Semua Bab THE PREGNANT VIRGIN AND THE RUTHLESS HEIR : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Kumba“and if we move the expansion into Q3, we mitigate the risk exposure without sacrificing long term growth.” The words are coming out of my mouth automatically.I have been working on this presentation for weeks now. A dozen eyes are on me investors, board members, people who expect certainty, leadership, answers. The kind of people who don’t tolerate hesitation. Normally, this is where I thrive.Numbers make sense to me, business makes sense. Everything follows logic, strategy, cause and effect.Unlike everything else in my life right now.I tap the screen of the presentation remote, switching to the next slide without even looking at it.“Now, if we look at the projected margins” My phone buzzes once and I ignore it. “You will notice that” It buzzes again throwing me off a bit, I pause for half a second, my jaw tightening slightly.I don’t take calls during meetings and everyone in this room knows that.So whoever is calling me right now either doesn’t know me, or doesn’t car

GesareMy hands won’t stop shaking, I press them flat against the thin hospital sheet beneath me, hoping the coolness will steady them, but it doesn’t help. Nothing helps.The room feels too bright, too white, I stare up at the ceiling, at the harsh lights above me, and try to slow my breathing In and out. But every breath feels shallow, like my lungs don’t want to cooperate.This is it.The thought lands heavily in my chest.This is the moment everything changes.I swallow hard, my throat dry as I shift slightly on the examination table. The paper beneath me crinkles loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet room like it’s mocking me.My leg aches faintly, but it’s nothing compared to the tight, suffocating pressure in my chest.I close my eyes for a second and Images flash behind them.You should be thinking about your future… not a baby.My fingers curl slightly against the sheet.“This is for the best,” I whisper softly.The words sound fragile and unconvincing.But I say them anyway

GesareI don’t think I have ever seen a gate argue with someone before, but that’s exactly what it feels like.I’m standing on the balcony, one hand resting lightly against the railing, watching the scene unfold below like it’s some kind of strange performance I wasn’t meant to witness.Moraa stands just outside the gates of Kumba’s estate, her posture stiff, her chin lifted in that familiar way I remember too well.Like she owns the world, like the world owes her something. Even from up here, I can tell she is furious.Her arms move sharply as she talks to the guards, her voice carrying just enough for me to catch pieces of it.“I said I need to get in”“I don’t care what he said”“Do you even know who I am?” I almost laugh at that.Some things never change.For a moment, I just stand there, watching the drama unfold not moving because seeing her again, it does something to me.Something I don’t quite understand yet.It’s like being dragged backward in time, back to that house, back

GesareI am standing in the bathroom, staring at my reflection like I have been doing a lot lately, trying to recognize the girl looking back at me. Trying to see if anything has changed, If I look different, If I feel any different.My hand drifts to my stomach again like it always does now. I don’t even realize I’m doing it anymore.A slow breath leaves my lips.Everything feels heavy these days since my diagnosis, every thought, every decision, every moment feels like it carries weight I’m not sure I’m strong enough to hold.I feel something dripping down my leg and for a moment I think maybe I peed myself, I look down and that’s when I see it.For a second, my brain doesn’t register what's happening to me, then my heart stops.“No”The word comes out as a whisper and my hands start to shaking violently.“No, no, no”My breath quickens, panic rising so

Kumba.I hated hospitals for a reason, and this past few weeks made it even worse for me. Everything bad in my life has happened in this hospital corridors, every bad news I have ever gotten happened to be in this hospital. My jaw tightened as I walked toward Gesare’s room, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. I told myself I was doing the right thing, that she needed stability. That the truth, my truth would only complicate everything.She needed somewhere she felt safe, and she felt safe at my house, if she found out the truth she will no longer feel safe and I will lose her, she had gone through enough already. But there was a part of me, quieter, more honest, that knew I was afraid. That was the only reason I didn't want her to find out yet. It will force me to deal with the fact that I was about to be a father in five months. And she will never believe me, that I too was a victim of this, a victim of my mother and fiancé. “Kumba.” I froze when I heard that voice, familiar,