one night, no regrets

Chapter 1 Elara's Point of View My feet hurt so bad I want to cry. I've been standing for eight hours straight, carrying heavy plates and pretending to smile at rude customers. The baby in my belly makes everything harder. Every step feels like I'm carrying a heavy bag that never goes away. "Elara! Table six is still waiting for their food!" My boss, Mr. Peterson, shouts from behind the counter. His face is red and angry, like always. I hurry to the kitchen, trying not to waddle like a duck. At five months pregnant, hiding my belly is getting impossible. The tight black uniform doesn't help. I grab the plates of food and walk carefully to table six. "Here you go," I say with my fake smile. The man at the table doesn't even look at me. He just grunts and starts eating. No tip. Again. I go back to wiping tables, my lower back screaming with every move. The baby kicks hard against my ribs. "Calm down, little one," I whisper, rubbing my belly. "Mommy's trying her best." The bell above the door rings. Another customer. I look up and see a woman in an expensive coat. She has perfect hair and perfect makeup. She looks around the small diner like it smells bad. "Can I help you?" I ask. She stares at my belly, then at my face. "Are you Elara Hayes?" My heart stops. Nobody knows my real last name here. I told everyone my name was Elara Smith. How does this woman know who I am? "I... who's asking?" My voice comes out small and scared. She smiles, but it's not a nice smile. "My name is Abigail Sinclair. I think you and I need to talk." I've never heard that name before, but something about her makes my skin crawl. The way she looks at me feels wrong. Like she knows something I don't. "I'm working," I say. "I can't talk right now." "Oh, but you can." She sits down at a table without being asked. "Trust me, you'll want to hear what I have to say. It's about your baby." My hands shake. I put them behind my back so she can't see. "What about my baby?" "Sit down, dear." I don't want to sit. I want to run. But my feet hurt and my back aches and I need to know what she's talking about. I sit down across from her. "That baby you're carrying," she says, pointing at my belly. "Do you remember the father?" My face gets hot. That night was the worst mistake of my life. I was sad and drunk and stupid. I barely remember the man's face. "That's none of your business." "Actually, it is my business." She opens her purse and pulls out some papers. "Because that baby belongs to my brother." I laugh, but it sounds mean. "Lady, you're crazy. I don't even know your brother." "His name is Dante Sinclair. And yes, you do know him. You just don't remember." The room starts spinning. I grab the table to steady myself. "I don't know what game you're playing, but." "No game." She slides the papers across the table. "These are DNA test results. We had them done while you were sleeping at the hospital last month." I stare at the papers. The words are too big and complicated, but I see my name. I see "99.9% match" in big letters. "How did you... when did you..." I can't finish my sentences. My brain feels broken. "My brother is a very powerful man, Elara. He has money. Lots of money. And he wants his child." I stand up so fast my chair falls over. Other customers stare at us. "You're lying. This is fake. You can't just take someone's baby!" "Sit down," she says calmly. "People are looking." I don't sit. I want to scream. I want to run. But where can I go? I have no money, no family, no friends. Just me and my baby. "What do you want?" I whisper. "I want you to disappear." She says it like she's talking about the weather. "Have the baby. Give it to my brother. He'll pay you well. Then you go away and never come back." "No." The word comes out loud and strong. "No way. This is my baby." "Look around you, dear." She waves her hand at the dirty diner. "Look at your life. Can you really give that child what it needs? My brother can give it everything. The best schools, the best clothes, the best food. A real family." Tears start falling down my face. I try to wipe them away, but more keep coming. "I'm its real family." "Are you?" She leans forward. "You're broke. You live in a tiny apartment with no heat. You work at this awful place for almost no money. What kind of life is that for a child?" Every word hits me like a punch. She's right and I hate her for it. I hate that she's right. "Think about it," she says, standing up. "My brother will be in touch soon. Make the right choice, Elara. For the baby's sake." She walks toward the door, then stops and turns back. "Oh, and Elara? If you try to run, we'll find you. My brother has people everywhere. There's no place you can hide." The bell rings as she leaves. I stand there shaking, holding the papers in my hands. Other customers are still staring at me. Mr. Peterson looks angry from behind the counter. "Elara! What's wrong with you? Get back to work!" I can't move. I can't think. This woman says my baby has a father I don't remember. She says he's rich and powerful. She says he wants to take my baby away. I look down at my belly. The baby kicks like it knows something is wrong. "I won't let anyone take you," I whisper. "I promise." But even as I say it, I know I might not be able to keep that promise. If this man really is rich and powerful, what can I do? I'm nobody. I have nothing. I walk to the bathroom and lock the door. I sit on the toilet and cry until my eyes hurt. The papers are still in my hands. I look at them again, trying to understand. Dante Sinclair. That name means nothing to me. But apparently, he's about to change my whole life. I hear someone knocking on the bathroom door. "Elara! Customers are waiting!" I wipe my face and take a deep breath. I have to keep working. I have to keep fighting. For my baby. But as I walk back into the diner, I can't shake the feeling that everything is about to fall apart. And somewhere out there, a man named Dante Sinclair is coming for me. I just hope I'm ready when he gets here.