Chapter 4 A Shocking Realization

The morning air was crisp as Isla sat curled up on her couch, staring blankly at the steaming cup of tea in her hands. The TV was on, the news anchor droning about stock market shifts and business takeovers, but the words barely registered. Her mind was elsewhere-trapped in an endless loop of anxiety and confusion. Her period was late. She had been trying to ignore it for days, blaming stress, exhaustion, anything but the most obvious possibility. But as she counted the weeks in her head for the hundredth time, dread tightened around her chest like a steel vice.

Elena, who had been bustling in the kitchen, walked in with two plates of toast and eggs. She eyed Isla's expression and immediately frowned. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she said, setting the plates down. "What's going on?" Isla hesitated, biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. Elena knew her too well. There was no hiding this. "I think I might be pregnant," Isla finally whispered. Elena blinked. Then blinked again. "I'm sorry-what?" "I'm late," Isla admitted, her voice barely above a breath. "And not just by a day or two. Weeks, Elena." Elena's fork clattered against her plate as she gaped at her. "Holy shit." Isla let out a shaky breath, running her fingers through her already messy hair. "I don't know what to do." Elena jumped to her feet. "We need a test. Now." Isla winced. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that." "Too bad. We are not sitting here and waiting for divine intervention." Elena grabbed her purse and pulled Isla up. "Come on, get your coat." --- **Thirty Minutes Later** The bathroom felt impossibly small as Isla sat on the edge of the tub, staring at the little white stick on the counter. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear the rush of blood in her ears. Elena paced outside. "It's been two minutes. Check it." "I can't," Isla choked out. Elena groaned. "Do you want me to do it?" A beat of silence. Then, Isla forced herself to stand, her legs trembling. She took a deep breath, reached for the test, and turned it over. Two pink lines. Her stomach dropped. The air was sucked from her lungs. Pregnant. She was pregnant with Killian Blackwood's child. A strangled sound escaped her throat, and Elena yanked open the door. "What? What does it say?" Isla turned to her, the test still clutched in her shaking hands. "It's positive." Elena froze, then slowly exhaled. "Okay. Okay. We can handle this." Isla let out a hollow laugh. "How? How the hell do I handle this, Elena? The father is a ruthless billionaire who left me without a word! He doesn't care. He won't care." Elena crossed her arms. "You don't know that." Isla stared at her best friend, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Yes, I do. If he cared, he would've at least sent a damn text. He would've acknowledged what happened." Elena hesitated but didn't argue. Tears burned at Isla's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to hate him and move on. Now I'm tied to him forever." Elena softened, pulling Isla into a hug. "You're not alone in this. We'll figure it out." Isla clung to her best friend, but the fear remained, gnawing at her insides like a relentless storm. Because no matter how much she tried to deny it, one unavoidable truth remained: Killian Blackwood was the father of her child. And sooner or later, she would have to face him. --- **That Night** Sleep was impossible. Isla lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind running a thousand miles an hour. Every scenario played in her head-telling Killian, his reaction, what this meant for her future. What if he accused her of lying? What if he wanted nothing to do with the baby? Or worse-what if he wanted control? She turned onto her side, cradling her still-flat stomach as if it already held the weight of responsibility pressing down on her. Her phone sat on the nightstand, the screen glowing in the dark. She picked it up, scrolling through her contacts until she reached his name. Killian Blackwood. Her finger hovered over the call button. One press, and she would cross a line she wasn't ready for. She shut her eyes, inhaled shakily, and pressed it before she could stop herself. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. Then it went to voicemail. She swallowed hard and ended the call. Of course, he wasn't answering. Why would he? Tears welled up in her eyes as the loneliness settled deeper. She wasn't sure what scared her more-facing this pregnancy alone or the possibility that Killian might come back into her life and turn it upside down all over again. Either way, she was trapped in a storm she couldn't escape.