TEN
OLIVIA
The penthouse is too quiet after Julian leaves. I try to rest, but the lingering nausea makes it impossible to sleep.
A loud knock at the front door cuts through the silence.
I frown, pulling my robe tighter around my shoulders as I pad across the hardwood floor. When I open it, the hallway is empty. Only a small, unmarked box sits on the welcome mat.
My heart gives a strange, uneasy thud. I pick it up, carry it inside to the kitchen island, and pull off the lid.
Resting on top of the tissue paper is a plain, solid black men’s masquerade mask. It isn’t beautiful or intricate. It is just plastic with sharp, hard edges.
But it’s the texture that makes my breath catch.
Crude, jagged fractures line the entire surface. Someone has meticulously, obsessively glued the broken pieces back together, leaving thick, hardened ridges of dried adhesive tracking across the black mold like scars.
Beneath the heavy frame lies a small card. I flip it over.
I always pick up what you break. I mend what you ruin. Julian is mine, and he doesn’t need you anymore. I’m coming for what’s mine.
An icy dread floods my chest. There is no name signed at the bottom.
But the room suddenly feels unsafe.
I must have been sitting here for a long time because the sudden sound of the front door opening and closing startles me. When I look up from the kitchen counter, Julian is standing there, frozen. His eyes are locked onto the box in front of me.
After what feels like minutes but is only a few seconds, he moves. He rushes over and pulls me into his arms.
“Olivia. Love. Are you alright?” He holds me tight, though he keeps his grip careful around my slightly aching ribs.
When I nod against his shoulder, he steps back just enough to leave a small space between us. His gaze shifts right back to the open box.
“You got one too?” he asks.
My brows furrow. “What do you mean by too?”
“I received a box in my office right after my meeting. The moment I saw what was inside, I rushed straight back to you. This can only be Kieran.”
“I know,” I whisper, a cold chill settling over me. “I had a feeling it was him.”
“The one he sent me was a woman’s mask.” Julian pulls a small box out of the briefcase he must have thrown it into in a hurry.
When he opens it and shows me the contents, a sharp inhale escapes my lips. My heart drops into my stomach. Bile rushes up my throat, threatening to choke me. The broken pieces inside look identical to the intricate, black lace mask I wore to the masquerade event a few months ago.
“Julian... that’s the exact mask I wore the night of the Phoenix Gala. Or a perfect replica. I still have the original one at my apartment.”
“But why would he send you my mask broken in half, and send me a men’s mask that has been glued back together?” I ask, staring at the terrifying contrast between the two boxes.
“I don’t know,” Julian says, his face turning grim as he looks down at them.
“But one thing is for sure, he’s a psychopath. We need to be careful.”
“As of today, we are having security around the clock,” Julian says, his shoulders stiffening as a hard, dangerous look takes over his face.
“We cannot take any more chances.”
I nod quickly. Agreeing with him. Kieran is sick. Utterly sick in his head.
Julian presses a gentle kiss to my forehead and excuses himself to retreat to his office. He’s undoubtedly moving fast to arrange the security team we both desperately need with a loose cannon like Kieran out there.
The moment he leaves, my stomach rolls, threatening to release the little food I managed to eat this morning.
I press a hand to my abdomen, taking slow, deep breaths until the nausea passes.
I know Julian will be buried in his office for most of the day.
I can’t just sit here alone with my thoughts.
Reaching for my phone, I call Maya to tell her about the masks.
“Oh my gosh, Liv. I’m coming over right now. It’s my day off anyway.”
A wave of relief washes over me. I’m so grateful she suggested it, because with everything happening lately, I desperately need my best friend.
Thirty minutes later, a sharp knock sounds at the front door. My heart stops for a beat. I force my legs to move, walking quietly to the front door to check the peephole, making absolutely sure it isn’t Kieran.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips when I see Maya standing there.
The moment I open the door, she rushes inside and throws her arms around me in a tight hug. I can’t help but wince as the pressure hits my side.
“Oops, sorry! I forgot,” she says, instantly pulling back with an apologetic look.
“I just missed you so much.”
“No worries. I missed you too.” I offer her a small smile, ushering her into the warmth of the penthouse.
“My rib is mostly healed. It’s just a little tender still, but I’m fine.”
