Shattered Plans

Clara

The red ink circling the date on my wall calendar catches the morning light—only six days left to wait. Six more days until I learn whether my biggest wish is actually coming true, or if I need to map out a completely different future from scratch.

Nothing else has occupied my mind since Tessa performed the insemination last week. I’m so fixated on finding out whether the procedure worked that I haven't even started unpacking the reality of Trent’s betrayal.

Even though I’m trying to stay grounded, I keep picturing what life will look like holding my own baby. No matter how hard I try to focus, I catch myself drifting into daydreams about it constantly, even humming under my breath while getting dressed for my shift.

My employer’s estate sits in the most exclusive enclave of Moon Hollow—which essentially makes it the most elite neighborhood on earth, considering Moon Hollow ranks among the priciest cities in the world. The second I step through the front door, two small voices shout my name in pure excitement.

“Clara!”

Before I can even set my bag down, three-year-old Lila latches onto my legs while her older brother, Milo, throws his arms around my waist.

“Morning, my little sweethearts!” I laugh, bending down to return their tight hugs. “All set for our trip to the museum?”

“Yeah!” they chorus at the top of their lungs, bolting straight toward the open doorway without pausing for their winter gear. It takes a solid few minutes of herding them back into the foyer to zip up heavy coats, pull on knit hats, and wrap scarves around their necks against the biting cold, before we finally step out onto the snow-covered pavement.

Impatient to reach the science museum, Milo charges ahead down the sidewalk, completely oblivious to the fact that his little sister’s short legs can’t keep up with his pace. With a soft chuckle, I scoop Lila up and settle her weight onto my hip. “Good grief, sweet pea, you’re getting way too big for me to carry like this.”

“Nuh-uh,” Lila beams, shaking her head. “You’re just too tiny.”

Honestly, she has a fair point. Standing at barely five foot one, I wasn't exactly built for hauling heavy loads, and while I stay in good shape, brute strength has never been my strong suit. “Look at you, little miss clever,” I tease, sharing a warm laugh with her as we walk.

Glancing up the block to check on Milo, I notice he has come to a dead halt several yards ahead. My breath catches the instant I see why. We have reached the front gates of the Thorne estate, and the owner himself is standing right in the middle of the pavement, his intense stare locking onto me like a brand as I walk up carrying Lila.

Kaelen Thorne is easily the most breathtaking man I have ever laid eyes on, yet he is also hands down the most intimidating. With thick dark hair, striking green eyes, sharply cut cheekbones, and a heavily muscled frame that could make anyone weak in the knees, it feels downright unfair for one person to possess both those looks and that kind of fortune.

Someone else might assume his towering six-foot-four height or his staggering net worth is what makes him so daunting, given how effortlessly he dwarfs me and everyone else on the street. Yet it isn't the money or the stature at all; there is an unnamed edge to him that I can't quite place, an energy that radiates pure, untamed danger and commands the entire space around him.

Drawing a quiet breath to steady my nerves, I close the remaining few steps between us so Lila can greet him properly. The moment her small voice pipes up, Kaelen pulls his heavy gaze off me and offers the little girl a smile so warm and genuine it tugs straight at my heart.

Watching him chat so easily with the two kids brings back everything Tessa whispered to me at the clinic about his private fertility issues. It’s obvious how much he adores children, and a sudden rush of empathy washes over me. If anyone understands the ache of wanting a family of your own, it’s me.

Eager to impress him, Milo fishes a miniature metal airplane out of his coat pocket to show Kaelen how far it can glide. Winding his arm back with all his strength, the boy hurls the tiny toy forward, sending it sailing past the curb and straight into the middle of the road. Before a single one of us can utter a sound, Milo bolts off the sidewalk after it, running blindly into oncoming traffic.

“Milo, stop! Watch out!” I scream, rooted to the spot in sheer terror with Lila clutched in my arms as a sedan barrels straight toward him.

