swept across the massive manicured lawns o

hipped the thin fabric against her legs. She gripped the handles of Jare

amily elders who did attend sat with faces carved fr

ible and cleared his th

p from the front row. The loud scraping of her chair

. She raised her hand and violently hurled a thick s

cratched Carlota's cheek. The pictur

d nightclub. She had taken the job to pay for Graham's meds. The angles were delibe

r voice echoing across the estate. "You think you

ryone knows you are pregnant with a bastard! Some random stree

whisper loudly, their

so hard she couldn't breathe. She gripped the rubbe

is wheelchair around, placing his bo

barked, his voice laced with pure

are throwing away the family's di

e massive lump of shame in her throat. She bent down, her knees tr

leanora's security, Carlota's small designer clutch had fallen from the wheelchair's side pocket onto the grass. Carlota had planned to incinerate the diary and the report that morning to erase her past forever, but the sudden, early arrival of the Pierc

r hands inside. She pulled out a small leather diary

s an ultrasound report

rinted in black ink. She did the math in her he

th the night Donavan had been drugged at

rror. Carlota wasn't carrying a stranger's baby. S

st, shoving it deep into her own designer pur

y dragged Eleanora away. The priest rushed t

t Jared to deal with the elders and w

vy oak door open a

ed her by the arm and violently yanked her into t

es away. "You lying bitch," Harper hissed, her eyes

bs. She tried to keep her face blank. "

se and shoved it against Carlota's chest. "The dates mat

, her hands instinctively flying down to cover her stomach.

hless laugh. "You think I'm g

idestep Harper and

ands and shoved Carlota's shoulders

heels. Her ankles twisted

brutally into the sharp, solid

lid stone echoed in the room. Carlo

rug, curling into a tight ball. A blindin

, rapidly staining the pure white chiffon

n her eyes. Then, she coldly smoothed down her skirt, tur

the room. He saw Carlota lying

roared, his eyes turning