LUCIA

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, lowering his pen to the desk. His expression shifted, more serious now.

“You look… uncomfortable,” he said, leaning slightly toward me. “Is something wrong?”

My stomach twisted. I knew I shouldn’t say it. I wasn’t supposed to. But the words spilled anyway. “Well… no, not exactly. But I won’t lie,” I murmured, my fingers gripping the edge of my chair. “I’m… feeling something. Through my stomach… all the way down…” My ...