Page 70 of Pregnant By A Rich Demon 2

Kaisen wasproofthat good men still existed.

He was consistent. He showed up. He didn’t play games or make me guess where I stood. He didn’t accuse me of things I hadn’t done. He didn’t make me feel small or disposable or like I was just a means to an end.

He made me feel like I mattered.

And maybe that was enough.

Maybe I didn’t have to keep chasing after Amai, keep hoping he’d change, keep telling myself that the hot and cold was just part of who he was. Maybe I could let myself want something simpler. Something safer.

Something that didn’t mess with my anxiety every time my phone buzzed.

We pulled up to Dr. Beaumont’s office at 10:47 AM. The building was sleek and modern, all glass and steel, the kind of place that made you feel like you were in good hands. Kaisen found a spot in the parking lot and turned off the engine.

“I’ll wait out here,” he said, reaching for the door handle.

“No.” The word came out faster than I intended. I grabbed his arm. “I mean—would you come inside? Just to the lobby. I don’t want to feel alone if something’s wrong.”

He turned to look at me, and I saw something shift in his expression. Something soft, protective, and real.

“Nothing’s going to be wrong,” he said quietly. “You and the baby are going to be just fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” he agreed. “But I know you. And you’re stronger than you think.”

He got out of the car and came around to my side, opening the door and offering me his hand. I took it, letting him help me up. He kept hold of it as we walked into the building, his thumb making small circles on the back of my hand.

The lobby was quiet. Soft music played from hidden speakers. A receptionist looked up from her desk and smiled.

“Truth Renois?” she asked.

“That’s me.”

“Dr. Beaumont is ready for you. You can head back—third door on the left.”

I squeezed Kaisen’s hand one more time. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“I’ll be right here,” he said.

The exam was routine. Dr. Beaumont checked my vitals, took blood, asked about the nausea, and used a small, handheld monitor long enough to confirm a heartbeat. She moved the wand quickly, too quickly for me to understand what I wasseeing. For a second, her hand paused. Her eyes flickered to the screen, then to the door.

“Everything looks fine,” she said.

But something about the way she said it didn’t sit right. She just made a note and told me everything looked fine.

“Morning sickness?” Dr. Beaumont asked, making notes on her tablet.

“It came back,” I admitted. “The last couple of days have been rough.”

“That’s not uncommon,” she said reassuringly. “It usually eases up in the second trimester. You’re almost there.”

She scheduled my next appointment for two weeks out and sent me on my way.

I walked back into the lobby, feeling lighter than I had in days. The morning sickness would pass. The baby was healthy. Everything was going to be okay.

And then I saw him.

Amai.