SARAH When I wake up the next morning, my whole body feels like I’ve been hit by a truck. It feels like my body is intent on reminding me I’m pregnant, punishing me for it. The bedroom is flooded with sunlight, and the light attacks my eyes once my kids part open. However, it’s voices coming from downstairs that bother me the most. “What the hell?” I mutter, sitting up. Ronan appears in the doorway right on time. His dark blonde hair is scattered all over his face, glued to the skin of his forehead with sweat. His black vest is also pressed against his skin, soaked. Did he just run a marathon? “Morning, kitten.” He smiles at me. “How are you feeling?” I stretch my hands and scratch my eyes with it, hoping it’ll make them adjust to the light. “Confused. Why does it sound like there’s a football team in our house?” He chuckles. “We called a doctor and some nurses. They’re going to run some tests.” Instinctively, my eyes find the antique wall clock beside the door. Long arm on number seven, and short arm between seven and eight. “Jesus. Ronan, it’s only seven thirty.” “The earlier, the better. You know we can’t take any chances with your health. After what the doctor said…” I blink at him. “ Ronan, I’m fine.” Hurt flashes in his eyes, but it’s gone before I can make any sense of it. “Humor us.” And that’s how I end up sitting in bed while a nurse takes my blood pressure. I notice how she yawns five times in three minutes—because yawning is very contagious, just in case you didn’t know, and I end up doing the same thing. The doctor asks me a million questions, and they leave. My test results come back via Malachi’s email, and it turns out my blood sugar and blood pressure are both below normal levels. “It’s not uncommon in pregnancy,” the doctor says over the phone. “But you need to be careful. No standing for long periods of time. Stay hydrated and rest as much as possible.”“No standing for long periods,” I repeat. “Got it.” What I hear: don’t stand for long. What the brothers hear: do not stand at all. I’m immediately placed on compulsory bed rest for three days. Three. Days. There’s a two-liter jug of water by my bedside at all times, and every time I so much as think about getting up, one of them appears out of nowhere to ask where I think I’m going. “Bathroom,” I say flatly to Jaxon on day two. “I’ll carry you.” “Jay, I can walk to the bathroom.” “Doctor said no standing.” “For long periods!” “I have no idea how long it’s going to take you to walk in there.” Is he fucking kidding me? I want to strangle him. I also kind of love him for it. The days blur together in the best way. Evening swims in the lake—under extremely strict supervision, of course. Ronan literally stands in the water with me the entire time like I’m going to drown. It seems he’s forgotten I’m a full grown woman, not a toddler. There are fruit juices appearing at random times, surprise snacks after lunch, and very minimal lovemaking. Sadly. But I love the rest. I love being taken care of. I love that they’re so protective it borders on obsessive. Turns me on. Before I know it, two weeks are over, and I return to the city as a fiancée. The wife to be of the HawkThorne brothers. ~ I’m so excited to be back at work I could cry. I’ve been away for what feels like forever, and I missed everything: My office, my personal assistant, Nel, my team. The energy of being CEO, of being in control of something that’s mine. Don’t get me wrong—I love the vineyard, love being with my men. But there’s something about work that makes me feel like myself again. I’m not just someone’s girlfriend or fiancée or baby mama, or sister. I’m Sarah Wellspring, CEO of Wellspring, and I’m damn good at my job. The elevator ride up to my floor feels surreal. Neil is waiting for me when I step out with his tablet in hand. The smile that greets me is the happiest and most joyful I’ve ever seen. “Ms. Wellspring! It’s so good to have you back.” “I did tell you I’ll be back soon, didn’t I? What did I miss?” We walk toward my office, and he starts rattling off updates. “I had to push some meetings forward because of your unavailability,” he says as we reach my door. “We should talk about when you'd like to reschedule. Also, there’s a meeting with the head of finance of Hawk empire…” My heart turns to jelly in my chest. “Yes,” I settle into my seat. “That’s a priority. It should come before anything else.” “And the Langford group of companies?” Okay, that’s a new one. “Uhmm, I’m not quite sure about that. Did a representative come to the office?” He looks thoughtful for a minute, then shakes his head. “Not yet, but I got an email. Would you like to see it?” I’m about to answer when I notice someone standing near my office. Julian Cross. I heave a tired sigh. For the love of God. It’s far too early for this. When he catches my gaze, I gesture with my hand for him to come into the office with me. He follows, and I can feel Nel’s eyes on us the entire time. Once he is inside, I turn to Neil. “Can we handle this some other time? After my lunch break, maybe?” He looks at me, then glances back toward where Julian is standing. There’s something in his eyes—suspicion, maybe concern—before he smiles. “Sure. Of course. What would you like for lunch?”