The first hazy tendrils of dawn seeped through the heavy drapes, casting Rose's bedchamber in a soft, golden glow. She stirred beneath the silken sheets, blinking slowly as the realm of wakefulness beckoned her from the depths of an uneasy slumber.
As the lingering vestiges of her dreams faded, the weight of her current predicament came crashing back in full force. Rose pressed a hand to her abdomen, feeling the unmistakable swell where only weeks ago there had been flat, toned planes.
Her confrontation with Damien loomed, an inescapable specter on the horizon. With a weary sigh, Rose threw back the covers and rose from the lavish bed. There would be no more rest this morning, not with such momentous events awaiting her.
