Kingston

Twenty.

"yeah yeah okay let's go." my nonna said and gripped onto my arm. We walked to the car and my nonna talked about her flight and how rude the attendants were to her.

We pulled up at Axle's mansion. I saw a text from Carter saying he would meet me outside. He was right behind us all the way here.

When I got off the car, he walked over to me and grabbed me in his arms.

"my God Katerina, you're going to kill me. You're beautiful. So beautiful." he said and kissed my cheek.

I looked at him and saw his tie matched my dress perfectly.

"you look handsome Carter. Very very handsome." I said and kissed his cheek too. He smiled. He took my hand, then saw my father.

He shook my papa's hand and hugged my grandmother tightly.

I could always read my nonna's face. And she did not like Carter. Not one bit.

The music blared and the ballroom was already starting to fill up. It was just before 7 and I saw Lo talking with Axle.

As the doors flew open and I met Axle's gaze, he scanned my body and I scanned his. He looked like a Greek God.

His suit was black. He wore a grey turtleneck with some chains dangling out. He had a gold watch on his wrist. I recognized the design from where I stood. An Audemars Piguet. His pants were tapered to perfection and his dark hair was slicked back. He had some neatly trimmed stubble on his face and it gave him an intimidating look. He always looked this immaculate but tonight there was a special touch.

He broke eye contact with me after 20 seconds because I got a text.

'911, come upstairs NOW' Aly said.

I had only ever been in the ballroom, so I told Carter I was going to Aly and I found a housekeeper.

"sorry, I need to go to Alyssa's bedroom. Which way?" I asked and the nice lady said "left wing is Alyssa, right wing is Axle." I thanked her and went left. Why they lived in separate wings, I had no idea. And I didn't care. All I could do was panic about Alyssa.

When I got to the room she was fully dressed and looked like an angel.

"holy shit, Aly you look incredible." I said to her and she smiled. She put her hand over her mouth and ran into her bathroom and threw up.

I ran beside her and held her hair back.

"Aly are you-?" I said, I was going to say okay but she cut me off.

"I'm pregnant"

My ears started ringing. It felt like that moment when you're fully submerged under water. You can't hear anything or breathe but you can see. And I could just see straight ahead. I honestly didn't even have a second to think. It was just wild thoughts running through my head, the initial shock. I had nothing to say to her.  I didn't even know whether I should congratulate her.

"please, we'll talk about it after the party. Just, help me up and if I need to throw up tonight, be there for me." she said and I hugged her. My mind was far, far away.

Lo and her were getting married soon anyway. If she was already pregnant, which she was, it would've been easy to hide.

I never said a word. I just nodded.

Something seemed off though.

A thought, that should never have crossed my mind, came and knocked me over like I was outside in a tornado.

What if it isn't Lo's? What would happen to him?

"you go down, tell Axle I'm ready to start if all the guests are here." she said and I was still dumbstruck.