LOGINEthan stood near the end of the corridor, the moment he saw Sean approaching, he excused himself. “How is she?”“Shannon and the baby are fine.”Ethan exhaled. “Thank God.”“They’re safe,” Sean added. “That’s what matters.”Ethan nodded.Sean studied him for a moment. “Amelia said a man pushed her.”“She told me about him on the drive here.”“What did she say?”“He appeared when she tried to reach Ms. Miles. He smelled strongly of alcohol and acted like he couldn’t stand properly, but Ms. Voss said his eyes were completely clear.”Sean’s expression hardened. “She believes he was pretending?”“Yes.”“Did she see where he went?”“No. He disappeared into the crowd before you came outside.”Sean looked towards the windows at the end of the corridor. Someone had called Shannon and lied about his arrest. Then a supposedly drunk man had appeared at the precise moment Amelia tried to intervene. Too many things had happened at exactly the right time.“I’ll arrange for the station’s exterior f
“The doctor said this stage of the pregnancy is delicate. Moving around too much won't help.”Shannon covered his hand with her own. “You can’t lock me inside an estate.”“Watch.”Despite everything, a faint laugh escaped her.Sean’s expression did not change. “I’m serious.”“I know you are.”“No going anywhere alone. No arguing with anyone. No work until the doctor clears you.”“Sean...”“No.”“You can’t order me to stop working.”“I can try.”“And I can ignore you.”His jaw tightened.Shannon studied him for a moment before her expression softened. “Fine. I’ll rest.”“Properly?”“Yes.”“You’ll let someone stay with you?”“Yes.”“You’ll call me if anything feels wrong?”“Sean.”“Promise me.”The fear in his voice returned.Shannon’s resistance disappeared. “I promise.”Sean bent and kissed her forehead then he lowered himself beside the bed and placed his lips against the hand resting over their child. “I’ll protect both of you,” he whispered.Shannon’s fingers moved gently through
Sean's expression changed.Aria’s fingers tightened around his. “I’ve never seen you shake before.”Sean looked down at his hands as though he had only just noticed them.He pulled one free and curled it into a fist.It made no difference.Aria blinked quickly and looked away before he could see the tears gathering in her eyes.The corridor fell silent again.Ethan sat with his elbows resting on his knees, the accusation against him temporarily forgotten.Amelia watched the examination room doors. Mr. Voss stood behind her with one hand resting on the back of her chair.Kennedy remained beside Sean.Minutes passed, each one felt endless. Then the examination room door opened.Everyone stood at once.Sean moved so quickly that the chair behind him scraped across the floor.The doctor stepped into the corridor, removing her gloves.Sean reached her first. “Shannon?”“She’s stable.”“And the baby?”The doctor looked around at the frightened faces before returning her attention to Sean. “
Hundreds of miles away, Silas stared at the breaking news banner on the television. He had watched the footage three times. Each time, his attention returned to the same two words, our child.His face darkened. “Pregnant.”The word left him slowly.Darius had not known, none of them had.The proposal photograph had hidden Shannon’s body beneath the angle of her dress, and the family had kept the pregnancy from the public, until Sean announced it in front of dozens of cameras.Silas rose from his chair.The child would not merely inherit Sean Vale’s name. It would carry Miles blood, Vale blood, Voss blood. Three fortunes, three legacies, three families bound together inside one unborn child.That baby was wealthy before taking its first breath, protected before it had even entered the world, loved by people powerful enough to bring cities to their knees.Kennedy would have a grandchild, Amelia would have the chance to watch her daughter become a mother, the life stolen from her twenty
Amelia remembered the man’s voice on Shannon’s phone had not been there for her to hear, but Shannon had repeated his exact words.Your husband has been arrested.The caller had wanted Shannon frightened enough to leave the estate.Her mind shifted to the police station.The man in black stumbling from beside the parked vehicle, the smell of alcohol, the force with which his shoulder had struck her and his eyes were clear.Her face tightened.“Ms. Voss?”“The man who pushed me.”“What man?”“He acted drunk, but he wasn’t.”Ethan looked at her again.“He smelled of alcohol,” Amelia continued, “but his eyes were sober. He came out of nowhere the moment I tried to reach Shannon.”“Did you see his face?”“Not clearly enough.”“Would you recognise him?”Amelia looked down at her swelling wrist. “Yes.”The hospital came into view before Ethan could ask another question. He pulled up outside the emergency entrance, and Amelia was out before the car had fully settled.Inside, Sean stood just
The outside noise disappeared. Inside the ambulance, everything became painfully small. The white walls, the medical equipment, the sharp smell of disinfectant, the monitor beside Shannon, and Shannon’s frightened breathing.Sean sat beside the stretcher with her hand trapped between both of his.The ambulance moved.Shannon flinched as it turned sharply onto the road.“Careful,” Sean snapped.The paramedic barely looked up. “We’re moving as steadily as we can.”“She’s in pain.”“I can see that.”“Then do something.”“Sean.” Shannon’s voice was barely audible.He turned towards her immediately.Tears slid into her hair. “What if something happened?”“Nothing happened.”“You don’t know that.”“The baby is fine.”“You don’t know.” Her voice broke completely.Sean lifted her hand to his lips. “The baby is fine,” he repeated, but this time the words trembled.She began crying harder. “I shouldn’t have gone there.”“Don’t.”“I should’ve listened to my father.”“This isn’t your fault.”“I k
The hospital discharged them the next day.Shannon didn’t know whether that was fate or cruelty.She stood just outside the building, her fingers gripping the thin discharge papers in her hand as the sunlight hit her face. Too bright. Like the world hadn’t just ended for her.A few steps ahead Rowa
Shannon’s knees weakened beneath her. Three months of silence. Three months of absence. Three months where she wasn’t there. Her breathing grew uneven. Three months where someone else was. Her gaze slowly shifted back to Rowan. And this time she understood. Rowan watched her, something sharp
Rowan sat on the bed, his arm wrapped loosely around Evelyn.Evelyn stood close, too close, and Rowan leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.Like he had done it a hundred times.Like it belonged there.“Stop!”The word tore out of Shannon befor
The first thing Shannon felt was the weight, like her entire body had been dragged beneath something heavy and invisible, pressing her down into a darkness that refused to let her rise.Then came the sound, a slow, steady beep... beep... beep...It echoed from far away at first, distant and unreal,







