My hands were shaking so badly I nearly dropped the pregnancy test onto the bathroom floor, because those two pink lines didn’t just mean I was pregnant

The tinted windows of the black Maybach blurred the flashing neon lights of Chicago as the car sped toward the financial district. The silence inside the vehicle was suffocating, broken only by the low hum of the climate control system and the rhythmic tapping of my own fingernails against my knee.

When the car finally slid beneath the underground parking structure of the Vitali Tower, the guards escorted me out with silent efficiency. We rode a private elevator straight up to the top floor, the digital display climbing past forty stories in mere seconds.

The elevator doors opened directly into a sprawling penthouse office surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the glittering Chicago skyline. The room was dark except for the amber glow of the city lights reflecting off polished concrete floors.

Standing by the window with a glass of scotch in his hand was Alessandro Vitali. He turned slowly as the elevator doors chimed, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made the air leave my lungs.

“You’re harder to track down than a ghost, Emma,” Alessandro said, his voice smooth and dangerous as he walked toward me.

“I’m just a working girl trying to get by,” I replied, keeping my chin up despite my trembling hands. “Dragging me here like a criminal is kidnapping.”

Alessandro stopped just a few feet away from me, his amber eyes narrowing as he took in every detail of my tense posture. “Kidnapping implies I don't have the right to speak to the woman who disappeared from my hotel room without a trace.”

“I left a note,” I lied defensively.

“You left a fabricated name and a dead-end catering agency that had no record of your actual address,” Alessandro countered, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his frame. “People don't use fake names unless they have something to hide.”

“And powerful men don't drag strangers across the city unless they’re used to controlling everything,” I snapped back, my temper finally overriding my fear.

A flicker of surprise crossed Alessandro’s face, followed by a dark, dangerous amusement that sent a shiver straight down my spine. He raised one hand, his fingers stopping just an inch from my cheek as if he wanted to touch me, but pulled back at the last second.

“You have a fierce fire in you, Elizabeth,” he whispered softly.