Page 136 of The Rogue and His Flower

“It stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, it’s…Fuck,” he whispers, tears welling in his eyes.

“Dalton, please,” I sob. “Tell me.”

“It’s the hormone produced by a foetus. You were pregnant, Daisy. It was very, very early. No more than a couple of weeks.”

“I was pregnant?”

He nods. “I’m so sorry.”

“I was pregnant?” I repeat, my voice catching as I sob uncontrollably now.

“Daisy, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” Dalton says, pain lacerating my chest as he hauls me into his arms and holds on to me tightly, his own grief palpable as he tries to comfort me through my anguish.

“Why?” I cry, letting out all my pain and sorrow, the knowledge that I had been carrying a tiny life within me, a life that is now gone, cutting deeper than any physical wound ever could.

The revelation of losing our baby amidst the chaos of surgery and diagnoses leaves me shattered. I cling to Dalton, the reality of my situation and the loss of a future we’d barely begun to comprehend ripping through my heart by the cruel hand fate has dealt us.

“Shh, I’ve got you, I’m here,” Dalton says, his hand rubbing up and down my back as he embraces me.

As my cries subside into exhausted whimpers, Dalton continues to hold me close, offering silent solace in the face of our shared tragedy. The room feels suffocating, filled with unspoken grief and unanswered questions that loom over us like a storm cloud ready to burst.

“Is there any hope?” I ask, my voice tremulous.

“The consultant said that you still have a functioning ovary,” he explains, pulling back and brushing the tears from my face. “But because the fallopian tube connecting to your healthy ovary has been damaged by the lesions you might not be able to conceive naturally.”

“No,” I shake my head, as more anguish crushing me.

“I’m so so sorry, Daisy.”

“Dalton, why is this happening? Our baby’s gone…” I say, unable to comprehend everything as I drop my head and let out another choked sob.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay, Daisy.”

“But what if…? What if that was my only chance?”

“Don’t think like that, we’ll figure this out.”

“But Ihaveto conceive… I lost our baby…Oh my God, what are we going to do?” I ask, my thoughts tumbling, my emotions all over the place, my heart breaking.

“Listen to me now. You’re the most important person here. I don’t want you to worry about any of that. Do you hear me? We get you better, and we go from there, okay?”

“But what about Drix, the debt?”

“That is not something you need to worry about, Daisy,” Drix says as he steps into the room, his own expression filled with sadness.

“Drix,” I cry, looking up at him, at the worry in his eyes, the tenderness, the love. "But…”

“We’ll figure this out. Like Dalton said, all you need to do is focus on getting better,” he adds, placing the two coffee cups on a side table, and dropping into the chair on the other side of the bed as he reaches for my hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m so sorry, Daisy.”

“What if I can’t conceive again?” I whisper, pain lancing my chest at the thought. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted, to be a mother, to have a child, and now that might not be a possibility. Why? Why did this have to happen?”

Dalton and Drix exchange looks before Dalton reaches out to hold my hand. “Daisy, whatever happens we’ll face this together. But right now your health is our priority,” he says gently, but firmly. “You’re not alone in this. I will get you the best doctors, we will figure this out.”

“What about Carl?” I ask, hating how my stomach twists in knots, how he holds all the power. “If he finds out I’ve miscarried, that I might not be able to conceive again, the contract will be null and void and Drix will have to become the families’ enforcer once again. I can’t let that happen. I can’t.”

“We’ll deal with Carl,” Drix says, gritting his jaw as he meets Dalton’s gaze.

“Does he know?” I whisper.

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