Chapter 3

The cramps were a relentless tide now, pulling me under. I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying to breathe through the waves of pain.

Ethan was in his study, preparing for the gala. I could hear his voice, calm and authoritative, on the phone.

He was probably arranging Chloe' s future, a future built on my sacrifice.

I had to get through tonight. I had to pretend.

The thought of the gala, of facing all those people, Chloe' s smug triumph, Ethan' s possessive gaze, made me feel sick.

The pain was a constant reminder of the life I was ending, the life Ethan had unknowingly created.

It was a cruel irony. He, who believed himself sterile, had fathered a child with the woman he despised, the woman whose body he intended to plunder.

I stumbled to the bathroom, retching. Nothing came up but bile.

My reflection stared back, hollow-eyed, pale.

"You can do this," I whispered to the desperate woman in the mirror. "Just a little longer."

Ethan' s voice boomed from downstairs. "Sarah! Are you ready? We' re leaving soon."

His impatience was a whip, cracking over me.

I splashed water on my face, trying to erase the signs of my internal battle.

He couldn' t know. Not yet.

As I walked down the stairs, each step was an effort. My legs felt weak, shaky.

Ethan stood at the bottom, resplendent in a tuxedo. He looked every inch the successful, caring surgeon.

A wolf in sheep' s clothing.

His eyes scanned me, critical. "You look terrible. What' s wrong with you?"

"Just a headache," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. "You will not ruin Chloe' s night. Do you understand?"

His grip tightened. "There will be consequences if you do."

I nodded, my heart pounding. The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

He knew how to punish me. He' d done it before.

The pain in my belly was a burning fire now. It was happening.

I prayed I could hold it together, just for a few more hours.

My secret was a time bomb, ticking down.