“Come, let’s get something to drink then we can sit and catch up.” I say, moving towards the kitchen.
The rich, roasted scent of coffee beans usually soothes me, but the moment the steam rises from Maya’s mug, my stomach revolts.
A wave of violent, sour heat surges up my throat.
Maya is still talking, Maya is still talking about her day off, but her voice fades out as the words blur into white noise.
The kitchen island suddenly feels like it’s tilting.
My mouth waters with that distinct, terrifying flood of saliva that means I have seconds, maybe less, before I lose it right on the granite counter.
I swallow hard, slamming the mug down, and bolt for the guest bathroom.
“Liv?” Maya’s voice heightens with instant worry, her footsteps heavy on the floor as she follows right on my heels.
“What’s wrong?”
I barely make it. I drop to my knees in front of the toilet, my hands gripping the porcelain bowl as my body dry-heaves, violently rejecting the tiny bit of toast I managed to eat earlier. Tears prick the corners of my eyes from the sheer force of it.
Maya is there a second later, gathering my hair back, her hand a warm, weight on my spine. “Liv. Are you okay?”
I wait for the spasms to pass, trembling as I reach up to flush the toilet. Bracing myself against the sink, I pull myself up and turn on the cold water, rinsing my mouth until the bitter taste fades. I catch my reflection in the mirror. I’m pale, ghostly skin with dark circles under my eyes.
“I’m fine,” I breathe, leaning against the counter as I wipe my mouth with a hand towel.
“I’ve just been feeling a bit off this past week. It’s just a stomach bug. I’m sure of it.”
Maya drops her hands, her eyes narrowing as she scans my face, searching for something. “Liv... do you think you might be pregnant?”
The question hits me like a bucket of ice water. The room goes dead still. My breathing freezes, the air trapped in my lungs.
“No,” I say instantly, the denial slipping out before I can even process the thought.
“No, I’m not pregnant. I’m on the pill. I take it every day.”
I’m fine. I literally had my period last week during my off-pack days.
Maya doesn’t back down. She steps closer, her voice dropping into that gentle tone only a best friend can use.
“Yeah, but have you actually read the insert inside the boxes? Even on the pill, it says it’s ninety-nine percent effective. Same with condoms. They all say ninety-nine percent.” She holds up a single finger, her expression dead serious.
“That means there’s still a one percent possibility, Olivia. And one percent is still a chance.”
The silence in the bathroom becomes deafening. I stare at her, my hand subconsciously drifting down toward my stomach, a terrifying, quiet panic beginning to take root.
“No,” I say, shaking my head as I grip the edge of the sink. “It’s impossible. I literally just had my period last week, and I never miss a pill.”
Maya crosses her arms, her eyes filled with pure sympathy.
“Liv, girls get pregnant on the pill all the time. It happens. Sometimes your body just adjusts, or a period changes, or it stops. That’s why that one percent exists.”
I press a trembling hand over my mouth.
“Oh shit. What if I’m pregnant?” I whisper.
“What am I going to do? I mean, what will Julian do when I tell him?” The questions spill out of me, one right after the other desperate and rapid-fire, as if Maya somehow holds the answers.
Maya reaches out and gives my arm a reassuring squeeze.
“You talk to him. But before you do that, go to the doctor and make sure first. It might still just be a stomach bug.”
We leave the bathroom and move to the lounge area.
Maya wastes no time. She pulls out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she steps toward the window glancing to Julian’s office door making sure it is still closed.
“I’m calling my OBGYN. Dr. Evans is incredible, and if I tell his receptionist, it’s an emergency for my best friend, they’ll squeeze you in within the hour.”
Panic and hope tangle in my chest. “An hour? But Julian—”
“He knows you’re feeling off the past few days, right?” Maya interrupts, her jaw setting into that stubborn line I know all too well.
She leans out the doorway, looking toward his home office.
“You’re still throwing up. We use that. I’ll tell him I’m escorting you to the clinic myself. Kieran might be a psycho, but he isn’t going to try anything in a crowded medical building, and he sure as hell isn’t getting past me.”
She’s right. Maya is a force of nature when she wants to be.
Dr. Evans’s office confirms they can see me if we leave right now. They have an opening because of a cancellation earlier.
