CHAPTER 01: DREAD

JADA'S POV

TWO MONTHS LATER....

The morning light sliced through the window blinds, far too aggressive for someone who hadn't gotten more than four hours of sleep. I groaned into my pillow as the nausea rolled in again, sharp and sudden, like a wave crashing through my stomach.

"Girl, you alive in there?" My best friend's voice floated through the thin apartment wall.

I cracked one eye open. "Barely."

The door creaked as Mani poked her head in, already dressed in her oversized hoodie and leggings, a toothbrush hanging from her mouth. "You puking again?"

"Every morning this week," I muttered, rolling onto my back.

She gave me a look, the one that said "don't play dumb". I knew where this was going. I avoided it by grabbing the water bottle off my nightstand.

"I told you that shrimp from that restaurant was shady."

"You said that five days ago," Mani deadpanned, voice muffled by foam. "You still blaming shrimp? Or are we gonna talk about the real possibility here?"

I sat up slowly, the dizziness trailing behind like a shadow. "Don't start."

"Jada..."

"I'm not pregnant, okay?" I snapped too quickly, too defensively. My hand hovered over my stomach, and a quiet pause settled between us.

I sighed, softer now. "I can't be."

Mani disappeared back into the hallway. "Then you won't mind taking a test, just to prove me wrong."

She was right. I knew it. I'd known it for a few days now, deep in my gut, somewhere under the nausea and the random mood swings and the absurdly tender boobs. But I wasn't ready. Not to know or even to say it out loud.

Walking out of my room, I made my way to the bathroom. The bathroom light was cruel when I entered. I winced at my own reflection as I stood in front of the mirror. My skin was a little dull, eyes puffy, curls flattened on one side. I looked like I'd fought a demon in my sleep and lost.

I turned on the tap, splashed cold water on my face, and braced myself for the shower.

Steam filled the tiny space, curling around me like a fog. The hot water helped, but only a little. My body still felt foreign, like it was doing things I hadn't authorized, rebelling against me one symptom at a time.

I ran my hands over my belly.

It didn't feel different. Not really. But something inside me had shifted. And it wasn't just hormones. It was dread.

I stood under the spray longer than I needed to. Hoping maybe I could rinse the fear away. That maybe, if I stayed there long enough, I'd step out of the bathroom and none of this would be real.

I walked back into my room, wrapped in a towel and still damp. Mani had already set out clothes for me-black high-waisted jeans and an off-the-shoulder sweater. Comfortable. Easy to throw on. It was the little things she did when she didn't want to push but still wanted to help.

After getting dressed, I walked out of my room and the smell hit me hard before I even entered the kitchen. Eggs. Toast. A whiff of coffee. I gagged instantly, slapping a hand over my mouth.

"God! What the hell?" I staggered into the kitchen. "Why does it smell like this in here?"

"Like what?" Mani blinked.

"I don't know, like someone who ate beans and eggs at the same time just farted," I said dramatically, opening a window. "God, it smells so bad."

Mani looked at me for a second, then slid the plate aside and placed a glass of cold apple juice in front of me. "Hmm. you're a walking symptom, Jada."

I didn't argue.

I sipped the juice slowly, standing by the window, trying not to think about how suddenly sensitive the world had become. Sounds were louder. Smells were criminal. My emotions were doing flips.

This couldn't be happening.

It just couldn't

♧♧♧

"All right, everyone, listen up," Ms. Baron said, clapping her hands sharply to get our attention. "As you all know, Mr. Stanley Sterling will be arriving tomorrow morning. I want every floor spotless, every room perfect, and absolutely no mistakes. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," we answered in unison.

"Good. Now get back to work."

We filed out of the staff room, everyone returning to their respective duties.

I adjusted my uniform before looking over at Mani and Nadia. "So... who exactly is Stanley Sterling?"

Both of them stopped walking and stared at me like I had completely lost my mind.

"What?" I asked.

"Wait, you're serious?" Nadia deadpanned.

"Uh... yes?" I replied slowly.

She blinked at me. "Oh my god, what world do you live in?"

"Earth," I replied.

Nadia groaned. "You know that was a rhetorical question."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Nia. Just tell me who is he?"

Mani laughed softly. "He literally owns this hotel."

"And I should've known that because...?"

