Chapter 127 Seedling
❦ Rosalind ❦
I dried my hands after rinsing the last plate, the sound of dripping water echoing softly in the quiet kitchen.
My mind felt light and floaty, and for once, there wasn’t a single heavy thought pressing against my ribs.
Well… except Viktor. Even when he wasn’t here, he occupied my every thought, filled every room.
He’d just left to deal with whatever new mess Giancarlo had stirred up. I just hoped it wouldn’t get violent. And even if it did… that he’d come back to me soon.
My husband.
The word made my chest flutter. I giggled under my breath and spun in place, the hem of my dress brushing against my legs.
God, I felt ridiculous. Ridiculous and happy.
It was different now between us, since we started being honest and the secrets were gone.
I could finally breathe around him with no walls or games. Just us.
As long as I didn’t go and screw things up by meddling again.
I walked out to the living room, meaning to grab my phone, when a sudden wave of dizziness hit me out of nowhere. The world tilted.
I froze.
It passed just as fast, but my body didn’t move for a full minute. My hand went to my forehead, half-expecting heat. But it was normal. And it wasn’t hunger either… I’d eaten till I was stuffed.
Weird.
Maybe I just moved too fast.
I reached the couch, grabbed my phone, and started typing out a message to Dante.
We needed to schedule a meeting. There were things to sort out now that the hotel belonged to Viktor and I planned to take on a bigger role. CEO, maybe. That thought made me straighten a little.
Dante had always been reliable and loyal, even when things went sideways. I trusted him a lot.
I scrolled through my messages, ready to hit the call button…
And the world tilted again.
Harsher this time.
Nausea clawed its way up my throat before I could process it. I barely made it to the guest bathroom before I was heaving into the sink, my knuckles white against the marble edge.
I stood there, staring at myself.
The mirror didn’t lie, my face looked… different. Softer maybe. Fuller. I tilted my head left and right.
It could’ve been my hair, I hadn’t trimmed it in weeks and it hung wild around my face, framing it like a rogue, shadowy halo. I gathered it back with both hands. Nope.
Definitely a little fuller.
My fingers hovered over my cheeks, tracing the faint flush. I almost smiled. Maybe this was why Viktor couldn’t keep his hands off me lately.
I looked healthy, glowing—hell, so sexy. I lifted my chin and whispered to my reflection,
“Yeah… that’s it.” I dropped my lashes and pouted to enhance the effect. “A siren for the big, bad Don…”
Then another wave of nausea hit me like a sucker punch.
The smile vanished.
My stomach rolled and I grabbed the counter for balance, my heart skipping.
Wait. No. No way.
My mind started flipping through weeks and random dates that didn’t line up.
When was my last period? Last month? The one before?
Shit… had I even had one at all since the first time we were together? I stared at my reflection again, my eyes wide.
“Oh god,” I breathed. My hand flew to my mouth.
I splashed water on my face and rinsed my mouth, trying to steady the shaking. The cold only made my pulse louder.
No no no. Or yes? Fuck. No.
We weren’t ready for this. We hadn’t even talked about it.
Then again… we hadn’t exactly not invited it either. We’d used no protection. Ever. Not like I’d complained. It would’ve been a crime to dull that kind of pleasure with latex. I’d wanted to feel every ridge, every brush.
Well, the reward might have just come in.
I grabbed my phone, my fingers slippery against the screen, and pulled up the closest pharmacy.
My thoughts were all over the place. This was happening too fast, but I needed to know. Within minutes, I ordered a strip test.
Then I opened the door and beckoned one of Viktor’s men over.
He appeared immediately, a wall of muscle in a black sweatshirt that strained across his chest. He dipped his head respectfully.
“Donna?”
I swallowed hard and forced my voice to steady. “Go to this location,” I said, showing him the address on my phone. “Pick up a package for me. Fast, please and thank you.”
He nodded once and turned, his boots heavy on the floor. A second later, the roar of his bike echoed through the courtyard.
I closed the door behind him and leaned against it, pressing my palms flat to the wood. My chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, so fast it felt like hyperventilating.
I didn’t know if I was ready for this.
But deep down… what really scared me wasn’t that.
It was whether he was.