Astonished, she stared at him as her mind began to turn. She sensed their tour had just come to an abrupt end.Reading her face, he continued, "You look almost as shocked as I was when my ex-wife called me earlier. It seems you left a tad-bit of information out of your story, the part where you threw it in her face that you were pregnant."Jade contemplated her words. She never thought Nadia would have the chance to tell Miguel before she did. She wasn't even sure why she threw it in her face, other than to retaliate. Her words had bruised Jade's ego, even if she knew they were false. It was a rash decision that had obviously not ended in her favor. "I never told her I was pregnant.""So your not?" He asked flatly.Jade felt her knees grow weak and leaned on the windowsill for support. The edges of it cut into her thighs. She frowned at him and then at the floor. This isn't what she had planned; it wasn't supposed to be like this. She c

Jade woke to the bedroom door being opened. The sudden shift of air and noises from behind it had stirred her awake. Just outside the doorway were unfamiliar voices, and further down the hall, she could hear a vacuum running. The door closed again with a faint click, and the room once again became silent. She was impressed by how well it blocked out the sound. Between that and the comfortable bed, she'd gotten a great night's sleep. Light footsteps crossed the carpeted floor as she slowly opened her eyes. She stretched and then peered up, searching beyond the posts of the bed. The blinds were now closed, allowing just enough sunlight for her eyes to adjust. Although she was alone in the bedroom, a thin slit of light shone underneath the bathroom doorway. Jade sat up, keeping herself covered with the blanket. Underneath it, she was still naked, her dress now torn and unwearable from the night before.

The girl seemed more relaxed as she spoke, "Well, this morning, I was instructed to order your winter clothes and accessories. I went out and bought the ones you're wearing, but the rest were ordered online. They should arrive over the next few days. Of course, I'll rotate them out with each season, and I'm sure you'll do plenty of your own shopping as well. I've also scheduled with tech support to personalize your tablet device, you know, upload some music you like, and update the kitchen menu with your preferences. Which reminds me, do you have any allergies? I'll have to create a list of any specific items you'd like to have in your room, or if you only use particular brands, then I'll make a note of that—"It seemed that when Cassandra felt free to speak her mind, she was a chatterbox. While that was more information than Jade expected, it wasn't what she was interested in uncloaking. She held a

In the formal dining area, they sat at a long table across from one another. It could seat ten people, but the room was large enough that Jade imagined it could comfortably accommodate many more. Expensive curtains made of thick blue fabric hung over the windows, and oak chests filled with what she presumed was expensive crystal and china lined the walls. The waiter placed a cloth napkin over her lap and then lifted the dome cover, announcing that she was being served "Perch." "Oh," She peered down at the plate and then up at Miguel."Is something wrong?" He inquired as he picked up his fork and knife. The waiter paused as well, not daring to move before her complaint was addressed. Jade gulped, wondering if she should say anything. While she'd been researching pregnancy and what to expect of hers, she came across an article about foods she should avoid. Fish was one of them. He impatiently stared up at her, waiting for her to vocalize her thoughts. "Do you

The next day Jade found herself moping around the estate. Miguel had disappeared before dawn to embark on a fishing trip with his brother, Anthony, and he hadn't invited her along. She hadn't seen Anthony or his wife since the art exhibit, over a week ago. She could only speculate that Miguel had warned them not to stop by the house afterward, as they had intended to do. There was no need to involve them in their drama, and perhaps Miguel wasn't inclined to share the news with his family. Although, at the time, even he wasn't convinced there was news to share. Jade thought it would've been nice to have Vivan over for a visit while the men went on their excursion. Even though the woman was practically a stranger, it would've beat spending the day in an empty house.Before they'd gone to bed, Miguel had informed her that Sundays were the staff's day off. She could still order food from the kitchen, but otherwise, she shouldn't expect to see them around the ho