Worries

The moment Isla shut the door to her apartment, the silence swallowed her whole. She stood there her coat still clutched in her trembling fingers, and her breath was uneven. Her mind refused to accept the truth, but the words echoed relentlessly louder than her heartbeat.

You are pregnant.

Her legs gave away before she reached the couch, and she sank into the plush cushions, her head in her hands. She wasn't always careless. She was meticulous, and in control. Always. But somehow, somewhere between the chaos of her unwanted marriage and the wreckage of her engagement, she had lost control in the worst possible way. Her stomach knotted- not just from nausea but from dread.

Who is the father? Julian? Damien?

Her fingers curled against her temple as she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to retrace the timeline, every interaction, every intimate moment. But the dates blurred, the memories tangled, and with every attempt to piece it together, the panic inside her grew.

What does this mean for her future?

For Julian-the man she had planned to marry, the man she thought she had a future with? The man who turned cold the second she told him about the accidental marriage.

For Damien- the man who was nothing but a complication, a force of nature she hadn't planned for, a mistake that now had permanent consequences.

She pressed a hand against her stomach, her chest tightening.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She had spent years building up her life, her career, and everything with precision, ensuring no one distractions could derail her. And now, in weeks, everything had unraveled.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips

Isla Bennet, undefeated in the courtroom, is now trapped in a case she couldn't argue her way out of. She could feel the spiral, the slow, terrifying pull of panic threatening to consume her. 

Would Julian demand answers? Would Damien use this as leverage? Would she be forced into a situation she couldn't escape?

No.

She shot up from the couch, her breath shaky but her resolve hardening. She wouldn't tell them. Not yet. Not until she figured out what happened that night, not until she discovered the mystery behind the marriage.

This wasn't about them. It was about her choices, her life.

And if there was one thing she still had control over, it was this secret.

With one last deep breath, she straightened her spine, wiped the tears she hadn't realized had fallen, and whispered to herself:

"I will handle this one alone."