CHAPTER 1 — FORTY-SEVEN SECONDS

The first thing Marcus Thorne saw was his pregnant wife curled around her stomach.

The second was Isabella Rossi standing above her.

Broken crystal glittered across the marble floor. Khloe’s white maternity dress was stained near her waist, and one of her hands trembled as she tried to push herself upright.

Marcus stepped into the suite.

“Khloe?”

She raised her eyes toward him.

For one brief moment, relief crossed her face.

Then she saw his expression.

He wasn’t shocked.

He was calculating.

Isabella’s anger vanished instantly. Her shoulders began to shake, and tears filled her eyes with almost theatrical precision.

“She attacked me,” Isabella whispered. “Marcus, she lost control.”

Event coordinator Elaine Parker stood behind Marcus, staring at the blood-red heel inches from Khloe’s body.

“That isn’t what I’m seeing,” Elaine said.

Marcus ignored her.

Khloe gasped as another wave of pain tore through her abdomen.

“My baby…”

Elaine reached for the emergency button beside the door.

Marcus caught her wrist.

“Wait.”

The single word froze the room.

Khloe stared at him.

“Why are you stopping her?”

Marcus released Elaine immediately, but the damage was done.

Elaine slammed the button.

An alarm screamed through the suite.

Doctors and nurses rushed inside. Isabella stepped backward, quietly wiping her tears as the medical team surrounded Khloe.

“Fetal heartbeat is dropping.”

“Get a stretcher.”

“Possible abdominal trauma.”

Marcus moved toward his wife, but Khloe recoiled.

“Don’t touch me.”

Security officers entered seconds later.

One of them turned toward the camera above the suite door.

“The entire room is recorded.”

Isabella went pale.

Marcus looked at the camera.

Then at the security officer.

“Who has access to the original footage?”

Elaine heard the question.

So did Khloe.

And while the doctors lifted her onto the stretcher, Khloe suddenly understood something far more terrifying than Isabella’s attack.

Marcus had been standing outside the suite for forty-seven seconds before opening the door.

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