The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 995

No matter how much Dustin favored Asher, the kid did not have a single drop of Jenkins blood in his veins.

Without giving Romina's pale, terrified face another glance, Ethan turned and headed up the stairs. His steps were still slightly uneven from the alcohol, but his back was ramrod straight. Unleashing years of buried resentment had cleared his head, re-establishing his absolute dominance in the hierarchy.

Romina sat frozen on the couch, a cocktail of raw fear and explosive rage bubbling in her chest.

Only when Ethan's footsteps faded into the second floor did she snap out of her trance. She grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it viciously at the hardwood floor.

"You just wait, Ethan Jenkins!"

...

The Hospital.

Because Fitch Sherwood's private doctor had a scheduling conflict, Tamara Sloan had been forced to handle her checkup on her own.

She sat isolated on a waiting room sofa, one hand subconsciously resting on her swollen stomach.

Now well into her second trimester, a bone-deep exhaustion had become her constant companion.

The corridor was quiet, but Tamara's mind was a chaotic mess.

This was the first time she had gone out completely unsupervised since her pregnancy began, and an undeniable anxiety gnawed at her.

She closed her eyes, trying to rest, her long lashes casting shadows over her dark circles.

Suddenly, a smooth, refined male voice broke the silence.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You're looking a bit pale. Are you feeling alright?" The voice was deep and soothing. "Can I grab you a coffee or a water? I noticed you've been sitting by yourself for quite a while."

Tamara's eyes snapped open. Standing nearby was a man in a tailored charcoal suit.

"Just a lucky guess."

The man said, as if reading her mind. His tone was perfectly mild. "When my wife hit the six-month mark, she looked exactly like you do right now. I spent so much time hovering over her that I practically became an expert."

His gaze turned a bit distant, lost in some fond memory.

Tamara forced a strained smile. "Your wife is very lucky to have someone so attentive."

"If anything, I wasn't attentive enough."

His voice dipped into melancholy before he quickly brightened. "Are you here alone? No family with you? Navigating the lines and paperwork around here is exhausting."

"He's... tied up with work," Tamara deflected, not wanting to get into a conversation about her husband.