Page 80 of Mob Boss's Second Chance

He rubs his chin, a thoughtful expression covering his face. “Did you start feeling dizzy today? Have you had any other symptoms recently?”

One brow curls upward, and the other furrows as I stare at him in confusion.What does that have to do with falling and getting a bump?

But he’s the doctor, and I’m not, so I oblige. “Yes. It’s been going on for over a week now. It’s just dizziness and fatigue. I should probably lay off for a while. I’m sure I need some rest,” I add, more to myself than as a response to his question.

“Okay.” He nods. “I’ll prescribe something for the pain and swelling, but I also need you to do a test. To eliminate other possibilities,” he adds when my eyes widen, and he cracks a smile.

Somehow, the smile makes me feel even less assured.

***

How many hours did it take for my life to fall apart?

I stare at the envelope in my hands, the shock from earlier still coursing through my system. I’ve read the contents of the resultover and over,yet it still feels surreal.

I’m pregnant.

The words hidden in the brown envelope glow through the thick layer as my hand trembles. They are hard facts printed in clinical ink, stripping away any chance of denial.

There’s life inside me—growing, shifting, existing beyond the cravings, beyond the nausea and the exhaustion I brushed off as stress. It’s been there longer than I realized, quietly taking root while I remained oblivious.

Ethan’s baby.

How? When? Where? Stupid questions, pointless distractions—because I already know the answers. My mind clings to them, desperate for something solid to hold onto before reality crashes in full force.

I don’t want to think about the others—whatdo I do with the baby? Where do I go from here—without losing the thread of shock that’s tethering me to sanity?

My phone rings, cutting through the daze of my thoughts, and I reach into my bag, performing an ingrained action mindlessly.

Danielle’s name flashes through the screen. I can barely hear my voice as I speak. “Hi.”

The silence stretches too long. I know it. Danielle knows it.

“Natalie?” Her voice is more insistent now, tinged with concern. “Where are you? I can come pick you up.”

No. I can’t see her right now. I can’t see anyone. The weight of my reality is too heavy, pressing down on me, suffocating me. I want to crawl into a dark, quiet space where the world can’t reach me. But I can’t. There’s no escape from this.

I stare out the window at the rush of life outside—people moving, cars honking, conversations blending into the hum of the city. It all feels distant, like I’m no longer part of it, like I’m watching from behind glass, slowly sinking.

“I’m pregnant.”

The words spill out before I can stop them, barely more than a whisper, but loud enough to shatter everything between us.

The line goes dead silent. Then, a sharp inhale.

“What?” Danielle’s voice is different now—softer, careful like she’s afraid I might break.

I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping the phone tighter as if that might keep me together. “I’m pregnant, Dany.”

A pause. A long, heavy pause.

Then, in the gentlest voice I’ve ever heard from her, she asks, “Where are you?”

Right now, I’d rather be anywhere else but in my own skin.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ethan

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