SHATTERED HEART

Mia sat alone in her small apartment, clutching a small plastic stick in her trembling hands. Her eyes, red and puffy from sleepless nights, stared in disbelief at the results. The test was positive.

"No… no, this can't be happening," she whispered, her voice breaking. "How am I supposed to do this?"

Her heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The room seemed to spin as panic set in. She stumbled to the kitchen sink, her hands gripping the counter for support.

"I need to find him," she muttered. "I need to tell him. He needs to know."

Mia's days turned into a blur of frantic searching. She retraced her steps to the club where she had first met Alexander, but the search yielded no results. The once vibrant club now seemed like a distant memory, and the bouncers and staff offered no assistance.

"Have you seen Alexander Knight?" Mia asked the bartender, her voice strained with desperation.

The bartender shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know where he is. He comes here rarely."

Frustration welled up inside Mia. "Please, it's important. I really need to speak with him."

"Look, I can't help you. I don't know where he is," the bartender said, his tone final.

With no other options, Mia decided to confront Alexander directly. She found herself standing outside the imposing glass doors of Knight Enterprises. The building was a towering symbol of wealth and power, starkly contrasting with her own desperate state.

Inside, the lobby was pristine, with polished floors and gleaming chandeliers. Mia approached the reception desk, her heart pounding.

"Excuse me, I need to see Alexander Knight," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The receptionist looked up with a practiced smile. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No," Mia admitted, her anxiety rising. "But it's urgent. I need to speak with him."

The receptionist's smile faltered slightly. "Mr. Knight is a very busy man. Without an appointment, I'm afraid you can't see him."

Mia's desperation grew. "Please, I really need to talk to him. It's important. It concerns his child."

The receptionist's eyes widened, but she didn't relent. "I'm sorry. You need an appointment. I can't help you."

Mia's pleas were met with a firm refusal, and she felt her hopes sinking. She spotted a woman in a sleek suit walking briskly through the lobby and decided to approach her, hoping for better luck.

"Excuse me," Mia said, grabbing the woman's arm. "I need to see Joan. I heard she's Mr. Knight's assistant."

The woman, clearly annoyed, turned to face Mia. "I'm Joan. What do you want?"

Mia took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "I need to speak with Alexander Knight. It's urgent and personal."

Joan's expression hardened. "Mr. Knight is not available to see anyone without an appointment. What is this about?"

"It's about his child," Mia said, her voice breaking. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

Joan's eyes narrowed, but she remained impassive. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Knight does not see people on a whim. If you don't have an appointment, I can't help you."

Mia's eyes filled with tears. "Please, Joan. I don't know what else to do. I'm terrified. I need him to know."

Joan's expression softened, but only slightly. "Even if I wanted to, Mr. Knight is out of the office for the day. You'll have to make an appointment through proper channels."

Mia felt a wave of humiliation wash over her. She had come so far, only to be turned away. Her hands shook as she tried to keep her composure.

"Please," Mia pleaded, "Isn't there any way you can get a message to him?"

Joan shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. You should leave."

Mia's face flushed with a mixture of anger and despair. "I'm trying to do the right thing here. I thought he deserved to know about his child."

Joan's expression remained stoic. "I understand this is difficult, but there's a process. You need to follow it."

Feeling defeated, Mia turned and walked away, her steps heavy with sorrow. The cold reality of her situation settled over her like a shroud. She had been rejected, her pleas falling on deaf ears.

Mia returned to the library, the only place that had ever offered her some semblance of refuge. She sat at one of the tables, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The quiet, dimly lit room offered little solace as her thoughts spiraled.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, but there was no one she could turn to for help. The burden of her situation weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Her grandmother had always been her rock, but she was frail and struggling herself. Mia didn't want to burden her with this news. She was alone in this fight, and it felt like the walls were closing in.

As she sat there, Mia couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped in an inescapable nightmare. The hope she had once clung to seemed distant and unattainable. Her dreams of a better future had been replaced by the harsh reality of her situation.

Her thoughts turned to Alexander Knight. What kind of man was he, to dismiss her so easily? Did he have any idea of the chaos he had caused in her life? The questions swirled in her mind, unanswered and painful.

Mia glanced at her reflection in a nearby window. The woman staring back at her looked worn and defeated. The struggles she faced were immense, but she knew she had to keep fighting, for herself and for her child.

Despite the crushing disappointment, Mia made a decision. She would not give up. If she had to go through proper channels, she would. She would find a way to reach Alexander Knight, no matter how difficult it might be.

With renewed determination, Mia wiped her tears and stood up. She needed to find a way to ensure her child's future, and she would not let anything stand in her way. The journey ahead was daunting, but she was prepared to face it head-on.

As she left the library, Mia's heart was heavy, but her resolve was strong. She knew that the road ahead would be filled with challenges, but she was ready to face them. For her child, she would do whatever it took.