“I’ll call you,” I say. My voice comes out more tired than I intend. “I’ll tell you about that later.” He nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. I wait until his footsteps fade before I look up at Julian, who’s now leaning against the doorframe like he owns the place. “What are you here, Julian?” He straightens, his faux charming smile plastered on his face. “I heard you’re back at work. I had to come see for myself if it’s true. Everyone else seemed to know before me.” I raise an eyebrow. “I didn’t know I had to ask for your permission before coming back to work.” He shrugs. “You didn’t have to ask my permission,” he says smoothly, stepping further into my office—without invitation, I must add. “It just would have been nice to know. We are friends, after all. Are we not?” “Are we?” I angle my head to the side, studying him. Something isn’t quite right. I can’t seem to place my hands on it, but I need to be careful either way. He chuckles, and the sound makes my stomach turn in all the wrong ways. Then he sits down in the chair across from my desk, crosses his legs, and leans back like he owns the god damn place. It’s a quality of his: an irritating ability to take up space. It’s never annoyed me as much as it does now. His fingers drum against the armrest as he stares at me. I stare back. We sit there in silence for what feels like two full minutes, just looking at each other. It’s a standoff, and I refuse to be the one who breaks first. However, I do not have all day for this silly games. “Okay, Julian. Why are you actually here?” He stops drumming his fingers. “A certain detective was here to see you when you were gone.” My heart drops, plummets to the bottom of my stomach. I steady myself, keep my stance neutral. “Caroline Walters?”His eyes travel from my face to my chest, then back up. Slowly. Deliberately. “She seemed really angry. Said you couldn’t silence her no matter how you tried. I had to take her into my office. After offering her a good cup of coffee and a listening ear, she seemed very comfortable to open up to me.” I roll my eyes, but he’s not nearly finished. “Said she had some questions to ask you about the night of your…” Another look down, then up. “Accident.” “What about it?” “She seemed to believe it had something to do with the death of the Hawkthorne brothers’ father. Luke Hawkthorne.” Fuck my life. Of all people she could talk to, it had to be this sly fox. I sit up straighter, trying to keep the panic off my face. “I don’t see how that correlates. She spoke to me already, and I told her the same thing. So why is she here? It was an accident.” Julian tilts his head. “I don’t know. But she seems to believe that the accident occurred at your home. But I know otherwise, because I came to the hospital to see you.” He pauses. “So I’m just wondering… why would she think that?” Oh. I see. I lean back into my chair, folding my arms across my chest. My right brow arches upward. “She didn’t ask me any questions about my accident,” I say. “She just assumed it was at my house. And why would I want to correct her? Like I said, it has no correlation to what happened to Luke Hawkthorne whatsoever.” I drop my hands on my desk and inch forward. “He had it coming for him a long time ago. He ran away after causing his wife’s death. Karma probably caught up with him. I don’t see how this concerns me.” Julian’s eyes drop to my hands. “You’re shaking,” he says quietly. “What?” He looks up at me, then back down at my hands. “You’re shaking. You tremble when you lie.” I shoot him a glare, pulling my hands into my lap. “Don’t pretend like you know anything about me.” “On the contrary,” he says, leaning forward. “I do know a lot about you. And that is why I know that you might not be what Wellspring needs anymore.” I cough out a chuckle. “Are you serious, Julian? Are we at this again?”“I had faith in you, Sarah. I really did.” He spreads his hands on both his knees. “But between your accidents, being away from work for long periods of time, and now you’re pregnant… Maybe you should rest.” My jaw ticks. Rest. “Take a permanent rest,” He continues. “Resign from your CEO position.” Julian Cross must be out of his motherfucking mind. “What are you even talking about?” He stands, straightening his suit jacket. “I saw Aaron.” Aaron, my ex-husband who, besides hating me, was also a major shareholder. What the fuck did he go to see him for? “We spoke about getting some of his shares.” Just like that, Julian’s words lift me off my chair and hurl me against the wall, shattering my spine. “You…” I blink over and over again, shaking my head, hoping it’ll stop the high pitched ringing in my ears. “You did what?” Julian fucking smiles. That same cold, calculated smile.