Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Elara left her mother’s room with a knot in her stomach that wouldn’t go away.
“I have to go, Mama. I’ll be back soon.”
Her mother waved from the bed. Still smiling.
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The driver was waiting outside exactly where she’d left him. Professional. Silent. Always there when she needed him.
“Can you take me to the clinic on Fifth Avenue?” she asked, climbing into the back seat.
“Of course, Miss Vance.”
The drive took fifteen minutes. Traffic was light for once. Elara stared out the window and tried to calm her racing thoughts.
The clinic came into view. It’s big, actual luxury, which means one thing…. It won’t be crowded as not everyone can afford it. Perfect! Discreet. The kind of place that didn’t ask too many questions, just allow your money to speak.
“Park outside,” she told the driver. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time, Miss.”
She walked through the glass doors into a waiting room, it actually smelled nice compared to that normal smell of disinfectant that hospitals normally have. Soft music played from hidden speakers. Everything designed to make people feel calm.
But it wasn’t working. She wasn’t calm.
Elara checked in at the front desk. The receptionist barely looked up.
“Dr. Matthews will see you shortly.”
She sat in one of the plush chairs and waited. Five minutes. Ten. Her leg bounced with no control.
“Miss Vance?”
A nurse appeared. Young, Friendly smile.
“Follow me.”
They went down a hallway into a small exam room. White walls. Medical posters about prenatal vitamins and fetal development.
“Dr. Matthews will be right in.”
The door closed.
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Chapter 28
Elara sat on the exam table and stared at the wall.
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Five minutes later, the door opened again. A man walked in. Late forties. Kind eyes. Normal-looking. Not one of those doctors who made you feel judged just for existing.
“Miss Vance. I’m Dr. Matthews. Good to meet you.”
“Hi.”
He sat on the rolling stool and pulled out a chart. “So you took a home pregnancy test?”
“Five of them actually. All positive.”
He smiled. “Well, let’s confirm it properly. We’ll draw some blood. Run a test. Should only take a few minutes.”
The nurse came back in with supplies. Elara rolled up her sleeve.
The needle pinch was quick. Sharp. Over before she could think too much about it.
“All done,” the nurse said. “Results should be ready in about ten minutes.”
They left her alone again.
Elara sat there staring at her phone. Not really seeing it. Just needing something to focus on that wasn’t the clock ticking on the wall.
Ten minutes felt like an hour.
The door opened. Dr. Matthews came back in holding a paper. His expression was weird. Confused maybe.
“So,” he said slowly. “We ran the test.”
“And?”
“Negative.”
Elara blinked. “What?”
“The blood test came back negative, You’re not pregnant.”
Relief flooded through her so fast it made her dizzy. She almost smiled. Almost laughed. Not pregnant. She wasn’t pregnant. She could tell Marcus. Could stop hiding. Could breathe again.
Then the nurse walked in holding another paper.
“Doctor? The second test came back.”
Dr. Matthews took it. Read it. His eyebrows pulled together.
“This one’s positive.”
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Chapter 28
“What?” Elara stood up. “How is that possible?”
Come on, are you people actually joking with me?
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“I don’t know.” He looked between the two papers. “We drew the blood at the same time. Sent it to the same lab. But one says negative and one says positive.”
“So which one is right?”
“That’s what we need to figure out.” He set both papers down. “Let’s run another test. Just to be sure.”
The nurse came back with more supplies. Drew blood again from her other arm this time.
“I’ll put a rush on it,” Dr. Matthews said. “Give us five minutes.”
They left.
Elara sat back down. Her hands were shaking. The relief from thirty seconds ago was gone. Replaced by something worse. Confusion. Fear. Hope she didn’t want to feel.
Five minutes.
The door opened.
Dr. Matthews walked in holding a single paper this time.
“Positive.”
The smile that had almost formed earlier died completely.
Back to reality.
“You’re pregnant,” he said. “About five weeks based on your last cycle.”
Five weeks. She’d gotten pregnant at the gala. The fire exit. That one night with Marcus that was supposed to mean nothing.
“Are you sure?” Her voice came out smaller than she wanted.
“Yes. The first test must have been a false negative. It happens sometimes. But these last two are clear. You’re definitely pregnant.”
Elara nodded. Didn’t trust herself to speak.
“We should do an ultrasound,” Dr. Matthews continued. “Check for a heartbeat. Make sure everything’s developing normally. It’s early but we might be able to see something.”
“Okay.”
“Let me just see my next client first. Get him settled in the waiting room. Then I’ll come back and we’ll do the scan. Should only be a few minutes. Is that alright?”
12:06 Fri, May 8
Chapter 28
“Yeah. That’s fine.”
Dr. Matthews stood and walked to the door. “I’ll be right back.”
He stepped out into the hallway.
Elara sat there alone again. Staring at the wall. Pregnant. She was actually pregnant.
Five weeks.
With Marcus Thorne’s baby.
And she still hadn’t told him.
Footsteps in the hallway. Voices. Dr. Matthews talking to someone.
“Welcome, Mr. Thorne. Thank you for coming.”
Elara’s head snapped up.
No.
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No no no.
That couldn’t be right. There were probably a thousand Thornes in New York. Common name. It was fine.
“Let me show you to my office so you can wait,” Dr. Matthews was saying. “I have a client finishing up but she’ll be done soon.”
A low voice responded. “Yeah.”
That voice.
Elara knew that voice.
The only person you’ll tell your entire life story and he’ll reply with Ok or Yeah is Marcus.
Shit!
Footsteps getting closer. Coming down the hall.
The door handle turned.
She was sitting in a chair facing away from the entrance. Elara turned toward the door just as it opened.
“Yeah, doctor, also I wanted to know the gen…der….”
The second man followed Dr. Matthews into the room.
Tall. Dark suit. Eyes that missed nothing.
12:06 Fri, May 8
Chapter 28
Marcus.
She stood up so fast the chair scraped against the floor.
“Marcus?”
12:06 Fri, May 8
