept. It might be beneficial until things stabilize."
"Maybe that’s wise. The leadership suspects sothing serious is happening with you," Gemma warned carefully. "All the capos have been asking questions."
"Damn it! Last ti I didn’t experience anything like this. Now it feels like I’m dying," I said with a frustrated pout.
"My mom always said every pregnancy is completely different," Gemma laughed knowingly, her voice dropping to ensure our conversation remained private.
"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" Katelyn appeared in the break room and imdiately inquired about my wellbeing with the maternal concern of soone who had survived decades in this brutal business.
"Not very well, Katelyn," I replied honestly.
"Would you like to get you anything special?" she offered kindly.
"No, thank you."
"You really need to see our family doctor, and soon," Katelyn said before leaving the break room with a worried expression that spoke to genuine care beneath her hardened exterior.
I returned to my office, but it wasn’t long before Caleb appeared in my doorway, his commanding presence filling the entire space like a storm cloud.
"My angel, how are you feeling?" He knelt beside my chair and asked with genuine concern that seed to contradict his reputation as a ruthless don.
"Just perfectly fine, thank you!" I replied with deliberate coldness.
"You’re not fine, Ivy. If you were fine, you wouldn’t have needed to visit the clinic. Tell what’s wrong because I’m worried about you," he insisted, his piercing blue eyes searching my face for answers.
"You should worry about your precious fiancee instead," I replied grumpily, and suddenly tears started flowing down my cheeks. These damn hormones were going to be the death of in this deadly ga we all played.
Caleb imdiately scooped up and carried into Xavier’s empty office, closing the door behind us with the practiced efficiency of a man accustod to securing private spaces.
"My angel, I care deeply about you," Caleb said while holding close. "Tell what’s troubling you."
"Nothing significant, Caleb. Go spend ti with your hell-spawn fiancee," I tried to break free from his embrace, but he tightened his hold and actually laughed.
"I took her there because I needed her to undergo a test at our trusted facility. But I had to maintain the role of devoted fiance to convince her to do it."
"What kind of test?" I asked, my curiosity overriding my anger.
"DNA test. Finn’s uncle inford about one that only requires the mother’s blood, completely safe, and one hundred percent accurate. So I took her there under the pretense that it was just routine testing for the prenuptial agreent and that we would go for a pleasant walk afterward. She has no idea she underwent a DNA test. But everything was carefully orchestrated. You can ask any of the capos, including Finn. They know the entire strategy," he explained while cradling in his lap.
"Do you honestly think this child isn’t yours?" I asked quietly.
"I’m almost completely certain, my angel," he answered confidently. "Now tell what’s wrong with you. You’ve been acting strangely for days, feeling sick constantly. Xavier suggested it might be an ulcer. Is that accurate?"
"It’s nothing serious. Just stress taking its toll. You know it hasn’t been easy lately with all the family tensions," I replied, being as evasive as humanly possible. "Xavier offered a few days off, and I think I should accept."
"If it will help you feel better, my angel." He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head.
Caleb remained there, simply holding for what felt like an eternity. Just embracing in comfortable silence. I felt so perfectly safe in his powerful arms that I wished ti would stop completely.
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