choing in the sterile hallway. Pregnant. Six weeks. I placed a hand

did it have to choose this moment to

e long corridor, a familia

veland, who was sobbing into his chest. He was murmuring words of comfort, his expre

heart pounding. I couldn't hear their wor

carried down the hall. "Do you

ssive. It was a careless statement that revealed everyth

ssed, her voice laced with a desperate ambition.

hint of steel in his tone. "Elana

caught in

ce softer now, tinged with what sounded like gui

sion with a reluctant nod. He pulled h

e said, his voice thick with emotion. "A

out to close, Hayden's eyes flickered in my direction. For a split second, her gaze

known I was ther

rs I' d been holding back streamed down my face, hot and unstop

up his other family. What did that make me? A placeholder? A symb

and in health, till death do us part." He had sa

e, this toxic, fractured thing, was

ed back to the front desk and sche

alled my

e cold and steady. "I want everything split d

l parking lot when my phone rang. It w

irthday,

the chaos and the pain, my ow

is voice laced with practiced regret. "A cri

lips. "Okay," I said, the two wor

s. "I' ve arranged a gala for you tonight. To celebrate your birthda

eated, my voi

me cry with happiness. Now, they were

anymore. I hung up the phone, my

premonition. He had no idea what was coming. He felt a sense of unease, a feeling

dea it was