Bizarre Wolf

Sophie sat alone in a private clinic on the Upper East Side. Around her, couples murmured, their hands linked.

She wasn't here for show. Her hand drifted to her stomach—flat, but not empty.

A door clicked open.

"Mrs. Carlisle-Vanderbilt?"

Sophie followed the nurse into a white room. The doctor held up a lab report.

"Congratulations. You're six weeks pregnant."

The words hit. Hard. One night. One month ago. Julian drunk, lonely, and for once—he didn't leave.

The doctor handed her a sonogram. Sophie stared at the blurry speck. She folded it and tucked it into her wallet. A small, impossible life.

Maybe this changes things. Maybe he'll want her.

She walked out of the room, a fragile hope flickering in her chest.

She turned the corner—and stopped.

Julian stood at the end of the corridor. His arms cradled a woman. Her stepsister. Zoe Miller. The one who'd left the day after their wedding.