Chapter 7 - The Marble Floor
A collective, horrified gasp erupted from the two hundred guests gathered in the grand hall.
Women shrieked, dropping their champagne flutes to shatter against the floor. Men shouted in shock and confusion, rushing forward but stopping a few feet away, unsure of how to help.
Valeria lay perfectly still on the cold marble, her eyes squeezed tightly shut against the blinding pain radiating up her spine and through her arm.
She was gasping for air, clutching her stomach with a desperate, terrifying grip.
"My baby,"
Valeria sobbed, pure terror flooding her veins as she waited for a contraction, or a cramp, or the horrifying warmth of bleeding.
May you like
But miraculously, she felt a strong, indignant kick against her ribs. The baby was deeply bruised by the jolt, but alive.
Tears of physical pain and profound, agonizing heartbreak streamed down Valeria’s face. She slowly opened her eyes, looking up the grand staircase.
