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Emery sat outside, still clinging to her bag where she had ced the ultrasound pictures. She didn’t know why Logan chose to stay for a while. In fact, her mind was still reeling, all those emotions crashing down on her in
one go.
She was really pregnant. It was real. The procedure worked.
Emery chuckled. She had known that she was pregnant sincest week, but this was just different. Sighing, she shook her head and got up. She needed water, juice–anything that would calm her down.
Spotting a vending machine nearby, Emery got up and approached it. She quickly took some money and got herself a bottle of water.
Emery took a slow sip from the bottle, trying to get her thoughts in order. She’d only been alone for <i>a </i>few minutes, and already she felt like the air was too heavy. Her hands clenched the photo inside her bag, her fingers moving over the image again and again as if that would help her process it faster.
She barely had time to process anything else when she heard it.
“Emery?”
Her entire body froze.
She turned slowly and found Samuel standing only a few feet away, hands shoved in his pockets, looking as if he hadn’t slept in days. She blinked at him once, then turned on her heel and headed straight back toward the clinic hallway.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Samuel followed her. “Emery-” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Will you stop?”
“Let me go,” she said.
“We need to talk,” he insisted. “Come home. Please.”
“We don’t have anything to talk about.”
Samuel stepped in front of her. “The wedding’s off. The baby… it’s gone.”
She stopped.
“What are you talking about?”
“Talia had a miscarriage,” Samuel said quickly. “After the crash. It was too much for her body, the doctor said. They had to do an emergency procedure and there’s a possibility, she might not get pregnant again. The wedding’s been postponed indefinitely.”
Emery stared at him. Her thoughts caught up slowly. She remembered the headlines. The ident. The hospital visit. She hadn’t cared enough to read the full story at the time. But why was this man making is sound like this was a blessing? He just lost his own child!
“She lost the baby?” she asked.
Samuel nodded. “Yes. So, please, juste home. We can start over. We can fix this.”
Emery smirked and used her free hand to pry his fingers off her arm.
“I’m not going back,” she said.
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“Em, stop throwing a tantrum,” Samuel snapped. “You and I both know you’re still upset. But we can make this work.”
Before Emery could answer, a sharp voice cut through the air.
“You bitch!”
She turned and saw Talia.
The woman looked nothing like someone recovering from a miscarriage. Her sunsses covered half her face, but she was upright, fast, and furious. She charged forward.
“You homewrecker!” Talia screamed, swinging her purse.
Emery stepped back, ready to move, but Samuel grabbed Talia by the waist before she couldnd a hit.
“Stop it!” he said.
“She’s the reason everything fell apart!” Talia yelled, kicking at the ground. “You think I don’t know? You think I didn’t see the way you kept watching her–texting her? Trying to call her!?”
Samuel’s jaw clenched. “Enough.”
“I lost everything because of her!”
“Stop!” Samuel said.
Talia struggled harder against Samuel’s grip, her arms iling as she tried to break free.
“Stop?!” she shouted. “This woman is trying to seduce my husband and you want me to-
She yanked her arm out of his hold and lunged forward.
“Come here–let me rip that face of yours!”
Her hand flew toward Emery, fingers wed, but Emery stepped back quickly, blocking with her arm. The bag on her shoulder nearly slipped, but she held her ground.
“You fucking bitch!” Talia screamed, swinging her purse this time. It grazed Emery’s side.
“I hope you rot!”
Samuel grabbed Talia again and dragged her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“That’s enough!” he barked, holding her in ce.
Emery didn’t flinch. She stared straight at Talia, eyes cold, her fists clenched.
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“Touch me again,” Emery said tly. “And I swear, you won’t get a second shot.”
Talia’s sunsses slipped slightly as she thrashed in Samuel’s arms, revealing wild, tear–lined eyes. “What else can you do to me, huh?!” she shrieked. “You already killed my child! You-”
She tore one arm free and hurled her purse at Emery. It hit the ground just inches from her feet, the contents scattering across the pavement–keys, lipstick, a shatteredpact.
“Let me go, Samuel!” Talia screamed, twisting violently. “I’ll teach this bitch a lesson!”
“You lost your child because you were driving drunk,” Emery snapped, her voice rising. “Don’t you dare pin that on me!”
Talia froze, then let out a loud, guttural sound—somewhere between a sob and a scream—and lunged forward again. Samuel caught her just in time, dragging her back with both arms locked tightly around her
torso.
People nearby were turning. A nurse at the clinic entrance stepped out, staring. A security guard started walking over.
“You selfish witch!” Talia yelled. “You think you’ve won?! I’ll make sure you regret ever meeting him! I swear
it!”
“I already regret it,” Emery said without missing a beat.
Talia howled and kicked at the ground, one heel snapping under the pressure.
“Get her out of here,” Emery muttered as she turned away. “Before she embarrasses herself more than she already has.”
Samuel clenched his jaw. He was about to drag Talia away when thetter suddenly kicked his shin. Then Talia shoved Samuel hard enough to knock him off bnce. He stumbled back, caught off guard.
“Get off me!” she screamed.
Then she ran.
Straight toward Emery.
Emery’s eyes narrowed. She grabbed her bag with both hands, yanking it in front of her like a makeshift shield. If Talia wanted to w her face again, she was going to meet twenty pounds of leather and receipts first.
But Talia didn’t make it far.
A shadow moved so fast that Emery barely saw it.
12:19 Thu<b>, </b>Sep 11
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One moment, it was just her, a few feet of concrete, and Talia charging like a lunatic. The next, Logan was there. He stepped between them without a word, a blur of motion, and blocked the attack with his full body.
He didn’t hesitate. With one firm shove, he mmed both hands into Talia’s shoulders and pushed her backward with enough force to knock her straight onto the pavement.
Talia hit the ground with a loud thud, her sunsses flying off andnding a few feet away. Her elbow scraped against the rough surface. She looked up, stunned.
Emery blinked. “Logan-”
He didn’t even turn around. He stood between her and Talia, nted like a wall.
Samuel limped forward, holding his shin. “What the hell—”
“Control your fiancée,” Logan said without looking at him. “Next time, I won’t be this polite.”
Talia scrambled to her feet, her voice shrill. “You animal! You pushed me! Did you see that?! He assaulted me! I’m going to call the cops!”
Logan tilted his head just slightly. “I did less than I wanted to.” He turned toward Emery. “I’m sorry I’mte,” he said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I had to get the prenatal vitamins you needed. For the baby.”
Emery’s breath caught.
Silence snapped through the hallway like a whip.
Samuel froze, his mouth half–open, his eyes darting between the two of them.
“Baby?” he repeated, the word cracking in the stillness. “What baby?”
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