She lingered for a moment, pressing the towel against her face, inhaling the scent. The warmth of the plush cotton wrapped around her, the clean simplicity of it a fleeting comfort. It grounded her more thanshe expected.
But the moment couldn’t last. The gravity of the day pressed in around her again, and she knew she had to keep moving. Keep going. There was too much to think about, too many decisions ahead. She had to face them. One step at atime.
She dressed quickly, choosing something comfortable and understated, fastening her phoenix necklace around her neck, as always. She didn’t want attention today. Her usual driver—her shadow, more like—would insist on taking her, but not today. Today, she needed space. Time to think. Time to breathe without the stress of the Dante name on her shoulders.
She grabbed her keys and moved through the house quietly. The staff was present, but they were discreet, knowing better than to question her movements. That was something she was still getting used to—the way everyone in this house operated like an extension of Titus’s will. They wouldn’t stop her. But they would report back tohim.
Her pulse quickened as she neared the garage. Every step feltheavier, astrange mix of urgency and apprehension twisting inside her. She needed to get out before someone alerted him. Before she had to explain where she was going, why she was going alone, and why she hadn’t told him. Because if she had to stop, if she had to look into his eyes and weave a careful excuse, she might hesitate. And hesitation meant questions—questions she wasn’t ready to answer justyet.
Slipping inside the garage, she closed the connecting door behind her. The air felt cooler here, tinged with the faint scent of motor oil and leather. The line of sleek, expensive vehicles stood in silent rows, each a reminder of the life she now lived, alife of wealth and sovereignty—his presence woven into every detail of it. But today, she needed to reclaim something of her own, even if it was just a drive.
Jazz moved swiftly, pressing the key fob until the SUV’s lights flickered in response. She pulled the door open, sliding into the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel like it was the only solid thing in her world. She struggled to force the tension fromher shoulders.
Then, with a steadying breath, she started the engine and pulled out, leaving the estate behind.
The drive went smoothly, the familiar hum of the engine beneath her soothing her more than she expected. It had been a long time since she’d driven herself anywhere. Along time since she’d had even this small measure of independence.
She never noticed the sleek, nondescript sedan that pulled in behind her, following at a careful distance. It kept pace with her every turn, slowing when she did, speeding up just enough to remain unobtrusive. Even when she switched lanes, it never drifted too far. At a red light, its driver seemed to hesitate a second too long before pulling forward, but Jazz’s mind remained too clouded with thoughts of Titus and the baby to give it a second thought.
The city passed by in a blur, sunlight spilling over rooftops, cutting across the pavement in long golden streaks. People bustled along the sidewalks, lost in their own lives, oblivious to the storm brewing just beneath the surfaceofhers.
She should feel free. But her mind wouldn’t stop spinning.
Should she tell Titus about the baby today? Her pulse kicked up at the thought, her fingers flexing against the wheel. She had almost told him before—more thanonce.
After the gala, when everything had fallen apart between them, she had kept it to herself, unsure of where they stood. And after that, she had convinced herself that she should wait for confirmation from the doctor, just to be certain.
But now, with the truth clawing at her conscience, she knew she couldn’t keep it from him much longer. Her heart beat a little faster, her grip tightening as she imagined his reaction. Would he be relieved? Shocked? Angry that she had kept it to herself?
She shook her head. He deserved to know, and more than that—shewantedto tell him.
Jazz gripped the wheel tighter. What would he do with that knowledge? Would it change theway he saw her? The way he handled everything? Would it make him fight harder against whatever Vex was pulling him into, or would it make him more desperate to secure his authority, to ensure their child was protected no matter thecost?
She didn’t know. And that terrified her more than anything.
Her turn was coming up. She signaled, merging into the right lane. The clinic was only a few minutes away now. She would focus on that. One thing at atime.
Jazz took the final turn and pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office, easing the SUV into a space near the entrance. She cut the engine and sat there for a moment, staring at the glass doors ahead.
Behind her, the sleek, nondescript sedan pulled in as well, settling into a spot a few rows back. It hesitated for a moment, as if the driver was considering their next move, before rolling smoothly into place.
Jazz caught the movement in her rearview mirror but dismissedit. Just another car. Just another ordinary morning. Her thoughts were too tangled in everything else to question why the vehicle hadn’t pulled into a space closer to the entrance, or why its engine idled just a few seconds longer than necessary before shutting off. Her thoughts were too distracting to pay attention to something as mundane as another car pulling into thelot.
She sighed, pressing a hand to her stomach again, feeling the steady rise and fall of her breath beneath her palm. Was she ready for this? Was she ready to hear the doctor confirm what she already knew deep in her bones?
A part of her longed for that certainty, to have something undeniable to anchor herself to. But another part of her feared it—feared that saying it aloud, hearing it spoken back to her, would make everything even more real. And once it was real, she would have to tell Titus.
She had no idea how he would react, but she knew one thing—after today, nothing would ever be the same. The warmth of the simplegesture should have been comforting, but uncertainty filled her. She wanted this baby. She wanted Titus to know. But she also needed to be sure—needed the verification the doctor would give her, something undeniable to hold onto before she changed everything betweenthem.
She swallowed, straightened her shoulders, and steeled herself for what was tocome.
Jazz stepped out of the SUV, her fingers lingering on the door handle for half a second longer than necessary, as if some instinct deep in her gut was warning her to stay inside. The morning air hit her, crisp and cool, but the sense of unease that tightened in her chest had nothing to do with the temperature.
Two men moved toward her with purpose. Not casual, not hesitant—just smooth, deliberate steps that ate up the space between them. Suits. Federal agents. The kind of men who didn’t make requests, only demands. Their posture was too rigid, their movements too precise, the intensity of theirgazes coldly assessing. They weren’t just here for a conversation.
She barely had time to register the way they positioned themselves—one slightly ahead, the other angled to cut off any easy exit. It wasn’t accidental. It was calculated, deliberate, the kind of maneuver used by men accustomed to control. Asubtle but undeniable shift closing in around her before she even had a chance to decide her nextmove.
Her back stiffened, her instincts flaring, but before she could react, one of them spoke.
