Chapter 2

The next morning, the city sunlight felt harsh, intrusive.

My phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand. A barrage of texts from Diana Sterling, Tori' s mother.

"Ethan, darling, Tori tells me you two are thinking about starting a family! Wonderful news!"

"A grandchild is just what we need to solidify the family legacy, don't you think?"

"The Hudson-Sterling alliance will be cemented for generations!"

I stared at the messages, a cold knot forming in my stomach. Legacy. Alliance. Not love, not family in any real sense.

Tori emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a silk robe. The notification sounds from my phone were loud in the quiet room.

She glanced at my phone, then at me, a sneer playing on her lips.

"Still trying to use my mother to get into my bed, Ethan? Pathetic."

I was shirtless, having just showered, trying to wash away the grime of the previous night's revelations. For a fleeting second, I saw something flicker in her eyes as she looked at my chest, an unwelcome spark of attraction, maybe? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual disdain.

"I've made arrangements for the baby," she announced, her voice crisp and businesslike. "Get dressed. We're leaving in an hour."

My mind reeled. "Arrangements? What arrangements? What baby?"

She didn't elaborate, just turned and walked into her massive closet.

An hour later, dressed in a suit I suddenly felt suffocated by, I found myself in the back of Tori's chauffeured SUV.

"Where are we going, Tori?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

She just stared out the window, a picture of bored elegance.

The car pulled up to an exclusive, discreet building in a quiet, upscale neighborhood. The sign read: "The Beaumont Clinic for Reproductive Health."

My blood ran cold.