The lake house emerged from the darkness, a modern structure of glass and stone perched on the water's edge. Marcus pulled into the garage, the door sliding closed behind us with mechanical finality."Stay in the car until I check the house," he instructed, retrieving a gun from the glove compartmen
Chapter 20: Medical CrisisThe headlights swept closer, illuminating the lake house in harsh, accusatory light."Back door," Marcus ordered, already pulling me from the bed. "Now."I grabbed my phone and purse while Marcus snatched up the gun, both of us moving with the desperate urgency of prey. My
Despite everything, warmth bloomed in my chest. "The baby?""Stable," she assured me. "But the doctor wants you on bed rest for at least a week. Your blood pressure is through the roof."Before I could respond, the door burst open. Marcus stood there, disheveled in a way I'd never seen him—tie loose
Chapter 21: Public ExposureI woke to the sharp tap of Emma's nails against her phone screen, the sound punctuating the steady beep of hospital monitors. Early morning light filtered through half-drawn blinds, painting stripes across the sterile white sheets."How bad is it?" I asked, my voice still
"My child's future includes their father," I replied firmly. "Goodbye, Victoria."I ended the call, my hand shaking."She's scared," Emma said, eyes wide. "You rattled her.""Not enough." I pushed back the covers. "Help me get dressed.""Whoa." Emma blocked my path. "Dr. Patel said bed rest. Mandato
Chapter 22: Marcus's ChoiceI stared at the ceiling of my hospital room, counting the tiles for the hundredth time while machines beeped a steady rhythm beside me. After the chaos at the board meeting, Dr. Patel had insisted I return to complete bed rest—no exceptions. Three days had passed since I'
Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading outward until my skin tingled. "Marcus...""I've spent my life becoming my father," he continued, voice low and urgent. "Building bigger, acquiring more, believing that was what mattered. Then I met you, and for the first time, I wanted something that couldn't be
Chapter 23: Victoria's CounterattackI stared at Marcus's phone in horror as James's voice echoed through the hospital room."The trust gives controlling interest to Sophia's baby? How is that even possible?" Marcus demanded, his body tensing beside me."Father amended his will after his stroke," Ja
Chapter 63: Beyond the VeilThe dimensional rift swallows us whole—William and me—tearing us away from the laboratory, from Marcus screaming my name, from Truth's desperate attempt to stabilize reality. We fall through cascading layers of existence, neither here nor there, our bodies dissolving into
Chapter 62: Betrayal's ShadowI stare at the pregnancy test, my third one today, still showing that unmistakable double line. My hands shake as I place it on the bathroom counter next to the others. Twelve weeks. The doctor confirmed it yesterday. Twelve weeks pregnant with Marcus's child while his
The nodule at my throat pulses hot against my skin. Of course. I'm whole now—mother and daughter, connected across dimensional barriers. I place my hand over the embedded convergence technology, closing my eyes to focus on that connection."Truth," I call, not with my voice but with my consciousness
Chapter 60: The Whole TruthReintegration feels like drowning and burning alive simultaneously. Seven consciousnesses crash together like tidal waves, memories flooding through me in a chaotic torrent. I am a police chief interrogating a suspect. I am a soldier crawling through mud under enemy fire.
Chapter 59: Convergence PointDimensional travel doesn't get easier the second time. If anything, it's worse—like being forced through the eye of a needle while fully conscious. My atoms scream as they're compressed, stretched, and reassembled. Marcus's grip on my arm is the only constant, an anchor
Chapter 58: Fractured ReflectionsDimensional travel feels like being torn apart and reassembled by a careless child. My atoms scatter, stretch across impossible distances, then snap back together in new configurations. I scream, but there's no sound in the void between realities—only endless pressu
Chapter 57: Dimensional CrossfireCatherine's smile chills me more than the pendant's icy burn against my palm. The hospital security uniforms worn by her team can't disguise their military precision as they fan out around us."We need to go," I whisper to Jacob, who stands frozen beside me, his eye
Chapter 56: Fractured ReunionI lunge from the hospital bed, ripping away IVs and sensors. The monitors scream in protest as Jacob grabs my arms."Sophie! What are you doing?" His face contorts with panic. "You need to rest!""Let me go!" I twist away, my unfamiliar body weaker than I expect. My leg
Chapter 55: Echoes of ExistenceI wake up.My consciousness returns like scattered puzzle pieces slowly assembling themselves. First sensation—soft sheets beneath my fingertips. Then sound—a rhythmic beeping nearby. Finally sight, as my eyelids flutter open to blinding fluorescent light.Hospital ro