Nine

For a moment, Yasmin felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She just stared, the words sinking in slowly, like they’d been spoken in another language. Pregnant? It couldn’t be. Her mind raced back to that one, unforgettable night with the mysterious man, a stranger who had seemed to appear from nowhere. She’d felt a strange pull toward him, an electric connection that made her lose all sense of control. But after that night, he was gone, like he’d never existed. And now… now she was—

She looked at Kamira, mouth open, but no words came out. Her heart pounded, each beat louder than the last, until it felt like the only sound in the room. “I… I’m… pregnant?” she finally managed to stammer, her voice barely a whisper, laced with disbelief.

Kamira nodded, a softness in her eyes. “Yes, child. I understand this must come as a shock. But we should do an ultrasound, just to be sure. It’s best to confirm it for you.”

Yasmin could only nod, feeling as if her body were moving on its