Chapter 5

Isabella's POV

"You think this is a victory?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of hurt and rage. "Does he even know you're pregnant? Do you really believe a man who's terrified of responsibility will suddenly step up for you?"

"He loves me," Jessica said naively, "He will—"

"He loved me too," I cut her off. "Think about how he treated me. He doesn't even have a real job, Jessica!"

"That's not true!" she argued. "He has a job. He's spent money on me, bought me things—"

I laughed bitterly. "With what money? The loan he convinced me to take out? I'm drowning in debt now, and you'll probably be next. Have you checked your credit score lately?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"You're just jealous," she finally said, her voice growing smaller. "You couldn't give him what I can."

I tightened my grip on the phone. "If that's how you feel, then good luck, Jessica."

She was still defending him when I hung up, unable to continue listening to her delusions. I immediately dialed the police station, determined to report Brian's fraud.

Twenty minutes later, I sat across from an indifferent officer who barely looked up from his computer as I explained the situation.

"So your ex-boyfriend convinced you to take out a loan for an investment that never existed?" he asked, typing slowly.

"Yes."

The officer sighed. "And you said he's left town?"

I nodded. "I believe so."

"Miss Morgan," he finally met my eyes, "if he's already left the jurisdiction, there's not much we can do right now except file a report. Financial crimes like these are complicated, especially when it's between people who were in a relationship."

"So you're not going to do anything?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my voice.

He shrugged. "We'll put out an alert, but honestly, these cases rarely get priority."

I stood up, grabbing my purse. "If I were rich like Gabriel, would this get priority then?"

The officer had the decency to look uncomfortable. "That's not how it works, ma'am."

But we both knew it was exactly how it worked.

After another fruitless call to the bank, I collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. I truly had nothing left. My job was gone, my savings depleted, my credit ruined. I couldn't ask Sarah for help—she was already in enough trouble.

And tomorrow I would find out if I was pregnant. I placed a hand on my abdomen, wondering if there was actually a life growing inside me. My body felt different—a subtle change in scent, perhaps? I'd noticed it in the shower that morning.

Was it just my imagination, or was it a sign that the insemination had worked?

The thought that should have filled me with joy now brought only anxiety. If I was pregnant, could I even keep this baby? What kind of life could I offer a child when I couldn't even take care of myself?

Sleep evaded me that night, my mind racing with impossible scenarios and difficult choices.

The next morning, I decided to stop for coffee before my appointment at the reproductive center, hoping the caffeine might calm my frayed nerves. As I stood in line at the coffee shop, my gaze drifted to the window.

When I spotted Gabriel walking down the sidewalk outside, my heart skipped a beat. He seemed even more attractive now, effortlessly commanding attention.

Suddenly, he stopped. His nostrils flared slightly, as if catching a scent on the breeze. Slowly, he turned his head in my direction, those piercing green eyes scanning the coffee shop until our gazes met.

For a moment, I couldn't look away. Despite the fact that he had caused me to lose my job and refused to help Sarah, I felt an inexplicable flutter in my chest at the sight of him. It was completely irrational.

I broke eye contact first, grabbing my coffee and hurrying out the back exit. The last thing I needed today was another confrontation with Gabriel.

When I arrived at the Silver Creek Supernatural Reproductive Center, it was quieter than usual. Sarah was waiting for me in her office, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

"Sarah," I said softly, closing the door behind me. "Any news?"

She attempted a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll probably receive my official termination notice this afternoon."

"I'm so sorry, dear," I consoled her.

She shook her head. "It's okay." She took a deep breath, visibly trying to compose herself. "How are you feeling? Any symptoms?"

I sat in the chair across from her desk. "Honestly, I'm terrified. Even if I am pregnant, I don't know if I can keep the baby."

"What?" Sarah's eyes widened. "But Izzy, this is all you've ever wanted."

"I know, but..." My voice broke as I told her everything—about my mounting debt, Brian's fraud, the police's apathy, losing my job. "I have nothing, Sarah. No job, no money, no home that I can actually afford. What kind of mother would I be?"

Sarah reached across the desk and squeezed my hand. "Don't give up, Izzy. We'll figure this out together. Miracles do happen, Izzy. I promise."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"Come on," she said, standing up. "Let's first confirm whether we actually need to worry about this issue."

She led me to the examination room, the familiar sterility both comforting and intimidating. After taking blood and urine samples, she confirmed my suspicion:

"You're pregnant, Izzy."

Despite all the difficulties I faced, my heart was filled with excitement. This was something I had been waiting to hear for many years, something I thought I might never hear again.

"Let's do an ultrasound," Sarah continued. "You can hear the baby's heartbeat."

"Isn't it too early for that?"

"You know, our lab is the best in the country. Our technology is far ahead of other doctors."

I lay back on the examination table, lifting my shirt as Sarah applied the cold gel to my abdomen. As she moved the wand across my skin, her brow furrowed.

"That's... strange," she murmured.

"What is it? Is something wrong with the baby?" Panic surged through me.

"No, it's not exactly that something's wrong, it's just..." she adjusted the wand, staring intently at the screen. "The embryonic development is too advanced for this stage. Far more advanced than it should be."

She continued moving the wand, her frown deepening. "This fetal structure doesn't look like... human?" she whispered, almost to herself.

"What do you mean, not human?" My voice rose with alarm.

"Like I said, our technology here is cutting-edge—it can detect molecular structures that other facilities can't. It should—"

The door suddenly burst open with such force that it slammed against the wall. Sarah and I both jumped at the sudden noise.

Gabriel stood in the doorway, his imposing frame seemingly filling the entire space. His gaze locked onto me with a primal intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.

"What is the meaning of this?" I echoed incredulously, pulling my shirt down to cover myself. "You bursting into my private medical examination is what needs explaining!"

As he took another step into the room, his nostrils flared, completely ignoring my question. "I can smell my pup on you," he growled.