Before my brain can even process setting Lila down on the concrete to chase him, a streak of motion blurs across my field of vision. I have never witnessed a human being move at that speed. Kaelen turns into little more than a dark smear in the air, lunging into the lane and snatching Milo backward against the curb a split second before the bumper tears through the exact spot where the boy stood.

Rubber is still shrieking against the asphalt as Kaelen lowers Milo onto his feet right next to me, his handsome face suddenly set in hard, serious lines.

“That was extremely reckless,” Kaelen tells him, his voice firm yet gentle as he crouches down. “You never step off the curb without checking both ways first.”

Milo drops his chin toward his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want my plane to get squished.”

“Your life matters a million times more than a piece of metal,” Kaelen replies evenly. “Not to mention you just frightened your nanny half to death.”

“I’m sorry, Clara,” Milo whimpers, tipping his tear-streaked face up toward mine with wide, shaken eyes.

“I know, buddy, just promise me you’ll never do that again,” I exhale, pulling his trembling shoulders tight against my hip before looking up at Kaelen with a gratitude words can barely cover. “Thank you so much. I honestly don’t know how you got to him in time—you moved like something straight out of a superhero movie.”

“Just a spike of adrenaline, I suppose,” Kaelen says, giving a casual shrug of his broad shoulders before flashing Lila one last warm smile and stepping back. “Have a good afternoon, and keep your feet on the sidewalk, young man.”

“Yes, sir!” Milo calls out, shoving the rescued plane deep into his pocket before looking back up at me. “I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay now, we’re past it,” I murmur softly, though I wrap my fingers securely around his small hand to make sure he stays anchored to my side the rest of the way.

“The whole thing was over in a blink,” I tell Tessa later that evening when we meet up. “Seriously, the more I replay it in my head, the crazier it seems. One second he was standing on the pavement, and the next he was already across the lane. It looked like pure magic.”

“Thank god Milo wasn’t hurt,” Tessa replies, though instead of showing relief, her features tighten into a pained grimace.

Looking closer at my sister across the table, I realize the pale, strained look on her face has nothing to do with Milo’s close call in the street. Something else is weighing on her, and a pang of guilt hits me for being too wrapped up in my own head to catch it right away. “Hey, is everything alright with you?”

Tessa presses her lips together. “Not really. You already have so much on your plate right now, though—it’s nothing you need to stress over.”

“Tessa, stop that right now,” I chide gently, leaning forward. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“Actually, since you brought up Kaelen Thorne,” she starts, her tone dropping low and hesitant, “remember that sample he sent over to our lab for specialized testing?”

“Yeah,” I answer slowly, having no clue where this conversation is headed.

“It vanished from storage… and my name is the last one on the sign-out log, meaning it disappeared while under my direct custody,” she confesses, her voice thickening as tears well in her eyes. “Clara, I’m terrified they’re going to fire me over this. Worse, if the board opens a formal investigation, I could have my medical license revoked for good.”

“What?” I gasp, staring at her in disbelief. “How does a high-profile sample just vanish? A sealed medical vial doesn’t sprout legs and walk out of a locked lab on its own.”

“I know that, which means somebody inside the facility had to steal it, except there’s zero proof of who took it, leaving me as the one holding the bag,” she says, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Tessa, why on earth did you keep this to yourself until now?” I say, reaching across to grab her cold hands. “They can’t just throw you under the bus like that—it’s completely unfair.”

“Clara, you don’t get how bad this is—Kaelen Thorne is one of our clinic’s largest financial backers,” Tessa explains, her voice shaking. “He found out what happened, he is livid, and he’s practically demanding my head on a silver platter.”

A week ago, hearing that a billionaire was out for blood would have made me think my sister didn't stand a chance. Yet after watching how gentle and patient Kaelen was with the children this afternoon—and seeing him risk himself to pull Milo out of traffic—I can't help wondering if the man is truly that coldblooded.

Surely if someone explained to him that Tessa is the most careful, dedicated doctor in that building and would never mishandle his property, he would show a bit of fairness. I have to try to fix this for her; I would do anything to protect my sister, even if it means walking right up to a ruthless billionaire and begging him for mercy.