BOUND BY THE BILLIONAIRE

The blood came first.

 Sophie Myers stood frozen, her hands trembling as she stared down at the deep crimson pooling around her feet. The silk of her pale dress clung to her thighs, stained and ruined. She blinked, trying to focus, but the sounds of the party around her, the laughter, the music, and the clinking of champagne glasses-were all drowned out by the thundering of her heart.

 No.

 Her stomach twisted violently, a sharp pain shooting through her body. She sucked in a breath, barely able to stand. Her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the marble table beside her, nails scraping against the surface.

 "Edward." Her voice was small, breaking under the weight of her panic. She found him a few steps away, his back to her, perfectly poised with his colleagues. "Edward, please..."

 Her husband turned slowly, a glass of whiskey balanced between his fingers. His expression hardened the moment his gaze met hers, a flicker of irritation at the interruption, as though she were a child tugging at his sleeve.

 "What is it, Sophie?" he asked. His voice was low, flat, laced with impatience.

 "I'm bleeding," she whispered, her words trembling on her lips. "Something's wrong."

 Edward's brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line as he regarded her for a moment. Then he sighed. A heavy, exasperated sound. "Go to the bathroom. Fix yourself up."

 Her knees buckled. She reached for him, desperate for support, but he stepped back. "Edward-"

 "For God's sake, Sophie, not here."

 It happened all at once.

 The sharp, searing pain surged through her abdomen, forcing the air from her lungs. The edges of her vision darkened as her body crumbled, the floor rushing up to meet her. The last thing she saw before everything went black was Edward's polished shoes stepping out of her way.

***

 The first thing Sophie noticed when she woke was the cold.

 The sterile smell of antiseptic burned her nose, and her body felt unnaturally heavy, pinned to the thin hospital bed. Her head throbbed. She tried to lift her arms, but they felt like lead.

 "Mrs. Flynn?"

 A nurse hovered beside her, adjusting the IV drip. Her expression was gentle, but her eyes were full of pity. Sophie opened her mouth to speak, but her voice came out hoarse.

 "What..." Her throat burned. "What happened?"

 The nurse hesitated. "You've had a miscarriage, ma'am."

 Miscarriage.

 The word cut through Sophie like a blade, it was sharp and merciless. Her hand instinctively touched her stomach, fingers pressing against the flatness beneath the hospital gown.

 Gone.

 She closed her eyes as tears burned behind her lids. It was all too much, the pain, the emptiness, the silence pressing down on her.

 "You're awake."

 The voice was cold and indifferent. Sophie's eyes fluttered open. Edward stood at the foot of the bed, dressed impeccably in his tailored suit. He looked out of place in the harsh hospital light, too perfect, too composed.

 Her lips parted, but no words came.

 Edward's gaze flickered to the nurse. "Leave us."

 The woman gave Sophie one last glance before slipping out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

 "You didn't have to come," Sophie managed, her voice sounding weak.

 Edward raised an eyebrow, the faintest trace of amusement in his expression. "Don't flatter yourself, Sophie. I needed to see you awake."