"Because you work here," Nadia said.

"Yeah, for like what? Four months now?"

"Still," she replied. "The Sterling family is kind of a huge deal. And how you've never once wondered who signs your paycheck?"

"I just come here, clean rooms, survive my shift, and go home," I shrugged. "That's enough stress for me."

Mani snorted beside me. "Honestly, fair."

Nadia shook her head dramatically. "Okay, well, the Sterling family owns like... everything. Hotels, resorts, real estate. They are like insanely rich. And Stanley is the father. Old money. Super powerful. But his son basically runs the company now."

"His son?" I asked.

"Yeah. Castiel Sterling," Nadia said with a dramatic sigh. "He's ridiculously hot. And he's married to Lotus Cher. You know... the supermodel?"

A strange feeling settled in my stomach at the name.

Castiel Sterling.

It sounded familiar in a way I could not explain. Like hearing a song you forgot you knew.

I frowned slightly. "Okay... and why do you know all this?"

Nadia looked offended. "Because people online are obsessed with him and his wife. Including me. They're literally like the hottest power couple ever."

Mani laughed beside me. "Nadia follows celebrity gossip like it's a full-time job."

"It basically is," Nadia said proudly.

I shook my head. "You people are weird."

"No, you're weird for not knowing who they are," Nadia argued. "Castiel's always in magazines and stuff."

We turned the corner down the hallway, our cleaning carts squeaking against the carpet.

Nadia kept talking. "Apparently Castiel took over most of the company business a few years ago. People say he's scary though."

"Scary how?" I asked absentmindedly while fixing the sleeves of my uniform.

"Like cold scary," she explained. "Super serious. Super private. Barely smiles."

"Sounds fun," I muttered.

Castiel Sterling?

I didn't know why that name bothered me so much.

Before I could think too hard about it, Ms. Baron's voice suddenly echoed down the hallway.

"Jada!"

I looked up quickly. "Yes, ma'am?"

She walked toward us with her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her expression was tight as always.

"I need you on the executive floor today."

My eyes widened slightly. "Me?"

"Yes, you," she replied. "One of the girls called in sick and we need extra hands upstairs."

Executive floor.

Great.

That floor was a nightmare. Bigger rooms. Richer guests. More chances to accidentally mess something up.

Nadia immediately smirked beside me. "Ooooh. Fancy."

I ignored her. "Okay, ma'am."

Ms. Baron looked me over carefully. "And please try not to look exhausted today."

I forced a smile. "I'll do my best."

She walked away without another word.

The second she disappeared, Mani bumped my shoulder lightly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied automatically.

She gave me a look but let it go.

I grabbed the handle of my cleaning cart and pushed it toward the elevator. Mani and Nadia took the other elevator after we said goodbyes, heading back to their own duties at reception and housekeeping.

The nausea still sat heavily in my stomach. My head hurt, and exhaustion dragged through every part of my body. But even with all of that, the name Castiel Sterling would not stop replaying in my mind.

♧♧♧

Lunch came by quickly, and after we were done eating, Mani cornered me in the back room with a plastic bag from the pharmacy.

I stared at the test box in her hand like it was a loaded weapon. "You really went and bought it?"

Mani crossed her arms. "Of course I did. I live with you. I clean your puke."

I leaned my forehead against the cool metal locker and closed my eyes for a second. "Fine. I'll take it. Just so you can stop bothering me."

A smug smile spread across her face. "I already know I'm gonna be the favorite aunt."

I pointed at her weakly. "Don't start."

She laughed softly and handed me the bag.

I took the plastic bag from her and held it like it might explode in my hands. It felt heavier than it should. Like it already knew something I didn't want to face.

"You don't have to do it right now," Mani said more gently this time. "But you should."

"I know."

My voice came out small and shaky.

I sat down on the bench beside the lockers and stared at the bag in my lap. My fingers tightened around the plastic, fear sitting heavily in my chest.

After a long silence, I finally looked up at her.

"What if it's positive, Mani?"

"Then we deal with it," she said simply. "One thing at a time."

I swallowed hard and nodded, rising slowly to my feet. "Can you keep an eye on the front for me?"

Mani nodded without hesitation. "Always."

I forced myself to take a deep breath before turning toward the employee bathroom.