ike live wire. Avery gasped for air and bo

head lamp made her squint. She pressed both hands hard against her chest. Ins

t fast and strong. There was no bullet h

p slowly. Take a deep brea

epped over and handed her

oking the Manhattan skyline, and the luxurious quiet that felt both familiar and sickening. On the mahogany desk, a digit

ngers trembled around the

ight-blue medical folder across

just came back. Congratulations, Mrs.

Ericka in the underground garage. Her mother-in-law had torn the paper to shreds and spread rumors that Avery was barren, paving the way for Ericka to step

flat stomach. Her eyes burned. This was her only child. Across two

u, who else kn

er amber eyes turn

he young wife's gaze, Dr. Vance p

nt. The samples went through an

and wrote a massive sum capable of buying half the clin

agreement. If a single word about my pregnancy leaks from this system, my legal team

check, swallowed hard, and immediately fed th

ord has been permanently archived as a r

into the innermost zippered pocket of her Hermès Birkin bag. She stood up, smoothed her

East Side hit her face. Across the street, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom waited at the

tant just called to ask if you are

ade Avery's stomach

N

the leather backs

back to the Schmidt

the past, she had begged for excuses to visit her husban

k and closed her eyes. Her parents were still alive, the family business had not been hollowed out,