Chapter 12 - THE PREGNANCY
Alora’s pregnancy continued normally after the incident.
That sentence mattered.
No dramatic premature labor.
No miraculous fetal crisis.
She had bruising, stress, fear.
The baby remained stable.
Yet she became anxious whenever someone grabbed her arm unexpectedly.
Even Thane.
He learned to ask.
“Can I help you up?”
“Want my hand?”
Not automatic contact.
Then Corrine requested through counsel to send a baby gift.
Alora said no.
Sloan sent an apology.
Alora read it.
It began:
I didn’t mean to hit you.
Alora stopped.
The crowbar had not hit her.
That wording minimized.
She returned it through counsel.
Sloan tried again.
Second version:
I raised a crowbar over you because I wanted to scare you into giving me the code.
Accurate.
Then:
You were pregnant and I still did it.
Alora finished reading.
No forgiveness.
But truth.
Then Thane asked:
“Do you want revenge?”
Alora looked at the safe.
“For what part?”
“The attack.”
“The lies.”
“The jewelry.”
“All of it.”
She thought.
“I want the inventory finished.”
Thane almost laughed.
“That’s your revenge?”
“Yes.”
Because Corrine and Sloan had attacked her to stop the record.
Finishing it meant the record survived them.
Then the final disputed item was authenticated.
A diamond necklace.
Original.
Never substituted.
For months everyone assumed it was fake because Corrine hated that piece.
It wasn’t.
May you like
The truth was uneven.
That made the final inventory credible.
