Chapter 19 Esmeralda's Pov

• I lie there, staring at the ceiling, my hands instinctively moving to rest on my stomach. There’s a life growing inside me, a life I feel bound to protect, even if I have to risk everything. But how? Alone, with no allies and no way to fight back, I know I’ll have to tread carefully.
• Karel will never allow you to leave. The realization strikes me, cold and hard. She would do everything to ensure I remain a ghost within these walls, a shadow carrying Sheldon’s child and nothing more.
• With a deep breath, I close my eyes, steadying my pulse. For now, I have to play by Sheldon’s rules and stay silent and compliant. If I resist too openly, I’ll lose any chance of escaping with my child.