The night I planned to tell my boyfriend I was pregnant was the night my life was destroyed.
I stared at the small white test stick in my trembling hands.
Two lines.
Positive.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest.
A baby.
Ryan and I had been together for three years. Things hadn't been perfect lately, but surely a baby would change things. Maybe it would bring us back to how we used to be.
I placed a hand over my stomach, tears stinging my eyes.
"Hey, little one," I whispered softly. "Your daddy is going to be so happy."
Or at least… I hoped he would.
I quickly wrapped the test in tissue and slipped it into my purse before leaving the tiny bathroom of the café where I worked.
Tonight I planned to surprise Ryan.
But when I got home, the apartment was empty.
The lights were off.
The air felt… strange.
"Ryan?" I called out, kicking off my shoes.
No answer.
Just as I reached for my phone to call him, the front door suddenly burst open.
Three large men stormed inside.
My heart dropped.
"W-who are you?" I stammered, backing away.
One of them grabbed my arm roughly.
"You're coming with us."
Panic exploded inside me.
"Let go of me! What do you want?!"
The tallest man smirked coldly.
"Relax. Your boyfriend already made the deal."
My stomach twisted.
"What deal?"
The man's grip tightened.
"He sold you."
My blood ran cold.
"That's not funny," I whispered. "Ryan would never—"
"Five million dollars," the man interrupted casually.
The words hit me like a slap.
"He owed our boss. Couldn't pay. So he gave us you instead."
My entire body went numb.
"No… you're lying…"
But deep down, a terrifying feeling told me they weren't.
Before I could fight back, they dragged me outside and shoved me into a black car.
The door slammed shut.
The car sped into the dark city night.
Tears streamed down my face as fear clawed at my chest.
Ryan sold me?
The man I loved… traded me like I was nothing?
My hand trembled as it slowly moved to my stomach.
What was going to happen to my baby?
Thirty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a massive mansion surrounded by high black gates.
The kind of place that screamed power and danger.
My heart hammered violently.
The men pulled me out and dragged me inside.
The doors opened to reveal a luxurious hall.
At the far end of the room sat a man in a dark chair, one leg crossed over the other.
The moment I saw him, the air in my lungs disappeared.
He was terrifyingly handsome.
Dark hair.
Sharp jaw.
Cold eyes that could freeze a soul.
Power radiated from him like a storm.
One of the men pushed me forward.
"Boss," he said. "The girl."
The man slowly lifted his gaze to me.
Those dark eyes studied me carefully.
Then he spoke in a deep, chilling voice.
"So…"
His gaze moved down to my trembling hands… then back to my face.
"This is the woman Ryan sold to pay his debt."
My knees nearly gave out.
"P-please," I whispered desperately. "There must be a mistake."
The man stood up slowly.
He walked toward me with calm, predatory steps.
When he finally stopped in front of me, my entire body froze.
He tilted his head slightly, studying my face as if trying to remember something.
Then his eyes suddenly darkened.
Something dangerous flashed in them.
"Interesting," he murmured.
My heart skipped.
"W-what?"
He turned to one of his men.
"Bring me her medical report."
My breath caught.
Medical report?
A file was handed to him.
He opened it lazily… but the moment his eyes landed on the paper, his entire body went still.
The room fell silent.
His gaze slowly lifted back to me.
This time, there was something completely different in his eyes.
Shock.
Possession.
Danger.
His voice dropped to a whisper that made my spine shiver.
"She's pregnant."
My heart nearly stopped.
The man took another slow step toward me.
Then he said the words that shattered the world beneath my feet.
"And that child…"
His dark eyes locked onto mine.
"…is mine."