Page 84 of Porcelain Lies

“Three days in a row? At exactly the same time each morning?” Her footsteps pace outside. “Come on, you’re usually the logical one here.”

Logical.

Right.

I’ve done some pretty irrational things these past weeks. And now, I’m beginning to wonder… I think back, counting days, trying to remember… The charity event. Aleksei. Then Gianni’s setup and that night at the manor. My mind skitters away from the memories even as my body remembers with uncomfortable clarity.

“I can’t be,” I whisper, more to myself than Hannah. But even as I say it, I notice how tender my breasts feel, how certain smells have been making me queasy.

“There’s an easy way to find out.” Hannah’s voice is gentler now.

I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting the wave of panic rising in my chest. A baby. Aleksei’s baby. The thought is impossible.

“Just… give me a minute,” I manage to say, though my voice shakes.

“Wish I could, hon, but I got a presentation this morning, and I’m already running late.” Her voice is tinged with regret. “I don’t mean to bail on you, but we can talk about this later, okay?”

“Sure,” I mumble, standing and washing my face in the basin. I brush my teeth and then head to my room, dressing and getting ready for work in a daze.

My head still hasn’t cleared by the time I get into the flow of work for the day. Hours drag by with me barely getting anything done. My fingers hover over my keyboard, but the quarterly budget numbers blur into meaningless shapes.

A baby…

No. I can’t believe that could be true. I have too much else on my plate. Nick’s terrified face keeps flashing through my mind, followed by Aleksei’s dark, possessive stare. The memory of his hands on my body makes my skin tingle even now.

Focus.

These projections need to be done by noon.

I type a few numbers into the spreadsheet, but my mind drifts to Nick again. Is he safe? Has he actually left the city? The thought of him alone and scared twists my stomach into knots.

“Stella.” Jack’s sharp voice cuts through my spiral. “Those numbers were due an hour ago.”

I straighten in my chair, forcing myself to meet my supervisor’s irritated gaze. His perfectly pressed suit and judgmental frown remind me that I’m on thin ice after missing work for my parents’ funerals.

“Sorry, I’ll have them to you in fifteen minutes.”

“Make it ten.” He taps his watch. “The board meeting starts at one, and I need time to review your report.”

The criticism in his tone snaps me back to reality. I can’t afford to lose this job — it’s all I have left. Taking a deep breath, I focus on the screen and start entering data with renewed determination.

Ten minutes.

You can do this, Stels.

One number at a time.

The familiar rhythm of financial calculations finally pushes thoughts of dangerous Russian men and runaway brothers to the background. At least temporarily.

The scent hits me before I see Martin walking past with his afternoon coffee. Rich, dark roast that normally makes my mouth water — but today my stomach lurches violently.

I bolt from my cubicle, one hand clamped over my mouth. The bathroom seems miles away as I weave through the maze of desks. Sarah calls out something about the quarterly report, but I can’t stop.

I barely make it into a stall before losing my lunch. The tile is cold against my knees as I heave, tears streaming down myface. When the nausea finally subsides, I sit back against the stall wall, my hands trembling.

That’s when it hits me — I’m late. Really late. With everything that happened with Nick and Aleksei, I hadn’t even noticed. But now, counting back the weeks since my last period, the truth is impossible to deny because I’m always like clockwork.

Hannah was right.

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