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“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?”Ava Marshall’s voice dropped instead of rising… and that was worse.The nurse standing across from her went rigid, fingers trembling around the clipboard as Ava slowly turned her head, eyes cold, and disbelieving. “I asked you a question,” Ava said again, each word measured. “Repeat it.”“Ava,” Dr. Olivia stepped forward quickly. “Let’s slow down. We can talk about this calmly…”“Shut the hell up, Liv!” Ava snapped, spinning on her. “Don’t tell me to calm down, you don’t get to say that.”She turned back to the nurse. “You. Speak.”“I—I’m so sorry, ma’am…” the nurse whispered.“Shut your damn mouth! I didn’t ask for an apology.”The nurse swallowed hard. “We…”“You mean, you,” Dr. Olivia cut in harshly, shooting the nurse a warning glare. “You made the error. Not ‘we.’ Don’t throw the entire team under the bus. Let’s be clear who did what.” “Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry.” The nurse’ϖϖϖϖϖNoah didn’t need anyone to say a word.The moment he stepped into the office and met Nora’s gaze, his stride slowed.Something was wrong.She looked pale—no, worse than pale. Her skin had lost its color entirely, like the blood had drained straight out of her. One hand was frozen midair, clutching a single sheet of paper as though letting go would shatter her completely. Her lips were parted, breath shallow, eyes unfocused.He had seen her exhausted. He had seen her furious. He had seen her break and rebuild herself more times than he could count.But this?This was different.He crossed the room in seconds, tuning out Ava’s sharp voice behind him. “Nora,” he said urgently. “What is it?”She blinked. Once. Twice.“I…” Her throat worked. “I don’t…”Her gaze dropped back to the paper, then slowly lifted to him again.“What’s that?” Noah asked gently, easing the document from her stiff fingers.His eyes scanned the page.The room seemed to stop breathing.He looked up, their eyes l
ϖϖϖϖϖAva stormed into the company building like a woman running out of time.Her heels struck the marble floor too fast and loud, each step echoing the frustration in her chest. Panic clawed at her ribs. Regret followed close behind. Anger came last… hot, useless… aimed at a child that never existed and a lie that should’ve collapsed the moment she’d thought twice."Who do I even apologize to first?" she muttered under her breath.Her pride was gone. Her dignity too. At this point, those were luxuries she couldn't afford. This wasn’t about saving face anymore. It was about survival.Confess now… or wait for Noah to find out on his own.Not a chance.The thought alone made her stomach twist. Noah discovering the truth without her controlling it? That was worse than humiliation; it was destruction… hers."How’s the soon-to-be mom doing?"The teasing voice came from behind her.Ava spun around, anger already flaring… then froze.Noah.Her breath caught. Her spine stiffened.“Noah,” she
ϖϖϖϖϖ“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?” Ava Marshall’s voice dropped instead of rising… and that was worse.The nurse standing across from her went rigid, fingers trembling around the clipboard as Ava slowly turned her head, eyes cold, and disbelieving. “I asked you a question,” Ava said again, each word measured. “Repeat it.”“Ava,” Dr. Olivia stepped forward quickly. “Let’s slow down. We can talk about this calmly…”“Shut the hell up, Liv!” Ava snapped, spinning on her. “Don’t tell me to calm down, you don’t get to say that.”She turned back to the nurse. “You. Speak.”“I—I’m so sorry, ma’am…” the nurse whispered.“Shut your damn mouth! I didn’t ask for an apology.”The nurse swallowed hard. “We…” “You mean, you,” Dr. Olivia cut in harshly, shooting the nurse a warning glare. “You made the error. Not ‘we.’ Don’t throw the entire team under the bus. Let’s be clear who did what.” “Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry.” The nurse’
ϖϖϖϖϖ“Ahh…”Nora yawned deeply, stretching her arms over her head as she stared at the mountain of files cluttering her desk. Her eyes burned from staring at screens for too long, and her neck protested sharply when she leaned forward again.“When exactly is this nightmare supposed to end?” she muttered, exhausted. “That’s what happens when you take time off,” Max said cheerfully as he walked in—arms full of even more folders.Nora lifted her head slowly, unimpressed. “And you’re bringing more?” Her gaze flicked from the files to his face. “Ah. I’ve always suspected you hated me, but Max… this?” She gestured at the stack. “This is criminal.”“Hey, that hurts,” he replied, grinning as he dropped the files onto her desk. “I’ve been covering for everyone these past weeks… including you. Instead of plotting my promotion, I’m being accused of sabotage. Cold, boss. Absolutely cold.”She snorted. “Promote you? To what… senior PA? Or should I skip steps and make you CEO of Bamford Emp
ϖϖϖϖϖRosa Bamford didn’t trust Ava Marshall. Not even a little.The girl was loud, reckless, and entirely unsuitable… everything Rosa despised wrapped in designer heels. If it were up to her, Ava wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the Bamford name.But if she was truly carrying Noah’s child…That changed things.Rosa didn’t care how vulgar or embarrassing the girl was. If the baby inside her carried Bamford blood, then it would be acknowledged. Maybe not with open arms, but at least with a plan.Still, her instincts twisted uneasily. Something about this felt staged. And Rosa hated games."So,” she said coolly, eyes fixed on the man across from her, “what did you find?"Detective Abel remained unfazed. By now, he was used to her … her harsh tongue, her hunger for control.“She’s pregnant,” he confirmed. “At least, according to medical records.”Rosa’s lips tightened. "According to?”Abel inclined his head. “She’s been claiming it consistently. And for the last six months, the only man
ϖϖϖϖϖNora stood frozen, her heart pounding so hard it felt louder than the silence around them. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to move.Her eyes stayed on Noah, but her thoughts scattered… replaying everything, searching for something that made sense. Nothing did.She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. She wanted to scream, but her throat felt locked.Something inside her had cracked, and now everything felt too heavy to hold.Why hadn’t he just told her the truth?Why had he let her believe… again… that she was losing something she had barely begun to hold onto?You should’ve told me. I would’ve stood by you. I would’ve understood. But now… this feels like too much.A bitter sound slipped from her throat before she could stop it.“Ha,” she laughed softly, hollow. Even her own voice sounded unfamiliar. “So, you lied about meeting her… and you already knew she was pregnant?” Her voice rose despite herself. “What is this, Noah? Why does it feel like I just lost a







