He Chose Her Over Our Dead Child

. Or

er in her lap, jerked apart. She pressed her palms flat again

He walked over to his mahogany desk, the heavy door clicking shut behind him, and sa

His voice was flat. Dull to the po

She opened it and stared at the grainy black-and-white ima

eks pregnant,"

after all the months of disappointment, there was finally a heartbeat inside her. The co

at the second folde

nd folder open, "your echocardiogram

le froze. "A

like a jagged mountain range. "Your heart muscle is enlarged and severely weak

shook her head. "No. That's impossible. I just had a

the page. "Your BNP levels are through the roof. Your heart cannot pump efficiently. The physical s

aph. The lines blurred.

rd, his eyes finally meeting hers, filled with pity. "If you carry this child

r belly protectively, her fingernails digging into the fabric of her

." Dr. Frye sighed. "I know this is devastatin

to be sick. She forced herself to breathe in through her nose, tasting t

jumped again, her hand flying to her Hermes bag. She pulled

. Just a loading image. The little spinning wheel seemed to

e finall

cashmere coat was helping a woman out of a black SUV. The woman wore a fitted maternity dress, her belly round and prom

hat profile anywhere. The sharp jawline, the perfectl

, the woman carrying that swollen belly, wa

t popped up.

the only one not having his k

bone-white. The plastic casing creaked under the pressure. He

s danced in her vision, and she swayed on her feet

chair. "Deidre, sit dow

ped his hand away. Her voi

tumbled toward the door, her heels catching on the thick rug. She yanked the door open

ezing, the kind of cold that bit into your skin and turned your lungs to ice. Deidre d

halt. Deidre yanked the bac

ed, looking at her pale fa

in the photo. The driver hesitated, taking in her sh

shivering. Her whole body vibrated with a cold that had nothing to do with the weat

He hadn't even looked at her when he said goodbye. Just a curt "I have meetings" befor

, modern building in Greenwich Village. Deidre th

s lobby. It smelled like fresh lilies and money. A receptionist in a

I hel

," Deidre said, her voic

nist's eyes narrowed slightly. "This is a

her breath. She gasped, clutching the edge of the reception counter. She couldn't cause a scene. If Da

d out. "I don't ha

fern, the broad green leaves hiding her from the main desk. She pressed her back again

clock. A dull ache began to bloom in her chest, radiating down her left arm. Her heart was struggling, skipping bea

open at the e

topped b

hair out of place. In his hand, he held a soft, camel-colo

n her large belly. She looked up at Danial through

He pulled the lapels together, his fingers lingering on the fabric, adjusting it perfectly around her n

It was a real smile, warm and unguarded, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He looke

al pain was nothing compared to the agonizing tear in her chest. It felt like

ubbed it gently, then leaned down, pressing his ear to her stomach, lis

s, combined with the sheer, visceral disgust of watching her husband fawn over another woman's child

aught on the metal

an

rough the silent lo

predatory, locked onto the corner where the sound had come from. He straight

ungs burned. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard she was sure he could hear it. Sh