Chapter 46
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THE bell rang and the lecture hall quickly began emptying. Vivian and Fiona joined the stream of students filing out, notebooks clutched under their arms. The sun outside was warm, the air alive with chatter, but Vivian’s face was drawn, her lips pursed in irritation.
“Ugh, I can’t stay for the next class,” Vivian muttered, hugging her bag closer. “I just need to head home. I don’t feel like sitting here again p>
Fiona turned sharply, a scoff escaping her lips.
“Vivian, come on. The pregnancy isn’t even up to a week ol, right p>
Vivian shot her a look.
“A week and two days. It is a week and two days.” She corrected firmly, as though she had it hetched in her
memory.
“Fine, a week and two days,” Fiona rolled her eyes, “and you are already feeling feverish and weak like this, huh p>
“Well,” Vivian adjusted her scarf and exhaled loudly, “everybody is different. Not all pregnancies are the same. Maybe I just react differently p>
Fiona studied her for a moment, then shook her head.
“Hmm. So now you have finally gotten what you wanted, attained that height you have always craved. How does it feel now p>
Vivian’s lips curved into a sly smile.
“It feels… powerful. Like I have finally secured my place p>
“Powerful?” Fiona scoffed again. “Vivian, you are carrying a scandal, not a throne p>
Vivian ignored the sting in her tone.
“Adrian hasn’t said anything about the baby yet, you know.
Fiona raised a brow.
“And that doesn’t worry you p>
“Well, no,” Vivian shrugged. “If he didn’t want it, he would have said so already. The fact that he hasn’t means he wants us to keep it. After all, Amelia has been married to him for ten years and only gave him one child. I can give him more p>
“Vivian…” Fiona sighed, clutching her books tighter. “You do realize how messy this is, right? How are you even planning to handle it? Classes, lectures, assignments, what happens when your baby bump starts showing? When people start whispering p>
Vivian smirked, brushing her hair off her shoulder.
“When it gets to that point, I will just quit school p>
“What?” Fiona nearly stopped in her tracks, eyes wide.
“Yes,” Vivian laughed lightly, “why do I still need the degree when I already have Adrian? My money bag.” She tapped her cheek with a playful pout.
“Vivian, listen to yourself. You are throwing away your future for a man that doesn’t even belong to you.” Fiona’s voice softened, that motherly edge she always had with her friends. “I’m telling you this as your friend, don’t pin
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your whole life on him. Finish your schooling. Have something that belongs to you p>
Vivian waved her hand dismissively.
“Relax. I know what I’m doing. I will tell my parents soon anyway p>
Fiona’s brows furrowed.
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“Tell them? And how exactly are you going to break the news p>
Vivian’s eyes glittered with mischief.
“Easy. I will tell them the man responsible for the pregnancy will be coming over to see them p>
“What?” Fiona gasped, her jaw almost dropping. “Are you okay? Do you even realize what you are saying? Vivian, you can’t drag Adrian into this like that, not without his consent. That is reckless p>
Vivian only smiled wider, her chin lifted in defiance.
“Who says I need his consent? I’m carrying his child. That is all the consent I need p>
Fiona rubbed her forehead, exasperated.
“Vee, you are walking into fire with your eyes wide open p>
“Then let it burn,” Vivian replied coolly, her confidence radiating like a shield.
The two friends walked on in silence for a while, Fiona still shaking her head in disbelief while Vivian’s smug grin never faltered.
lever dee
Vivian was deep in sleep, sprawled across her satin sheets, the soft rhythm of her breathing blending with the quiet hum of the night. Her room was dim, only a streak of moonlight sneaking through the parted curtains.
The door creaked, slowly, deliberately. A masked man dressed in black stepped inside, his gloved hand gripping a pistol. His boots sank soundlessly into the plush carpet. Behind him, two others slipped in, also cloaked in black, faces hidden behind masks.
One of them, the shorter figure, was a woman. She moved with a controlled grace, her presence unnervingly calm. With a quick hand gesture, she signaled to the armed man. He immediately dragged a chair from the dresser and placed it by the bedside.
The woman lowered herself onto it, sitting with poise just inches from Vivian. Her eyes roved over the girl’s peaceful, unknowing face. For a long, unsettling moment, she said nothing, just watched. Then her hand slowly stretched forward, fingers hovering before resting on Vivian’s belly. Her index finger circled it gently, mockingly, as though she were tracing ownership over it.
Vivian stirred, turning in her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she froze. Her gaze darted across the dark silhouettes surrounding her. Her breath hitched. Her body trembled as she jerked upright, inching backward until her spine pressed against the headboard.
Her lips parted, ready to scream-
But the man with the pistol raised the weapon, shaking his head in a sharp warning. His finger tightened slightly on the trigger, and Vivian clamped her mouth shut, trembling like a leaf in a storm.
She squeezed her eyes shut, praying this was a nightmare. But when she opened them again, the shadows were still there, looming, and the metallic gleam of the gun was too real.
“Hi, little, dangerous mistress,” the seated woman said, her voice cool, deliberate.
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Vivian turned her terrified eyes toward the voice.
No… it couldn’t be.
The woman reached for her mask, peeled it off, and tossed aside.
Vivian’s heart sank into her stomach as she gasped audibly.
It was Claire.
P
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Olivia Harris
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.