As Joana looked back at Elijah, he took a staggering step backward. Beside her, Lina whispered something to herself and took a deep breath, grasping the bedpost at the foot of the bed.
The room, once filled with anger, now brimmed with nothing but stunned, disbelieving silence from Lina, Elijah, and Joana herself.
"I am pregnant with your child!" Joana blurted out.
Elijah fell into a stunned silence, his eyes widening with disbelief. Beside Joana, Lina gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth in surprise. Even Joana herself was taken aback by her own unexpected candor.
"I-I'll leave you two alone," Lina murmured. Joana kept her gaze fixed on Elijah, but she heard Lina's hasty footsteps approaching the door, followed by the gentle click of it shutting.
For a prolonged moment, Elijah
