The morning sun sliced through the bathroom blinds, stabbing Audrey directly in the eyes.
She was hunched over the porcelain sink, her knuckles white as she gripped the edges. Her stomach violently contracted. She dry-heaved, coughing until her throat felt raw. The chemical hangover from Genevieve's sedatives pounded against her skull like a hammer.
She opened the bottom drawer of the vanity. Her fingers shook as she pulled out a plastic pregnancy test.
She followed the instructions, her breathing shallow and ragged. When she was done, she flipped the plastic stick face-down on the marble counter.
Three minutes.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was ashen. Dark circles bruised the skin under her eyes. The memory of Kingston's broad back walking away from her last night played on a loop in her brain. She didn't know if she even wanted this marriage anymore. She didn't know if she could survive it.
The timer on her phone buzzed.
Audrey squeezed her eyes shut. She took a deep, shuddering breath, reached out, and flipped the test over.
Two solid red lines.
Pregnant.
A sharp gasp tore from her lips. The shock hit her first, followed instantly by a fierce, protective warmth blooming in her chest. She pressed a trembling hand flat against her lower stomach.
A baby. Kingston's baby.
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the anchor they needed. A child could thaw the ice between them. It had to.
She moved quickly. She washed her face and pulled on a tailored beige trench coat, tying the belt tight to hide the slight tremor in her hands. She carefully slipped the pregnancy test into the hidden zipper pocket of her Birkin bag.
She left the penthouse and took the elevator down to the underground garage.
The driver was waiting by the black Maybach.
"Savage Tower," Audrey said as she slid into the backseat.
The streets of New York blurred past the tinted windows. Audrey clutched the leather straps of her bag. She rehearsed the words in her head a hundred times. Kingston, we're going to have a baby.
The Maybach pulled up to the curb on Wall Street.
Audrey pushed the door open before the driver could. She walked into the towering glass lobby of the Savage Corporation. Her heels clicked rapidly against the floor.
The receptionist at the front desk looked up. The woman's eyes widened, darting nervously toward the private elevators.
"Good morning, Mrs. Savage," the receptionist said, her voice tight. She made a slight, aborted movement, as if she wanted to stop Audrey but didn't have the authority.
Audrey ignored the strange look. She pressed her thumb to the biometric scanner on the private elevator. The doors slid open.
She watched the floor numbers climb. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
The doors parted on the top floor.
Audrey stepped out and headed straight for the double mahogany doors of the CEO's office.
Max Keller, Kingston's executive assistant, practically jumped out of his chair. He lunged into the hallway, blocking her path.
"Mrs. Savage!" Max stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "You can't go in there. Mr. Savage is in a very important meeting."
Audrey stopped. She looked at Max's shifting eyes. Her stomach dropped. The sickening scent of rose and sandalwood from last night flooded her memory.
"Who is in there, Max?" her voice was dead calm, but her blood was turning to ice.
"It's... it's a private client," Max lied, shifting his weight to physically block the door handles.
Audrey didn't hesitate. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She shoved Max hard in the chest. He stumbled back, caught off guard by her sudden strength.
She grabbed the heavy brass handle and shoved the door open.
The sight inside hit Audrey with the force of a physical blow. All the air vanished from her lungs.
Celestine Perry was sitting in Kingston's massive leather executive chair.
She was wearing a custom silk maternity dress. Her stomach was hugely, undeniably pregnant. At least seven months along.
Celestine spun the chair around. When she saw Audrey frozen in the doorway, a slow, toxic smirk spread across her perfectly painted lips.
Audrey's entire body went numb. The blood roared in her ears. The pregnancy test in her bag suddenly felt like a burning coal against her side.
Celestine placed a manicured hand on her swollen belly. She stood up slowly, her movements exaggerated and proud.
"Well," Celestine's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Look who finally decided to visit the office."
"Why are you here?" Audrey choked out, her voice cracking. Her eyes were glued to the massive bump. "Whose baby is that?"
Celestine let out a tinkling laugh. She walked around the desk, her heels sinking into the plush carpet.
"Whose do you think, Audrey?" Celestine stopped inches away. The stench of roses and sandalwood suffocated Audrey. "This is the true Savage heir. Kingston sings to him every night."
Audrey's vision went red. The absolute cruelty of it broke something inside her brain. She raised her right hand, her palm flying toward Celestine's smug face.
Celestine didn't flinch. Instead, she aggressively thrust her pregnant belly forward, right into the path of Audrey's swing.
Audrey's muscles locked. She stopped her hand an inch from Celestine's cheek. She couldn't do it. She couldn't strike a pregnant woman. The moral restraint made her physically sick with frustration.
Celestine saw the hesitation and smiled. She leaned in, her lips brushing Audrey's ear.
"You're just a cheap, defective placeholder," Celestine whispered. "The real owner is back. It's time for you to roll over and die."
Audrey's fingernails dug so hard into her palms that the skin broke. Hot blood seeped into the creases of her hands. She stared at Celestine, a raw, unadulterated hatred igniting in her chest.
The door to the private suite attached to the office clicked open.
"What the hell is going on out here?"
Kingston stepped into the office. He was wearing nothing but a white hotel robe, a towel rubbing roughly at his wet hair.