My hands shake as I follow Maya down the hallway toward Julian’s office. The heavy oak door is closed, but I can hear the low, rumbling vibration of his voice inside, barking orders at his security team.
I take a breath and knock.
“Enter,” his deep voice calls from the other side. Julian stands at the window, the top buttons of his dress shirt undone, his phone pressed to his ear.
The moment his dark eyes land on my pale face, his entire posture changes. He cuts off whoever is speaking on the line.
“I’ll call you back.”
He drops the phone onto his desk and steps toward me, his hands instantly coming up to frame my face. His thumbs brush over my cheeks, his gaze searching mine with fierce intensity. “Olivia. You look like a ghost. What’s wrong?”
“My stomach,” I say, the truth slipping out easily because the nausea is still hovering at the back of my throat. “I’m feeling worse than this morning. Maya called her doctor, and they have an opening right now. She’s going to take me.”
Julian’s eyes narrow, his protective instincts flaring as his gaze shifts past my shoulder to Maya, who stands in the hallway with her arms crossed, looking totally unfazed by his intimidating aura.
“I’ll have the security detail bring the SUV around,” Julian says smoothly, his hand dropping from my face to grip my waist, pulling me a fraction closer. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, Julian, stay,” I say, stepping forward until my chest touches his. “You need to finish your work. We’ll be fine.”
Maya steps up beside us to reassure him. “I’ll keep my eyes glued to her the entire time.”
Julian hesitates, his jaw tightening as he weighs the options.
He looks back down at me, his dark eyes burning into mine. “One hour, Olivia. Your phone stays on, and Maya snaps a photo of the clinic’s security guard the second you walk through the door. If you aren’t back in an hour, I’m coming down there with a full squad.”
I nod, and then give him a gentle kiss.
At the doctor’s office, I explain my symptoms to Dr. Evans, and she asks me if there’s any chance I could be pregnant. I tell her about my period last week.
“Okay, let’s do the urine and blood tests and take it from there,” she says.
I handle the urine test, and right after that, a nurse draws my blood.
Before Dr. Evans gives me the final results, she has me lie back on the examination table for a quick pelvic exam. Her hands are cool as she gently presses on my lower abdomen, checking my uterus.
Back in the examination room, Maya and I wait for Dr. Evans to return. When she walks in, she has a warm smile on her face.
“Congratulations, Miss Harper, you’re pregnant.”
I feel like I’m going to faint. All the blood drains from my face, and my stomach coils.
The doctor must notice my sudden paleness because she sits up straight, her expression turning serious.
“Oh no. From the look on your face, this doesn’t seem to be the best news.”
I shake my head, my voice trembling. “It… it wasn’t planned at all.”
Maya takes my cold, shaking hand in her warm one, squeezing tight. “Liv, don’t stress about this. Julian will be fine. You will be fine. I’m here, and I will be there every single step of the way.”
I look at her, and knowing I have my best friend with me already helps quiet the rising panic. I swallow hard and nod.
“What are the next steps going forward?” I ask the doctor, keeping my voice low.
“The blood test will confirm your exact hormone levels soon,” Dr. Evans says, pulling up my chart.
“But in the meantime, based on the physical exam and your history with the pill, we can establish more or less how far along you are. Your last bleed was likely just breakthrough bleeding from the birth control. We’ll schedule an ultrasound soon, depending on that date.
For now, you need to start on prenatal vitamins, which I’m going to prescribe today. ”
We leave after discussing everything. As far as the doctor can tell from the pelvic exam, I’m already around seven weeks pregnant. We schedule the ultrasound for next week.
A stray tear falls on our way back to Julian’s penthouse. Maya holds my hand the entire drive, offering silent comfort.
“Aw, Liv, don’t cry,” she whispers gently. “You’ll see. Julian will be thrilled. He loves you. Anyone with eyes can see that.”
I can’t even reply. My voice is completely frozen.
The rest of the ride passes in absolute silence. My mind goes all over the place, spinning out of control. What if this isn’t what Julian wants? What if I end up raising this baby alone?
I can’t hide this from him. He has a right to know even if he doesn’t want me afterwards or this baby. I look down at my hand cradling my belly. We’ll be fine, little one, even if your daddy decides he doesn’t want us.