Olivia's world spun on its axis as her gaze fixed on Cathleen's silhouette perched at the top of the grand staircase, her hand resting gently on the curve of her belly. Confusion laced with a bitter sting of betrayal wracked Olivia's body, her heart slamming against her ribcage like a caged animal desperate for release. "You...you made her pregnant...how is that even possible? Where do I stand, Xavier?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper, yet the hurt in it echoed loudly in the sprawling foyer.

"Where were you standing before?" Xavier's response was as cold and hard as the marble floors beneath their feet, his tone a razor-sharp edge...