"What… what's happening to me?"
Nina's voice emerged as barely a whisper, swallowed by the darkness pressing in around her. Her skin burned as though fire ran beneath it, heat spreading through her body in relentless waves that seemed to have no end.
Every breath felt too heavy, too hot, as if she were inhaling smoke instead of air. The atmosphere around her seemed to thicken and congeal, making it harder and harder to form a coherent thought. Her mind grew sluggish, weighted down by the fever consuming her.
"Why do I feel like this…?"
Her fingers trembled as they reached out blindly into the void, searching for something… anything, to anchor herself to. She needed stability, needed to feel grounded in reality before she lost herself completely to whatever was overtaking her senses.
And then she felt it. A body.Cool. Solid. Real. The man standing before her was like cold marble against her feverish skin, a stark contrast that made her gasp. Instinct took over before reason could catch up, before she could question what she was doing or why.
Nina clutched at him desperately, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt as if he were the only thing keeping her from drowning in an invisible tide. She pressed closer, seeking relief from the unbearable heat radiating from within.
"I… I'm sorry…" she murmured weakly, though she wasn't sure who she was apologizing to… him, herself, or the universe for putting her in this impossible situation.
The world tilted around her at a dizzying angle. Her thoughts scattered like sparks in the wind, impossible to catch or hold. The strange mixture of pain and warmth rushing through her veins made everything blur together into an indistinct haze. It was like drifting across a burning sea… rising on waves of sensation, sinking into depths of confusion, losing all control of the direction entirely. She couldn't tell up from down, real from imagined.
Her mind felt as though fireworks were exploding inside it, bright flashes of sensation that left her dizzy and breathless and utterly disoriented.
Somewhere far away, as if calling from another world entirely, a voice broke through."Nina… Nina… wake up." A hand touched her shoulder, gentle but insistent.
"Miss? Are you alright?" The voice grew clearer, more concerned. "You shouldn't fall asleep here… it's cold."
Nina's eyes snapped open. The bright hospital lights above her were blinding, harsh, and clinical after the darkness of her dream. She squinted against them, disoriented and confused. For a moment, she didn't know where she was, couldn't reconcile the sterile white ceiling with the vivid sensations still echoing through her body.
Then the concerned face of a nurse came into focus, leaning over her with a worried expression that made Nina's stomach clench with mortification. Embarrassment rushed through Nina like a tidal wave, hot and overwhelming. She quickly sat up, perhaps too quickly, judging by the way the room spun slightly, and brushed a hand through her hair as if that simple gesture might hide the heat rising to her cheeks.
Had she really fallen asleep in the hospital waiting room? Had she been dreaming about… that?
"I… I'm fine," she said hurriedly, her voice coming out higher than intended. The nurse gave her a slightly amused look, as if she'd seen this sort of thing before, before handing over a folder with practiced efficiency.
"You almost forgot your pregnancy checkup results," the nurse said, extending the folder. "Dr. Chen wants to see you again next week for another examination."
Nina blinked, momentarily disoriented, before accepting the papers with trembling fingers."Thank you," she managed. She glanced down at the report, her vision still slightly blurred from sleep. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the edges of the document before she carefully slipped it into her bag, as though protecting something precious.
Seven months.
The reality of it still felt surreal sometimes. Her hand drifted to her stomach, resting there with a gentleness that had become second nature. Beneath her palm, she felt the subtle roundness that had transformed her body, reshaped her entire world. A small smile touched her lips, softening the lingering embarrassment from moments before.
Adrian was coming back tonight. The thought sent a flutter of nervous excitement through her chest, mixing anticipation with something she couldn't quite name. She'd been counting down the days, the hours, imagining their reunion so many times that it had taken on an almost dreamlike quality.
Adrian Cole had been studying overseas for nearly a year. The distance had been difficult, but the isolation of his research location had made it worse. Because of the remote area where he was working, it had taken months of failed attempts before she finally managed to contact him and share the news that would change both their lives.
She still remembered the silence on the phone when she told him… that long, stretching pause that had made her grip the receiver until her knuckles turned white."I'm pregnant, Adrian."
The words had hung in the air between them, traveling across continents and undersea cables. At the time, she had assumed he was simply shocked, processing the magnitude of what she'd just revealed.
Anyone would be, right?
She'd told herself that over and over. Even the doctor had reassured her during one of her appointments, noticing perhaps the worry that crept into Nina's questions about partners and support.
"Men often take longer to adjust to the idea of becoming fathers," the doctor had said kindly, her voice warm with understanding. "It's not real to them the way it is to you. You're living it every day."
Still…Nina couldn't shake the faint unease that lingered in the back of her mind like a shadow she couldn't quite turn to face. Even when they talked about marriage during their brief, crackling phone calls, it always felt as if she were the only one pushing the conversation forward, steering it toward a future he seemed reluctant to envision clearly.
