Aliyah’s POV Panic surged through me. Did he know? Did he see? My arms folded across my chest instinctively. “You’re imagining things,” I snapped.He studied me in silence, unreadable. Then, finally, his lips curved into a faint smile. “Maybe I am.”I let out a shaky breath, only realizing then how long I’d been holding it.“Let me give you a ride home,” he said suddenly.“No,” I blurted, too fast.His brows lifted in amusement. “Still stubborn.”“I said no, I have my bike. I don’t need your help.”Something flickered in his eyes. Frustration, pride, maybe both but he didn’t push. He nodded once. “Fine, I’ll respect that.”I hadn’t expected him to give up so easily. That unsettled me more than if he had pressed harder.“Take care of yourself, Aliyah,” he said quietly, almost gently. “The world can be cruel, don’t let it break you.”The words pierced right through me. For a moment, I saw a man who could be protective, who could be kind. But I shook the thought away. I couldn’t afford
ALIYAH'S POV We sat there for what felt like hours, bonding over fears, over laughter, over the strange future that loomed before us. Two women carrying secrets, carrying lives, carrying weight heavier than anyone could see.And as I finally left the hospital later that day, I knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t walking this road entirely alone anymore.The sun felt too bright when I stepped out of the hospital gates. It pressed against my skin, hot and relentless, making the air heavy. My heart still raced from the conversation I’d just had with Tracy Baldwin. Running into her had shaken me more than I expected.I hadn’t seen Tracy in years, and suddenly there she was, in the same hospital, hiding the same kind of secret under loose clothes. Both of us pregnant. Both of us carrying stories no one else could guess. For the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel completely alone.Her hug lingered in my mind, warm and reassuring. “Don’t worry, Aliyah. You’re not alone.” The words wrapped aro
Aliyah’s POVThe hospital corridors smelled faintly of antiseptic, that sharp, sterile scent that always made me feel smaller somehow. I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt lower over my face, praying no one would notice me as I slipped into the prenatal program office. Every step I took echoed with the heavy reminder of why I was here, of the tiny heartbeat that had tied itself to mine.It wasn’t supposed to be like this, I was supposed to be training, racing, fighting my way to the top. Not sneaking into hospitals like a criminal, carrying a secret so big it could swallow me whole.I clutched the appointment slip tighter, walking quickly toward the waiting room. I nearly froze in my tracks when I heard a familiar voice. It was warm, lively, and unmistakable.“Aliyah? Aliyah Censori?”My head snapped up. Standing by the reception desk, a hand resting on her slightly swollen belly, was Tracy Baldwin, my friend from university. My breath caught. Tracy, with her glossy braids piled high, h
Aliyah’s POVEvery second with Asher was torture, the memory of his touch haunted me, the reality of what we had created between us burned inside me, and the fear of him discovering the truth left me trembling.I had vowed to protect this child, that meant protecting it from him too. I am the chaos he represented, from the danger of his world.So I smiled faintly, even though my heart was breaking.“So,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “are you racing too?”He studied me, suspicion still glinting in his eyes, but he allowed the subject to shift.For the rest of the meal, I laughed when I had to, spoke when silence grew too heavy, and pretended with all my strength. Inside, though, fear devoured me.Because I knew Asher Moretti wasn’t a fool, wnd sooner or later, he would notice what I was trying so desperately to hide.The moment Asher took my phone number, my body tensed like I had handed him something far more dan
ALIYAH'S POV The morning sunlight bled faintly through the curtains when I opened my eyes. I had barely slept. Every muscle in my body ached from training, but it was my mind that had truly exhausted me. The weight of secrets pressed heavily on my chest, but I forced myself to move. I had promises to keep.I slipped into one of my biggest hoodies, pulled my sweatpants higher, and tied the drawstring tight. My reflection in the mirror stared back at me, pale, with faint shadows under my eyes, but still passable. Still hiding, that was all that mattered.Papa had left money on the dining table for groceries. I tucked the bills into my pocket, kissed him on the cheek, and assured him I’d be quick.“Don’t take long,” Papa said. His voice carried that protective edge that always made me both grateful and guilty. “And ride carefully.”“I will, Papa,” I promised.I hopped on my bike, the engine’s roar giving me a brief sense of power, of control, of freedom from the chaos I lived in. The ro
Aliyah’s POVTwo months passed in a blur of exhaustion, secrets, and silent determination. Each morning I woke up feeling weaker, yet stronger in my resolve. My body was no longer the same. It betrayed me in the early hours with nausea, with dizziness that left me gripping the sink, with swollen breasts that ached beneath my clothes. But no one could know. Not Papa. Not anyone.When the invitation to the major tournament came, I stared at the crisp envelope for nearly an hour, my hands trembling as though I held the weight of my entire future in it. It wasn’t just another race. It was the opportunity my last chance to prove myself on the track before vanishing into a life no one expected from me.The prize details made my head spin.First place: one million dollars and a brand-new Porsche.Second place: eight hundred thousand dollars and a brand-new race bike.Third place: five hundred thousand dollars and the latest iPhone 17.I whispered the figures under my breath, imagining the do