Page 108 of Revenge Is a Dish Best Served… Wearing Heels?
This fucking city. Couldn't drive. Couldn't walk.
The only thing to do was keep on running. Harder. Faster.
Ten minutes late now. Fuck.
I prayed I wasn't too late. I had to see her. I needed to see her, needed to know what was going on.
Shit.
Finally, I skidded to a stop at 985 Park, an upscale prewar building with black and platinum trim that screamed money and privacy. There was no way I'd go unnoticed walking into this building.
Pushing through the revolving door, I entered the marble-tiled lobby, a doorman behind a desk looking up sharply.
"Luma Women's Wellness?" I asked, a bit breathless.
After a moment of scrutiny, his features relaxed, and he gave me a nod, pointing at the elevators. "Sixth floor, suite 604, Mr. Hawthorne."
For once, I was grateful to be recognized. Maybe my dad's reputation hadn't totally ruined me after all.
The elevator took forever, my finger jabbing the buttons again and again like that would help. Thankfully, there was no one else around to witness my panicked vibes.
My stomach twisted in knots, I waited impatiently until I made it to the sixth floor, stepping out into a hushed, carpetedhallway, its calming neutral colors doing nothing to help my anxiety. There was soft spa music drifting from the end of the hall where Luma Women's Wellness was located.
I threw open the door and strode straight to the reception desk, wondering how I'd get past this next hurdle.
The woman behind the counter glanced up, her eyes widening as she studied me. "Good afternoon, how can I help you?"
"I'm here for Astrid Stratton. She's in room four. Sorry. I'm a little late."
After a slight pause, while I wondered if she could hear the frantic pace of my heart, she nodded slightly, the locked door clicking open for me. "Last door on the right," she said.
I was already through the entrance before she finished her sentence, rushing past the first few rooms until I came upon room four.
And now that I was here, I hesitated a beat. What on earth would I find inside?
Taking a deep breath, it was now or never.
With a light knock, I slowly pushed the door open.
And there she was. Astrid. Lying back on an exam table, her shirt lifted, gel on her stomach, and a technician holding a wand over her skin, a screen glowing next to them in the dim room.
Astrid's head snapped toward me, her mouth opening in shock.
I froze in the doorway, hoping the room would stop spinning.
Jesus Christ.
The only sound in the room... a soft, rhythmic thump.
My eyes drawn to the screen, there was a small, grainy image there, flickering in black and white.
My breath caught. My heart stopped. Then slammed into gear.
That was an ultrasound.
That was—
I looked at Astrid's face. Then back at the screen.
