t and scrambled off the waterbed. The sharp, cramping pain in her lower abdomen made

p sending a fresh wave of pain through her body. The cold floor beneath her feet only made the disc

nst the cool Door panel as she gasped for air. Her chest heaving, her hands trembling, she

he crotch, her pupils dilated in horror. This wasn't her period. This was the bleeding sh

lighting up with Corina's name. Charlie's heart skipped a beat-her sister, the one

ng her voice to sound lazy and normal, as if she was just waking up. "Hey

"Where the hell were you this weekend? You were supposed to come back to the

so sorry, Corina. I was with Ami in the Hamptons, doing a spa weekend.

anging on Wall Street. The Buchanan family is secretly buying up Powell shares. Stay away from them-all of t

ight. She'd known it from the moment she'd gotten involved with Claudius, but she'd been

's deep voice, laced with concern. "Baby, are you okay? Yo

rina, I have to go. The signal is really bad here. I'll call you back later, okay?" Bef

him. "I'm okay, Claudius! Just a minute, I'll be right out!" Her voice trem

what she was looking for-a Clearblue digital pregnancy test that Ami had jokingly stuffed into her bag a few we

wed the instructions, urinating on the test stick before setting it down on the marble countert

e. But to Charlie, it felt like a lifetime. The hourglass icon on the test's screen

d him twist the doorknob, and when he found it locked, his voice

could hear it in her ears. Finally, the hourglass disappeared, and two clea

t. Pregnant with the child of the man who was trying to destroy her family, t

But she couldn't let Claudius know. If he found out she was pregnant, he would n

sh can, where it would be hidden from sight. She grabbed a handful of toilet paper and tucked it into her panties, t

eep breaths, forcing herself to compose herself, to put on the act of the weak, suffering girl h

mountain, his tall frame blocking out the light. In his hand, he h

ess of her cheeks. His brows furrowed, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair

h a mix of real pain and feigned weakness. "It hurts so bad, Claudius," she whisper

o the top of her head. He held the cup of brown sugar water to her l