Morning sunlight sliced through the plastic blinds of the private hospital room. Evelyn woke up to a dull, stinging pain in the back of her hand.
She blinked against the glare. An IV line fed clear fluid into her vein. A nurse pushed a medical cart into the room, wrapped a cuff around Evelyn's arm to check her blood pressure, and swapped out the empty nutrient bag for a fresh one.
Evelyn leaned back against the stiff pillows. She picked up her phone from the bedside table. The screen was blank. No missed calls. No texts from Julian. She let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh.
Miles away, inside the towering glass headquarters of Harrison Holdings, Julian sat behind his massive desk. His assistant, Ryan Foster, knocked twice and stepped into the office.
Ryan placed a photocopied medical billing statement on the polished wood. "Sir, a contact at New York General Hospital just tipped us off. The head nurse from the OB-GYN emergency bay recognized your wife when she used her old pre-marriage insurance card, and immediately sent a discreet message to our crisis management team."
A dark, violent storm gathered in Julian's eyes. The muscle in his jaw ticked rapidly.
He stood up so fast his heavy leather chair rolled back and hit the wall. He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of the chair and stormed out of the office.
Julian took the private elevator straight down to the underground garage. He got into the back of his Maybach.
"New York General, now," Julian barked at the driver.
The Maybach wove aggressively through the Manhattan morning traffic. Julian sat in the back, his fingers tugging violently at the knot of his silk tie. His chest tightened with fury. He was absolutely certain this was Evelyn's desperate, calculated scheme to fight for his assets.
The car jerked to a halt in front of the hospital. Julian shoved the door open. He walked through the automatic doors, radiating a freezing, untouchable anger.
Inside the hospital room, Evelyn held a plastic cup of warm water. Her left hand rested gently on her flat stomach. Her eyes were soft, focused on the future.
The heavy wooden door of her room was suddenly shoved open with massive force. The doorknob slammed into the drywall with a loud crack.
Evelyn flinched. The water in her cup sloshed over the rim, spilling onto the white hospital blanket.
Julian's massive frame filled the doorway. He stepped inside and reached behind him, locking the door with a sharp click. He walked slowly toward the bed, his eyes dark and lethal.
He stopped at the edge of the mattress. His gaze snapped to the medical chart hanging at the foot of the bed. He ripped the clipboard off the plastic hook.
Julian's eyes scanned the diagnosis: Twin pregnancy. Threatened miscarriage.
A cruel, razor-sharp smirk twisted his lips. He threw the heavy clipboard onto Evelyn's legs.
"What kind of sick game are you playing?" Julian's voice was like crushed ice.
Evelyn took a deep breath. She looked straight into his furious eyes. "I am pregnant. It is a fact. And I don't need you to take responsibility for it."
Julian placed both hands flat on the edge of her bed and leaned in close. His face was inches from hers.
"You think a baby will secure your place as Mrs. Harrison?" he sneered, his breath hitting her face. "You think you can trap me?"
He straightened up. He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a leather checkbook. He clicked a pen, scribbled a string of zeros, and ripped the check from the binding.
He threw the paper directly at her face.
"Get rid of it today," Julian commanded. "Take the money and get out of my sight."
The crisp piece of paper fluttered down and landed on Evelyn's collarbone. A wave of pure, suffocating humiliation washed over her. Her blood boiled, heating her skin.
Evelyn picked up the check. She held it up right in front of Julian's face. With a swift, violent motion, she tore the paper in half. Then she stacked the halves and tore them again.
She threw her hands up, letting the torn pieces rain down. The confetti of the check landed on Julian's expensive Italian leather shoes.
Evelyn tilted her chin up. Her eyes burned with absolute defiance. "These babies are mine. I will never terminate this pregnancy."
The veins on Julian's forehead bulged. His hands curled into tight fists. "Do not test my limits, Evelyn."
He looked down at her with absolute disgust. "The Harrison family will never acknowledge blood born from manipulation. You won't get a single cent from me."
Julian turned on his heel. He marched out of the room. His heavy footsteps echoed like gunshots against the linoleum floor.
The door slammed shut again.
The tension holding Evelyn's spine straight snapped. She slumped back against the pillows, totally drained.
She wrapped both arms tightly around her stomach. She closed her eyes, her nails digging into the hospital gown. She swore to herself, right then and there, that she would protect these two lives no matter the cost.
