Nicole folded the paper and decided to hide it and not to mention it to Alex.
She forced her breathing to slow down and walked over to the window, watching Alex's sleek black car pull out of the driveway. The "Ice King" was gone for the day, and for the first time in a week, the air felt thin enough to breathe.
"Nicole? Are you even allowed to be out of bed?"
Nicole spun around, a genuine smile breaking across her face for the first time in days. Standing in the doorway was Maya, her best friend . Maya looked completely out of place in the marble hallway, wearing a thrifted denim jacket and carrying a bag that smelled faintly of spicy street food.
"Maya! How did you get past the gate?" Nicole ran to her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I told the scary guy with the earpiece that I was your personal stylist and that if he didn't let me in, your 'public image' would crumble," Maya whispered, pulling back to look Nicole over. "God, you look like a porcelain doll. Are they even feeding you?"
"They're feeding me, Maya. They're just... erasing me," Nicole said, leading her friend into the library. "It's like a gilded cage. I have to ask permission to walk in the garden. I'm 'property' until the twins are born."
Maya's eyes widened as she looked around the massive library. "Twins? Nicole, that's... that's a lot. And Alex? Is he still playing the part of the cold-blooded CEO?"
"He's not playing a part, Maya. That's who he is. He caught me in his study the other night. He thinks I'm a spy." Nicole sat on the velvet sofa, her shoulders drooping. "I feel like I'm losing my mind. I look at this ring, and it feels like a shackle."
Maya grabbed Nicole's hand, inspecting the massive sapphire. "It's a beautiful shackle, though. But listen, don't let him win. You're the one with the leverage now. You're carrying the future of his company. He's the one who should be nervous, not you."
"He doesn't get nervous," Nicole said. "He just gets colder."
The door to the library swung open. Alex stood there, his coat over his arm, looking surprised to see an outsider in his sanctuary. His eyes swept over Maya's casual clothes with immediate judgment.
"And who is this?" Alex asked, his voice like a razor.
"This is Maya. My friend," Nicole said, standing up and squaring her shoulders. "She's staying for lunch."
"We don't have guests, Nicole. Especially not unvetted ones," Alex replied, stepping into the room.
"She's not a guest, she's my friend," Nicole snapped. "If you want me to keep following your 'medical orders' and staying stress-free, then I need someone to talk to who doesn't work for you. Or should I tell Dr. Aris that my blood pressure is rising because you're being a tyrant?"
Alex paused. He hated being challenged, but he hated the idea of another medical crisis even more. He looked at Maya, then back at Nicole.
"One hour," Alex conceded, his jaw tight. "Then she leaves through the back entrance. I won't have the press wondering why a girl in a denim jacket is exiting the Sterling estate."
"Fine," Nicole said.
As Alex turned to leave, he stopped and looked at Nicole's hand—the one Maya was still holding. "And Nicole? Put the jewelry back on. You're not a commoner anymore. Start acting like a Sterling."
After Maya left, the silence of the house felt twice as heavy. Nicole went to the kitchen, her stomach turning. The smell of the expensive, bland chicken the chef had prepared made her nauseous.
She opened the fridge, searching for anything that didn't taste like "high society." Hidden at the very back, behind a row of organic juices, she found a small, crinkled paper bag Maya must have snuck in.
Inside was a greasy, spicy burger from their favorite corner shop—the kind of food Alex would consider "poison."
Nicole took a bite, the salt and spice hitting her tongue like a lightning bolt. For a moment, she felt like herself again. But as she swallowed, a sharp, searing pain shot through her abdomen.
She gasped, dropping the burger as she clutched the kitchen counter. Her vision tunneled.
"Alex!" she tried to scream, but her voice was a ghost.
She looked down at her white dress. A small, dark red spot was beginning to bloom right at the center of her waist. It wasn't wine this time.
Alex walked into the kitchen, alerted by the sound of the dropping bag. He saw the burger on the floor, then his eyes moved up to the red stain on her dress. His face went from pale to ghostly white in a second.
"What did you do?" he whispered, his voice trembling with a rare, terrifying emotion. "Nicole, what did you eat?"
He rushed to her, catching her just as her knees gave out. As he pulled her against him, Nicole saw his hand shake as he reached for his phone. For the first time, the Ice King looked like he was about to shatter.