Novel & Cerita 99 Days

she added, rereading the will. "62 days..." I sighed. "What did you say?" Kathe asked. "I'll be 28 in exactly 62 days. I'm single. I have 62 days to get married." "But... with whom?!" Kathe said, as she slumped back into her chair. I was speechless. My mind is racing. "Where am I going to find a man to marry in 62 days?"

Multiple cameras, monitored 24/7, making sure no threats approached my children. My children who'd just buried their mother. Who'd cried themselves to sleep. Who'd wake up tomorrow to a world without Marissa in it. For one hundred seventy nine more days. I opened my desk drawer and pulled out a calendar. Not a digital one physical, paper, something I could mark. I crossed off five days. August 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. One hundred seventy nine to go until December 1st. Until Marissa's sentence ended and she could come home.

"The blood acquisition process takes approximately two hours. After that, your part is concluded." "Concluded," I said. "You'll be released," she said. "Weak, but alive. We're not in the business of unnecessary casualties." I thought about Elena Rivera. About Dr. Hartwick. About the attack on Vera. I thought about my mother. I didn't say any of it. "Seven days," she said, answering the question I'd actually asked. "Give or take. The configuration peaks in seven days." Seven days. She left. I returned to the join.

My heart pounds as static images begin to appear. He continues to move the wand around. It’s unpleasant, but I ignore it. “I’d say you’re about nine weeks and three days pregnant.”

--- **Thirty Days Later** Lia was in the nursery, folding tiny clothes, when her phone rang. Unknown number. Her stomach dropped. Julian? But he was supposed to be in the facility for ninety days minimum. She answered. "Hello?" "Mrs. Nero?" A woman's voice. Professional. "This is Meadowbrook Recovery Center. I'm calling about Julian Ashford." "Is he okay?" "He's fine. He completed our thirty-day intensive program and has been discharged." "Thirty days? I thought it was ninety minimum?" "It was his choice. He felt he'd made significant progress and wanted to transition to outpatient care."

Small steps. Small steps count. They do. Nine more weeks and I'm done. Can come home. If you earn it. I will. I promise. The bond settled. Warm. Comforting. Nine more weeks until Damoew came home. Eleven weeks until Marcus and Erik returned. So much could happen in that time. So much could go wrong. But also so much could go right. Jasmina touched her stomach. The baby kicked. Strong. Healthy. Alive. "We've got this," she whispered. "Eleven weeks. We can do anything for eleven weeks."

Mara’s voice said from behind me. I didn’t turn. “Mara,” I replied quietly. “Tell me this isn’t happening again." She didn't reply as she allowed silence to draw the answer on me. “It is,” she said finally. “Your vitals are spiking. It's the same pattern and the same progression.” I exhaled through my teeth. “So it’s back.” “Yeah.” I laughed once, dark and humorless. “How long this time?” Another pause. “Ninety days, if my calculations are right.”

“Until June 2nd.” “49 days,” I said. Hand in his. 72 BPM. “Until we do what?” “Until we prove it,” Adrian said. Turned. Faced me. Dark. But I could see him. Always could. “That Chapter 50 wasn’t 3 weeks. That it was a promise. That ‘just us. Still’ means 49 days. And 490 days. And 3 AM. And 3 PM. And always.” _Thump._ “Okay,” I said. “Day 7. We start proving it.”

"You have a sister?" A humorless laugh escaped him. "Most people are surprised by that." Aubrey couldn't argue. The image she'd built of Killian never included family. Never included people he cared about. Yet now every line of his body screamed concern. Protectiveness. Fear. And that realization unsettled her. Because if Killian cared this much... Then whatever was happening had to be serious. "How old is she?" Aubrey asked. "Nineteen." Only nineteen. Aubrey swallowed.

He nodded in return. "How many more days do you guys have left?" Liam swallowed. He had been mentally counting down the days, hours and minutes ever since he realized how he truly felt. It scared him to think in about nine days, it would be all be over. "Nine days. Today's the twenty-first so, yeah." "You'll be fine," she smiled at him. He wanted to reply but was cut short by the sound of a knock on his door. "Liam, honey? Are you in?"