I’m pregnant. Fuck. I’m pregnant with Ezra’s child. This can’t be happening.
I can’t have this baby. Not like this. Not with him. Not in this bloody world.
The weight of the realization suffocates me, my lips quivering uncontrollably.
I sink to the floor, my back sliding against the cold tiles until my butt hits the ground. Tears burn my eyes, and it takes every bit of struggle to not let them fall. I can’t afford to break down… not now.
The card in my pocket calls out to me, the stranger’s offer replaying in my head. A way out. A chance to escape. But can I trust him? What if it’s a trap? What if he’s just another player in this game, another person trying to use me?
A soft knock on the bedroom door startles me, and I whirl around, panic seizing my chest.
I take the test sticks and toss them behind the toilet bowl, scampering to the door in time to see it open. I quickly hold it in place, giving just enough space to see him and be seen. It’s Ezra.
I instantly school my expression, narrowing every one of my senses on him.
He looks exhausted, his injured arm hanging limply at his side, connected to the IV pole. The drip is almost exhausted.
“Are you okay? You don’t look good,” he asks, with a frown, looking past me inside the room.
“Yes, I’m just having a private moment,” I tell him.
“Does that private moment include you getting naked?” he teases. “I’m all for a good fuck right now.”
I draw in a small breath and force an awkward smile. “Well, I’ve had quite the day, so I’ll pass on that offer.”
There’s a freaking human growing inside of me right now!I scream internally.
He pauses for a second, the smile wiping off his face. “Are you okay?”
Shit! Can he tell?
“Yes,” I manage a convincing smile, although I’m not sure it’s convincing enough.
He watches me for a moment, his green eyes narrowing slightly.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’ll be with you shortly to take out the cannula. You’ve completed your dose.”
He nods and turns away.
As soon as the bedroom door clicks shut, I rush to the bathroom, hands trembling as I grab the test sticks. The two unmistakable lines stare back at me. Tears well up, blurring everything, and I finally let them fall.
I’m pregnant.
Chapter twenty-two
Ezra
The morning light filters into my office through the window. I lean back in my chair, fingers tapping absentmindedly on the armrest, while Elio stands at attention across from me.
“Any news on the infiltrator’s identity yet?” I ask, my voice low, and controlled.
Elio shakes his head. “Nothing concrete yet, Boss. We’ve turned over every stone, but there’s no solid lead. I’m still digging, but it seems to be taking time.”
I frown slightly, pondering his words. He’s been thorough, I know that much. We’ve investigated the guards—everyone came out clean. No connection to the infiltrator.
Whoever that guy was, he was highly skilled to have made it past security on his own. We reexamined the CCTV footage, and it was all there—he moved through the mansion like a ghost, dodging the guards as if he knew the layout by heart.
If it’s up to Elio, he’ll keep searching for every little thread, but time is something we don’t have.