"Help!" I slammed my bloody fist against the frosted glass.
The deadbolt clicked. The heavy oak door swung inward. Mrs. Gable stood in the foyer, a dripping umbrella slipping from her grasp. She stared at the red puddle forming around my slippers.
"Mrs. Moreno!" She dropped to her knees. "Oh, dear God, you are bleeding!"
"My baby," I gasped, clutching her shoulder. "He locked me out."
"Maria! Bring towels!" Mrs. Gable hauled me inside, leaving a crimson trail on the white marble floor. "I am calling Dr. Lewis right now."
"Do not tell Damon," I pleaded.
"He drove away ten minutes ago," she said, wrapping a thick towel around my waist. "Hold on, sweet girl. Just hold on."
An hour later, the storm raged outside the guest room window.
Dr. Lewis pulled off his latex gloves and tossed them into the trash bin. "You tore a placental vessel. It is a miracle you did not miscarry on that porch."
"Is my son okay?" I stared at the ceiling, my hands resting protectively over my swollen belly.
"His heart rate stabilized, but he is under severe distress. You need absolute bedrest. No shouting, no walking, no stress. Another shock like this will kill him."
"Thank you, Doctor."
The heavy wooden door flew open, slamming against the drywall.
Damon marched into the room. Mia trailed closely behind him, clutching the sleeve of his tailored suit.
"How much is she paying you to lie, Lewis?" Damon demanded, stopping at the foot of the bed.
"Mr. Moreno." Dr. Lewis stood his ground. "Your wife suffered a severe trauma. She requires peace and quiet."
"She is faking it to manipulate me," Damon sneered. "She probably cut her own leg to stage a scene."
"Get out," I told the doctor. "Before he fires you."
Dr. Lewis grabbed his medical bag. "Call me if the cramping returns, Mrs. Moreno." He hurried past Damon and vanished down the hall.
I pushed myself up against the pillows. "You locked me in a freezing storm. You almost killed your own child."
"You slipped because you were acting like a lunatic," Damon countered. "Take some responsibility for your actions."
"I caught you cheating!"
"You caught us talking!" Damon shouted. "You embarrassed me. You terrified Mia."
Mia whimpered. She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead and leaned heavily against Damon's arm. "Damon, my head is spinning. The shouting... it is making me nauseous."
"Sit here, sweetheart." He guided her to the velvet armchair in the corner.
"Do not call her that in my house," I snapped.
"It is my house," Damon reminded me. "I pay the bills. I make the rules."
Mia buried her face in her hands. Loud, dramatic sobs echoed through the small bedroom. "I cannot do this anymore, Damon. I cannot hide it. The stress is going to destroy everything."
Silence filled the room, broken only by the rain hitting the glass.
"Hide what?" Damon asked, his tone softening instantly.
Mia lifted her tear-streaked face. She looked directly into his eyes. "I am pregnant. I took the test this morning."
Damon froze. His anger melted into absolute shock. "A baby? You are sure?"
"Yes." She sniffled, wiping her nose. "I was terrified to tell you. I thought you would hate me. I thought you would tell me to get rid of it."
"Get rid of it?" Damon dropped to his knees. He grabbed both of her hands and kissed her knuckles. "Mia, this is a miracle. I would never ask you to do that."
I laughed. A dry, hollow sound that scraped the back of my throat. "She is lying. You have known her for three months. It takes time to confirm a pregnancy."
Damon shot to his feet. He pointed a rigid finger at my face. "Keep your jealous mouth shut."
"I am eight months pregnant with your actual child!" I yelled.
"And you use him as a weapon to control my life!" Damon shouted back. "Mia is fragile. She needs peace and quiet, not a toxic environment."
Mia stroked her flat stomach. "My doctor said I am high-risk, Damon. I am so scared to go back to my empty apartment. What if I faint? What if I lose our baby?"
"You are not going back there," Damon promised.
"But Serena hates me," Mia cried, shrinking back into the chair. "She will try to hurt my baby. I should just leave. I will raise this child alone."
"I will never let her near you," Damon vowed.
He marched to the doorway and opened it wide. "Mrs. Gable! Maria! Everyone in the hallway, right now!"
Footsteps echoed on the hardwood stairs. Five staff members gathered outside the door, their eyes darting between me in the bed and Damon standing over Mia.
"Clear out the master suite," Damon commanded. "Pack Serena’s clothes and move them into this guest room."
Mrs. Gable stepped forward, wringing her apron. "Sir? The master suite? Mrs. Moreno just had a hemorrhage."
"One more word and you are fired, Gable," Damon warned. "Mia is moving into the main house today. She is carrying my child."
Maria gasped. Mrs. Gable stared firmly at the floor.
"From this moment on, Mia is my future partner," Damon continued. He pulled Mia out of the chair and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. "You will treat her with the highest respect. Maria, you are now her personal attendant."
"Yes, Mr. Moreno," Maria whispered.
"Throw out all the old bedding in the master room," Damon ordered. "Buy a new mattress. Order organic groceries. If Mia needs a glass of water at three in the morning, you fetch it immediately."
"Understood, sir," Mrs. Gable said, her voice tight.
"Damon, you are too generous," Mia murmured. She rested her cheek against his chest. Over his shoulder, she locked eyes with me. The tears vanished. A cold, victorious smirk stretched her lips.
"You are insane," I told him, gripping the blanket. "You bought her jewelry. You gave her my shawl. Now you are moving your mistress into my home and giving her my bed."
"She is not my mistress," Damon snapped. "She is the mother of my true heir."
"True heir?" My stomach twisted into a painful knot.
"A child born out of love," Damon said. "Not a mistake."
"Get out of my room," I whispered.
"Gladly." Damon turned toward the door, guiding Mia into the hallway. He paused at the threshold and looked back at me. "Rest up, Serena. You will need your strength for the divorce proceedings tomorrow."
I clenched my jaw. "You will not get away with this."
"I already have," Damon said. "And do not think you are keeping my son after he is born. Mia and I will be raising him. You are entirely unfit to be a mother."
The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the dark.
