جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

I knew calling in sick for an entire day would be a massive mistake.If I stayed home on Monday, Ren would have kicked my apartment door down by noon.I dragged myself to the corporate office and forced my way through the endless paperwork waiting on my desk.I kept my head down, avoided his intense gaze, and survived the long shift through sheer willpower.I tried to ignore the sharp cramps in my stomach and the lingering metallic taste in my mouth.By Tuesday afternoon, the hidden tension was tearing my fragile nerves apart.I waited until Ren walked into a scheduled board meeting with the senior legal team.The moment the heavy boardroom doors closed, I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair.I told Brenda I had a long personal errand to run and promised her I would make up the hours later.I slipped out the glass front doors of the corporate tower and blended into the busy sidewalk crowd.I walked two blocks away from the main building before I descended into the dark subway st

Dr. Evans stammered and tried to grab my arm, rambling about rare genetic mutations and medical miracles.I shoved his hand away and snatched the glossy square of paper right off the machine.I grabbed my coat from the hook and bolted out of the tiny exam room before he could even process my reaction.The old doctor shouted my fake name down the narrow hallway, begging me to stay so he could draw blood and run more tests.I ignored his frantic pleas and pushed through the waiting room as fast as my shaking legs could carry me.The receptionist finally looked up from her phone, her mouth falling open as I threw the front door open and rushed out onto the concrete sidewalk.The bright afternoon sun blinded me for a second, and a cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck.I shoved my hands deep into my coat pockets and started walking blindly toward the train station at the end of the block.My fingers brushed against the folded piece of glossy paper, and the smooth texture felt li

The quiet request hung in the air, and my brain completely short-circuited for the second time today.I stared at him, waiting for the punchline of a joke, but his handsome face remained incredibly serious."You want me to go to a high-society charity event with you?" I stammered, shaking my head slightly."Ren, I am just your secretary, and those events are strictly for billionaires, politicians, and socialites.""I don't care about the guest list, and I definitely don't care about the unwritten social rules of the corporate elite," he argued smoothly."If I walk into that ballroom alone, every single investor is going to corner me and try to pitch their boring startups all night long.""So you want me to act as your human shield?" I asked, a nervous laugh escaping my throat."If you go with me, they will assume we are engaged in a private conversation and leave us alone," he reasoned.I looked down at the closed bottom drawer where my impossible secret was currently hidden in the da

Thursday evening arrived much faster than I wanted, bringing a fresh wave of nervous anxiety along with it.I spent the last three days dodging Ren's worried glances at the office while trying to keep my raging morning sickness a secret.He had insisted on paying for my gala outfit, so I took a cab straight from the corporate tower to a high-end menswear boutique on the wealthy side of town.The store was painfully quiet when I walked inside, smelling of rich leather and expensive cedar wood.A sleek bell chimed above the glass door, and a tall man with a tape measure draped around his neck greeted me with a polite smile.I felt incredibly out of place standing on the plush carpet in my cheap, wrinkled work suit.The tailor did not seem to care about my messy appearance as he guided me toward a large pedestal in the center of the room.He asked me to stand still while he measured my shoulders, my waist, and the length of my arms with quick, precise movements.I held my breath every ti

I took a slow sip of the expensive amber whiskey and let the sudden burn slide down my throat.The heavy crystal glass felt fragile in my grip, and I had to consciously loosen my fingers so I did not shatter it over the mahogany bar.Four older men in sharp grey suits stood in a tight half-circle around me, trapping me in the corner of the massive ballroom.To the human waiters passing by with trays of champagne, these men just looked like wealthy banking executives pitching a boring corporate merger.I knew exactly who they really were beneath the expensive tailoring and the fake, polite smiles.They were high-ranking members of the supernatural pack council, and they were currently trying to subtly threaten my territory in plain sight."The downtown zoning permits are getting incredibly complicated, Ren," the tallest man said while swirling the dark liquor in his own glass.His name was Silas, and he was one of Nathaniel’s most loyal and ruthless supporters on the council."We think