Chapter 107

Chapter 107

The afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows of the Caldwell mansion, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Lora sat in the main parlor, her hands resting protectively on her growing belly as she tried to read a book about pregnancy. The words blurred together on the page, her mind too unsettled to focus.

She could hear Samuel in his study down the hall, speaking on the phone in the clipped, professional tone he used for business calls. But even from a distance, she could detect the tension in his voice, the underlying stress that had become his constant companion these past few months.

The sound of his footsteps approaching made her look up from her book. Samuel appeared in the doorway, his face drawn and tired. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through it, and his shirt was wrinkled from a sleepless night.

"We need to talk," he said without preamble.

Lora set her book aside carefully, her stomach tightening with anxiety. Nothing good ever star