Page 20 of The Bratva King's Pregnant Bride

“I’m Doctor Helen. I have news for you. You’re preg—”

Her lips moved slowly, but I didn’t hear her words. Or at least, I pretended not to hear what she had just said.

There was no way. No.

Suddenly, the world felt like it was spinning. I felt gaps in my memory threatening to pull me under. But one word, a single word from her lips, penetrated through my mental fog strongly and repeatedly: Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.

I blinked, perhaps too rapidly. The words swarmed before my eyes, as if I was trying to read them under a pool of water.

I felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room, and I was gasping for air like a fish out of water; the room closed in on me.

Gasping, I shook my head. “No. It’s not possible. No.”

The room started to spin, but a strong arm grasped my shoulders, steadying me.

“Maya,” Jenna said firmly. “Don’t think about that. Just take a deep breath. I’m right here.”

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Dragging my eyes towards Jenna, I met her gaze, hoping to convey how grateful I was that she was here with me. However, her expression was more concerned than reassuring.

She spoke softly. “Now try taking another breath.”

The doctor moved to attend to me, pressing a stethoscope against my chest. “Are you feeling nauseous?”

“Not really,” I said. I wasn’t even sure how that was relevant.

She frowned briefly. “Okay then, just relax for a few moments.”

The doctor placed her stethoscope back around her neck.

And then there it was again. The word.

Pregnant.

I closed my eyes tightly, willing the world to stop spinning. When I opened them, Jenna stood by my bedside watching. She looked down to study my face, frowning. Every bit of her stood still as she no doubt tried to process the situation.

I was carrying Dominik’s baby.

The reality of it sank in me like a deadweight. I stared at the white walls, the blinking monitors, the worry etched on Jenna’s face. I was trying to see the world through new eyes, because I didn’t trust my own senses. Someone had to be playing a prank. At least, that’s what I waited for, what I hoped. Someone must have slipped something into my food. Maybe it was some sort of drug to sedate me. That would explain my confusion.

Or maybe I was just paranoid. That sounded like the most reasonable solution.

There was a long, drawn-out moment of silence.

The doctor, ever so patient, offered a sympathetic glance before leaving the room. She left Jenna and I alone with this newfound revelation.

My mind was a whirlpool of conflicted emotions. There was nothing to be said, no justification to offer. Nothing to put forward. I was pregnant, and the knowledge of that, of life blooming inside me, was both terrifying and exhilarating.

How could I have let that happen?

I could feel the tears prickling behind my eyes as another wave of dizziness rushed over me. A hand reached to cradle the back of my neck as I collapsed against the hospital bed.

My heart beat wildly as a lump formed in my throat. I was scared. Terrified beyond belief. Conflicting emotions flooded through my system, threatening to burst forth. I knew what it was, and yet my brain refused to acknowledge it. Refused to admit the truth. This whole thing was too surreal. Too unbelievable for it to be real. This couldn’t be real.

This isn’t happening.

I wanted to run away. Hide somewhere far away, where no one could find me. That wasn’t an option, though, and I felt trapped inside myself as panic settled into every corner of my body.

In all the years of my existence, I’d never had a chance to form a strong romantic relationship, never found an opportunity to fall deeply in love. There were always people around me, always something keeping me occupied or protecting me, never someone who was truly able to understand me or my dreams and aspirations.

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