Emily remained frozen, as if petrified, long after Clara had left. Her mind was racing, every thought amplifying the echo of a single word: pregnant. Her entire world had just shifted. Every heartbeat was no longer just for herself, but for the life growing inside her—fragile and precious. A child. The result of her union with Alexander. But in this dark and ruthless world, a child was the greatest vulnerability.

She knew what it meant. Alexander, that cold and calculating man, would never tolerate such weakness. Fatherhood wasn't part of his plans. To him, a child was a flaw, a weak point to be eradicated. He wouldn't hesitate to destroy that budding life to preserve his own, to keep intact the empire he had built on fear and control.