"Seraphina, what kind of nonsense are you spouting now?" William stepped forward, reaching for my wrist. "Stop embarrassing yourself and come home with me. Don't force me to lose my temper in front of strangers."
I stepped back, out of his reach.
"Don't touch me. You disgust me."
His hand froze in midair. Something flickered in his eyes, a flash of shock, quickly swallowed by anger.
"Fine, Seraphina. You've got nerve. Walk out that door today, and I'll cancel every single supplementary credit card under your name. Let's see how long a pregnant woman with a belly that big survives without the Stephens family behind her."
Behind him, Alma Harding's lips curled into a smug little smile.
I didn't spare either of them another glance. I pulled my coat tight around myself, pushed open the door, and stepped into the cold draft of the corridor.
I took out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.
It rang once. Just once.
A low, rough voice answered on the other end, tight with restraint.
"Quinn. Come get me," I said quietly.
"Miss Ashford." His voice caught, almost imperceptibly. "You're finally letting me bring you home."
The wind outside the hospital was brutal.
A black Maybach glided to a stop in front of me without a sound.
The door opened, and a tall man in a long black coat stepped out, crossing the distance between us in quick strides.
His features were sharp, severe. A faint scar traced the corner of his right eye, a souvenir from the time he'd thrown himself between me and danger.
Quinn Harding.
An orphan the Ashford family had taken in. He'd grown up at my side since we were children.
The outside world believed I was the Ashfords' only daughter. They had no idea that while my father was still alive, he'd personally shaped Quinn into the family's sharpest blade.
He was my sworn brother in name. In truth, he was my most loyal protector.
Five years ago, when I'd insisted on leaving home for William, Quinn had knelt in the rain all night. All it earned him was a single sentence from me: Don't follow me.
Now here he was. Just like back then. At my side the moment I called.
"Miss Ashford, how did you get this thin?" He strode forward and shrugged off his coat, still warm from his body, draping it over my shoulders.
His gaze dropped to my swollen belly, then lifted to my pale face. The look in his eyes turned cold enough to kill.