Chapter 40

April stayed curled up on her bed, the tears drying on her cheeks as she stared blankly at the wall. Hours passed, but she felt no sense of time, lost in the numbness that had settled over her. The weight of the secret she now carried was crushing, and the pain of knowing that the father of her child would kill them both if he found out made her feel hollow inside.

Eventually, she forced herself to move, rising from her bed like a ghost. Her body felt heavy, her movements slow and mechanical as she made her way out of the slave quarters. Her face was pale, her eyes vacant, more a shadow of a person than the lively young woman she once was. She needed to clean up the mess she had made outside Lucifer's chambers, to avoid drawing any more attention to herself.

When she reached the spot where the tray had fallen, she knelt down and began to pick up the pieces, her hands trembling as she gathered the broken dishes. She grabbed a broom and a rag to clean up the food and spilled drink, her