The room was silent, but Alicia's mind was screaming.
She stared at the pregnancy test still lying on the cold bathroom floor. Its two pink lines burned themselves into her brain, rewriting her reality in irreversible ink.
She was pregnant.
And no matter how many times she blinked, the result didn't change.
Her phone buzzed on the sink.
Sister: Can we meet for brunch tomorrow? I have a surprise for you!
Alicia let out a bitter laugh. Surprise? She had one too. One that could destroy everything.
She turned off her phone.
She couldn't think. Couldn't feel.
She needed to breathe.
Throwing on a coat, she left her apartment and walked aimlessly into the night, the city's neon chaos doing little to drown out her thoughts.
Across town, Dominic stared at the unopened message on his phone.
He'd waited all day for her to call. For her to text. For something.
But nothing came.
He knew he'd pushed her too far, too fast. But time wasn't on his side.
If only she knew…
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his penthouse door.
He opened it to find his personal assistant, Liam, looking unusually tense.
"You're not going to like this," Liam said, stepping inside without waiting.
"What now?"
Liam handed him a tablet. "It's a leaked list. Potential exposés. Someone's targeting your company. They're going after your past. Your connections. Even… her."
Dominic's jaw clenched. "Alicia?"
"She's listed as a personal link. And whoever this is—they know you met her before the partnership."
Dominic's heart sank. This wasn't just business. This was personal sabotage.
He had enemies. Old ones. And someone had been watching.
If this went public, Alicia's life—her career, her family—would be scorched to ashes.
He couldn't let that happen.
The next morning, Alicia sat in her office staring blankly at her computer screen. She hadn't told anyone. Not her sister. Not her father. Not the man whose child she was carrying.
She wasn't even sure if she could.
As if summoned by her stormy thoughts, her office door burst open.
It was him.
Dominic.
His face was stone cold, and for the first time, she saw something raw in his eyes—panic.
"We need to talk," he said without greeting.
"Dominic, I—"
"I know you're pregnant."
Alicia froze. Her heart dropped. "What…?"
"I had you followed," he confessed bluntly. "Not to control you—but to protect you. Someone's leaking information. Watching you. Watching us."
The words slammed into her like a freight train.
"You what?" she breathed.
"You bought a pregnancy test. Late last night. Alone. That's all I know," he said, voice low. "I didn't plan to confront you like this. But whoever's behind this—they know. And they're going to use it."
She stood slowly, hands shaking. "So, what now? You pretend to be the hero while I deal with the consequences? What do you want from me?"
Dominic closed the distance between them. "I want to protect you."
"You don't even know me," she whispered.
"I know enough," he said, voice softer now. "I know you're strong, brilliant, and stubborn as hell. I know you're scared. But you're not alone in this."
Silence.
Then a knock interrupted the moment.
Alicia's assistant poked her head in.
"There's someone here asking for you. She says she's your mother."
Alicia's heart skipped a beat. "That's impossible. My mother's in Paris for the week."
"She just flew in early."
Dominic and Alicia exchanged a look.
Something didn't feel right.
Her mother sat in the firm's guest lounge, sipping tea delicately. Alicia stepped inside cautiously.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
The elegant woman raised her head and smiled—only it wasn't a warm smile.
It was tight. Calculated.
"I came because I heard things… about you. About him."
She glanced behind Alicia where Dominic had just appeared.
"I heard whispers," her mother continued. "That my daughter has been careless. That there are… complications."
Alicia's mouth went dry. "Where did you hear that?"
But her mother didn't answer.
Instead, she stood, placing her cup down with precision. "You're going to end this nonsense before you destroy everything we've built. You're not going to let a one-night mistake ruin our family's legacy."
Dominic stepped forward. "She's not alone in this."
Her mother didn't blink. "You're a liability. A scandal in a tailored suit. And I will not let my daughter be dragged into the mud by you."
Alicia couldn't breathe.
This was the moment she feared.
Everyone choosing for her.
Everyone deciding who she should be.
"No," she said, louder than intended. "You don't get to decide. Not anymore."
Her mother turned, eyes cold. "Then I hope you're ready for war, Alicia. Because when this secret breaks—when the world finds out—you'll be on your own."
With that, she walked out.
And Alicia felt the floor vanish beneath her feet.
Later that day, she sat alone on a park bench, hands cradling her stomach.
She hadn't chosen this life.
She hadn't chosen him.
But maybe… just maybe… this child wasn't the end.
Maybe it was the beginning.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Contact: You made the wrong choice, Alicia Morgan. And now everyone will pay.
Her breath caught.
This wasn't about her anymore.
It was bigger.
Darker.
And someone was watching.