The Shocking News
849 Words
Elena Carter POV
The pregnancy test sat on the edge of the sink, its two bright pink lines staring back at me, unrelenting and undeniable. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that when I opened them again, the result would somehow change. But when I looked, the lines were still there.
Pregnant.
My hands trembled as I reached for the counter, gripping the cool marble surface to steady myself. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t part of the plan. A one-night stand with Xander Knight was supposed to be just that—a single night, a mistake born of vulnerability and loneliness. But now, that one night had changed everything.
A wave of nausea hit me, but I wasn’t sure if it was morning sickness or sheer panic. I sucked in a shaky breath, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My usually sharp, composed features were pale, my green eyes wide with shock. I pressed a hand against my stomach, as if I could somehow will the truth away.
But it was real.
I was pregnant with Xander Knight’s baby.
The memory of that night resurfaced—the way his lips had claimed mine, the heat of his touch, the desperate need that had consumed us both. It had felt so right at the moment, like the world had faded away and nothing else mattered. But now, reality had come crashing back, cruel and unforgiving.
I pushed away from the sink, pacing across the small confines of my bathroom. What was I going to do? I had worked so hard to build my career, to make a name for myself outside my family’s shadow. A baby wasn’t in the picture—not now, not like this.
And Xander…
How was I supposed to tell him?
My stomach twisted at the thought. Xander Knight was the last man on earth who wanted to be tied down. He was powerful, ruthless in business, and completely unattainable in every way that mattered. To him, that night had been nothing more than an indulgence, a fleeting moment of pleasure before returning to his world of wealth and control.
Would he even care?
A knock at the door startled me, and I jumped, my heart hammering in my chest. I quickly grabbed the pregnancy test, shoving it into the drawer before heading toward the door.
“Elena? Are you okay?” It was Sophie, my best friend. Her voice was filled with concern.
I hesitated before unlocking the door. Sophie stepped inside, her brows furrowed as she took one look at me and knew something was wrong. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “I think I have.”
Her eyes darted around the bathroom before landing on the open drawer. A second later, she had pulled it open and spotted the pregnancy test. Her mouth parted in shock before she turned to me, her expression unreadable.
“Elena…”
I bit my lip, my arms wrapping around myself as if that could shield me from the truth. “I don’t know what to do, Soph.”
She exhaled slowly, setting the test down before reaching for my hands. “Okay. First, let’s breathe. Deep breaths.”
I followed her lead, inhaling and exhaling in a slow, shaky rhythm. It helped. A little.
“Have you thought about telling him?” she asked gently.
My stomach churned. “Xander?” I shook my head. “No." I mean… how do I even begin to tell him? ‘Hey, remember that night we spent together? Well, surprise! You’re going to be a dad.’”
Sophie winced. “Okay, maybe not like that. But Elena, he deserves to know.”
“Does he?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I turned away, running a hand through my hair. “Xander is… complicated. He doesn’t have relationships. He doesn’t make commitment. If I tell him, he might feel obligated, and I don’t want that.”
She crossed her arms. “And what about you? What do you want?”
I stared at her, my throat tightening. “I don’t know.”
The truth was, I hadn’t let myself think about it. The moment the test had turned positive, my mind had gone straight to panic mode. But deep down, beneath the fear and uncertainty, there was something else—something warm, something terrifyingly real.
A part of me already loved this baby.
The realization nearly knocked the air from my lungs.
“Elena, you don’t have to do this alone,” Sophie said softly, pulling me into a hug. “No matter what you decide, I’m here.”
Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wasn’t ready to break down. Not yet.
I had a choice to make.
And no matter how much I wanted to pretend otherwise, I knew that eventually, I would have to face Xander Knight and tell him the truth.
The only question was, what would he do when he found out?
- Writer