Maybe she was just overthinking things. Pregnancy made people emotional, prone to reading too much into silences and hesitations. That had to be it.
Outside the hospital, the afternoon sun blazed overhead, casting sharp shadows across the pavement and making the air shimmer with heat.
Nina stepped carefully down the stairs, one hand supporting her lower back while the other gripped the railing. Her body felt heavier these days, every movement slower and more deliberate than before. The simple act of descending stairs had become something that required thought and caution.
She raised her hand to hail a taxi, squinting against the bright sunlight. Just then, a loud roar of an engine tore through the quiet street, shattering the peaceful afternoon. A red sports car came speeding toward her, moving far too fast for the narrow hospital road.
Nina froze, her body refusing to respond even as her mind screamed at her to move. Her heart lurched violently as the car swerved closer, the sound of its engine growing deafening.
"Watch out!" someone shouted from behind her. The brakes screamed in protest. The car stopped just inches from where she stood, the wind from its sudden halt brushing against the edge of her dress and sending it rippling around her legs. The smell of burning rubber filled her nostrils.
For a moment, Nina couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but stand there with one hand pressed protectively against her stomach. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.
The car door swung open with casual indifference, as though nearly running someone down was merely an inconvenience.
A woman emerged gracefully from the vehicle, her long wavy hair cascading over her shoulders as she adjusted her designer sunglasses with deliberate slowness. The tight red dress she wore clung to every curve of her figure, and her high heels struck the pavement with sharp, deliberate clicks that seemed to announce her presence.
Nina's expression darkened, her jaw tightening."Lydia."
Her sister's lips curved into a slow, predatory smile, the kind that had always preceded trouble. "Well… if it isn't Nina," she drawled, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
Lydia Hale approached like a model on a runway, arms crossed, eyes sweeping lazily over Nina's swollen belly with barely concealed contempt. Each step brought her closer, and Nina fought the urge to retreat.
"What?" Lydia's tone remained light, almost playful. "Did you think I was trying to kill the little bastard in your stomach?"
The casual cruelty of the words made Nina's blood run cold. She stepped back instinctively, one hand moving to protect her abdomen, the other clenched at her side."Lydia, have you lost your mind?"
"Lost my mind?" Lydia's laugh was soft, musical, and utterly devoid of warmth. She stopped just a few feet away, close enough that Nina could smell her expensive perfume."No, dear sister. I think you're the one who has."
Her voice dropped to a mocking whisper, intimate and venomous."Getting drunk, sleeping with some random man… and then trying to pin the baby on Adrian." She paused, letting the accusation hang in the air between them. "How pathetic."
Nina stared at her in disbelief, her mind struggling to process the words. Her throat felt tight, her chest constricted."What are you talking about?"
"Oh?" Lydia tilted her head, her smile sharpening into something cruel and triumphant. "Don't tell me you still think the man you slept with that night was Adrian."
The words struck Nina like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs. The world seemed to tilt slightly, the ground beneath her feet suddenly uncertain.
Lydia continued lazily, clearly savoring every second of her sister's confusion and growing horror."You brag all the time about how you and Adrian grew up together. Childhood sweethearts and all that nonsense."
She examined her manicured nails with feigned disinterest before looking up again. "And yet you couldn't even tell it wasn't him."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "What does that say about your precious relationship?"
The sunlight suddenly felt cold against Nina's skin, despite the warmth of the day. A chill spread through her body, starting in her chest and radiating outward.
Nina's fingers slowly curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms hard enough to hurt."That's not true," she said quietly, though her voice wavered with uncertainty she couldn't quite suppress.
But even as the words left her mouth, doubt crept into her mind like a shadow she couldn't shake. That night…She had been completely drunk, her inhibitions drowned in champagne and desperation. Everything had been a blur of sensation and fragmented images.
She remembered warmth enveloping her like a cocoon. Strong arms holding her with a certainty that made her feel both safe and reckless.A body pressed close to hers, solid and real in ways she hadn't wanted to examine.
At the time, she had simply assumed Adrian had grown stronger after years abroad, that distance and time had transformed the boy she once knew into someone more substantial.
But now… now that Lydia had planted that poisonous seed of doubt, Nina felt her heart begin to pound again, a frantic rhythm that matched the panic rising in her throat.
Because the truth was, if she forced herself to remember through the haze of alcohol and wishful thinking…The man that night had felt different in ways she'd deliberately ignored. Much taller, his frame towering over her in a way Adrian never had. Much stronger, his grip possessing a controlled power that spoke of discipline and restraint.
And the presence he carried, that commanding aura that had both thrilled and terrified her…Was nothing like Adrian Cole at all.
The realization hit her like ice water, stealing the breath from her lungs and leaving her trembling with a fear she didn't want to name.
"It… It's not true."