Evelyn’s POV

The ride back from the hospital was a blur.

Evelyn sat in the back seat of the car with Damian, her fingers pressed protectively to her stomach. Pregnant. The word still rang in her chest like a bell she couldn’t un-hear. She was carrying his child. His heir.

She should have felt stronger, reassured, maybe even secure in her place here. Instead, she felt small and unsteady, like a pawn being moved across a chessboard she didn’t understand.

Damian sat across from her, eyes ...