Philli

gilded hallways, and into the cold night air. They deposited me at the front desk of

ld the tired-looking nurse, then they turned and walked away,

with God knows what, and a look of thinly veiled disdain crossed her fa

d I sat. The air smelled of antiseptic and human misery. A man in the

from the party, combined with the soul-crushing shock, was brewing into a f

creen was lit up with Jaxon's name. A call. Then another. Then

into my purse. I didn't want to hear his

er I didn't recognize. I hesitated, the

xon's personal assistant. "Mr. Francis has instructed me to arrange

what? Lockin

oice a hoarse whisper. "Tell

s, Mr. Franci

ver of ice entering my tone, "to

e could reply and

of my mind. It was the same tone, the same dismissive impatience my father used to use on my mother whenever her tears became inconvenient. The

ed back on itself and became nothing. A void. I waited for t

heart, all that's left is a barren, silent wasteland. And in that

like this anym

a Phi

to a small examination room. She took my blood, my temperature, my blood pressu

d wire-rimmed glasses came in, holding a chart. He l

high, and we'll need to admit you to manage that. But there's so

umor? Some rare, fatal disease? A part of me, the par

cross from me. He took off his gla

rine tests..." he started, pau

d stopped feeling anything,

e spoke each word slowly, clearly, as if to m

you're pregnant.