LOGINOne month later, the weather in the city was bright and warm.The Ellis Designs headquarters was completely chaotic. It was a good kind of chaos. Fabric rolls were stacked in the corners. Phones were ringing off the hook.Claire stood at the massive glass table in the main conference room. She was looking at six different sketches of uniform designs.Maya walked into the room carrying two large cups of iced coffee. She set one down right in front of Claire."Drink this," Maya commanded, pointing at the cup. "You have been staring at those sketches for three hours. You are going to burn a hole in the paper.""I have to get them perfect," Claire said. She picked up the coffee and took a long sip. "The executives from the Halcyon Hotel Group are coming here tomorrow. If they approve these designs, we will be outfitting their entire hotel staff across the country.""They are going to love them," Maya assured her. She looked down at the drawings. "The tailored vests look incredibly sharp.
The VIP waiting room at the private clinic did not look like a hospital. It looked like a luxury hotel lobby. There were soft leather chairs, quiet piano music, and a tray of expensive sparkling water.Raphael was not sitting. He was pacing.He walked from the huge glass window to the door, then turned around and walked back. He checked his heavy silver watch for the fourth time in two minutes."Raphael, please," Claire said gently. She was sitting on the edge of a leather sofa. "You are making me dizzy. Sit down.""It has been twenty minutes," Raphael said, stopping his pacing. He frowned at the closed white door. "A blood test does not take twenty minutes. I am going to buy this hospital and fire the lab technicians.""You cannot buy a hospital just because you are impatient," Claire laughed softly. She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Sit with me."Raphael sighed. He walked over and sat down right next to her. He pulled her close, resting his hand protectively over her stomach."
Claire stared at the corner of her desk. She blinked twice.A thick layer of gray foam was taped securely to the sharp wooden edge.She looked around the studio. Every single sharp corner in the entire room was covered in foam. The edge of the cutting table had foam. The windowsill had foam. Even the doorknob was wrapped in something soft.Raphael was standing by the window. He was holding a roll of heavy tape. He wore a crisp white shirt and a dark tie. He looked like a ruthless CEO, but he was currently taping a sponge to a bookshelf."Raphael," Claire said slowly. "What are you doing?""I am babyproofing," Raphael replied. His voice was completely serious."I am four weeks pregnant," Claire pointed out. "The baby is the size of a seed. It is not going to hit its head on the desk anytime soon.""You could hit your head on the desk," Raphael countered. He ripped a piece of tape and secured another piece of foam. "Your center of gravity is going to shift. You could trip. I am eliminat
Two perfect months had passed since they moved into the new house.The afternoon sun hit the large floor to ceiling windows of Claire's design studio. She sat at her wooden drafting table. She was staring at a fresh sketch for a winter coat line. But her eyes kept crossing.She was incredibly tired.Claire let out a heavy breath. She dropped her pencil on the desk. It rolled and stopped against a spool of red thread.She wasn't sick. Her stomach was perfectly fine. She actually had a huge appetite today. But she felt a deep, heavy exhaustion that settled right into her bones. Her eyes felt heavy. And her chest felt uncomfortably sore against the lace of her bra.She reached over to the corner of her desk. She grabbed her current favorite snack. It was a bowl of salted pretzels and a small jar of strawberry jam.She dipped a pretzel into the sweet jam and ate it happily. The salty and sweet mix was absolutely perfect.Maya had looked at her like she was completely crazy during their vi
The black Maybach slowed down, turning off the loud, busy city streets and onto a quiet, tree-lined road.Claire looked out the window. The towering glass skyscrapers slowly faded away, replaced by large, beautiful properties hidden behind tall stone walls and old oak trees.The car finally rolled to a stop in front of a pair of massive iron gates. They opened automatically, and the car pulled into a long, circular driveway.Claire pressed her hands against the cool glass of the window. Her eyes went wide.It was a house. A real, actual house.It wasn't a cold, glass penthouse hovering a hundred floors above the world. It was a beautiful, modern estate made of warm stone and rich wood. It had a massive front porch, huge windows that let in the sunlight, and a sprawling green lawn."Raphael," Claire breathed out, completely stunned. "It is huge.""It is a family home," Raphael said softly from beside her.The driver parked the car. Raphael didn't wait for him to open the door. He stepp
The heavy mahogany doors of the CEO office clicked shut.Raphael let go of Claire's hand. He walked over to the massive glass window. He just stood there, looking out at the city. The rain was still pouring down, hitting the glass in thick drops.Claire did not say anything at first. She watched his shoulders. The rigid, terrifying posture he carried in the boardroom was completely gone. He looked exhausted."It is really over," Claire said softly.She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her cheek against his broad back.Raphael let out a long, heavy breath. He covered her hands with his own."It is over," Raphael agreed quietly.He turned around in her arms. He looked down at her face. His dark eyes were filled with a complicated mix of relief and sorrow. He had just won a massive war, but he had also lost his mother permanently."Are you okay?" Claire asked. She reached up and gently touched his cheek."I am fine," Raphael leaned into her touch. "I
"Am I hallucinating, or did the actual CEO of Ellis Designs just walk through the front doors?"Claire barely had time to take off her sunglasses before her secretary, Maya, was practically hovering around her. Maya was holding a stack of folders, but her jaw was practically on the floor."Close yo
The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed 2:00 AM. Claire sat on the velvet living room sofa, staring at the muted television. The penthouse was massive, perfectly decorated, and entirely too quiet. Look, but don’t touch. Live in it, but definitely don't make a sound. Outside, the rain began t
"Give those back to me, Sophia," Claire said, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. She took a step toward the armchair.Sophia didn't flinch. She elegantly tapped the thick stack of papers against her knee, her expression cold and completely unbothered."I don't think I will," Sophia rep
"I broke his heart?" Claire let out a sharp, bitter laugh, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't wake the man sleeping in the bed. "Are you insane, Ethan? He broke mine. He broke it into a million pieces, ground it into the marble floor, and didn't even notice the mess.""Keep your voice down," Eth







