“What do you want?” Emery asked.
D
D
She didn’t move away from him this time. Her body stayed still, her eyes locked on his. Brown and gold–distinct and strange. She wondered, for a second, if he was wearing colored contacts. They were too vivid to be natural. Almost distracting.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let go of her waist, stepped back, and gestured to the table.
“Sit.”
“<b>I </b>still have an appointment,” she said quickly, not bothering to move.
“Sit,” he repeated.
Something in his posture made her pause. She sat down.
Once she was settled across from him, she exhaled. “Alright. We’re sitting. Now tell me what this <b>is </b>about. And make it quick. You look like someone on a schedule. And this isn’t exactly a ce for casual drama.”
She didn’t say the rest out loud, but it ran through her mind anyway. This restaurant wasn’t something people just walked into. The fact that he got a VIP room with a single hand gesture… that wasn’t normal. It took influence. Power. Money. Maybe all three.
He leaned back in his <b>seat </b>and casually opened his suit jacket. There was no urgency in his posture. If anything, he looked toofortable.
Then he spoke. “The clinic made a mistake<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Emery frowned. “What mistake?”
“They used my sperm.”
She blinked once. Then again. “What?”
“They inseminated you with my sample.”
She stared at him.
“Okay, now you’re definitely making a mistake<b>,” </b>she said slowly. “There’s no way you should even know about that. The clinic doesn’t release donor information. I signed a privacy use.”
“I’m not a donor,” he said.
That shut her up.
He didn’t flinch, didn’t look like he was bluffing. He just looked at her, waiting for her to catch up.
She swallowed hard. “If you’re not a donor… then what were you doing there?”
“I was there to hire a surrogate.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Someone messed up,” he continued. “Instead of storing my sample, they used it. On you.”
She couldn’t speak for <b>a </b>second. Her thoughts spiraled too fast to focus. This <b>wasn’t </b>possible. It couldn’t be
She clenched her hands under the table and tried to process what <b>she’d </b>just heard.
“If <b>that’s </b>true,” Emery said slowly. Then why didn’t the clinic tell me anything?”
“They don’t know,<b>” </b>he replied.
Her brows pulled together “What<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“I obtained the information <b>using </b>my own sources. The clinic <b>hasn’t </b>realized it yet.”
12:35 AM P P
She stared at him. Her fingers drummed lightly against the edge of the table. Her mind went back to yesterday–how certain he was that she had his scent, how he forced his way into Nina’s apartment and dered that she was carrying his child. None of it made sense then.
Now, it did. Sort of.
She exhaled slowly. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s say I believe you. What do you want now? I don’t even know if the procedure worked. And if it did, I’m not removing anything from me. I’m not getting another procedure. I’m not getting a DNA test.”
He didn’t even blink. “Don’t bother.”
Emery narrowed her eyes.
“I already know it worked,” he said. “You’re pregnant.”
Her mouth opened slightly, then closed again. She stared at him for a full beat before letting out a quietugh. It wasn’t amusement. Just disbelief.
“You’re serious?” She leaned toward him, elbows on the table. “I don’t know what kind of drug you’re on, but that’s not how any of this works. No one knows they’re pregnant within twenty–four hours<b>. </b>It’s literally impossible.”
She waited for a reaction, but he didn’t even flinch.
Emery stood abruptly. “Okay. We’re done here.”
She turned to leave, but he moved fast. His hand closed around her wrist, and before she could process what was happening, he pulled her down–hard enough that shended right on hisp with a quiet yelp.
Her eyes flew wide. “What the hell are you doing?”
He didn’t look fazed. “Shouldn’t you at least give your boyfriend a kiss before leaving?”
She stared at him. “Stop pushing your luck. Whatever you’re on, you need to quit now before you start mistaking every woman you see as your baby momma.”
He let out a shortugh. “You were the one who dered I was your man, remember? In front of your ex and his fiancée. There’s no going back from something like that.”
Her face tightened. She tried to push off him, but his hands stayed firm on her waist.
“I’m serious,” she said. “Let go.”
He didn’t. Instead, he leaned in again<b>–</b>closer this time–and inhaled slowly.
“I could sue you for… assault, you know?<b>” </b><b>she </b>said, still in disbelief that she was letting aplete stranger touch her like this.
He didn’t answer immediately. His hand stayed at her waist as he pulled her a little closer. Then he said, “I like my scent on you.”
She froze. Her heart almost felt like it wanted to jump out of her chest.
“What<b>?</b>”
He didn’t repeat it. His fingers flexed slightly against her <b>hip </b>like he had no ns of letting go.
Seeing his reaction, it was as if <b>a </b>switch flipped inside her. Emery didn’t say anything.
Instead, she narrowed her eyes, brought one hand up slowly, then pinched his side–hard. The <b>kind </b>of pinch that could bruise.
He flinched. Barely. But it was enough.
Without missing a beat, she raised her heel and stomped down on lus foot.
<b>The </b>contact made <b>a </b>solid thud against his shoe. He didn’t shout, didn’t curse, but his hold loosened just enough.
She shoved his chest <b>with </b>both hands and slid off hisp. Then she <b>adjusted </b>her blouse and smoothed down her skirt like nothing had happened.
*Don’t touch me again,” she said. “<b>This </b>is not <b>a </b><b>threat</b>. I am warning you. Don’t you dare touch me again!”
12:35 AM PP
He didn’t move to stop her. Just watched.
She made it three steps before she heard a chuckle behind her. Yet she ignored it. What was he so happy about? What a lunatic.
Her fingers wrapped around the handle, ready to open the door, when his voice rang out.
“Logan.”
She froze.
“Logan Hayes,” he added. “That’s my name. Remember it.”
She turned slightly, her eyes meeting his.
“I hope we never meet again,” she said. Then she snorted, shook her head, and walked out the door–this time without looking back.
Lately, her days were getting more and more absurd. Emery stepped out of the restaurant and gged the first taxi she saw. Her heels struck the pavement with short, sharp clicks as she climbed in and gave the driver her office address. She was supposed to be haying lunch. That was the n. Just a quiet, uneventful meal with her brother.
Now she was thirty minuteste, hadn’t eaten a thing, and was still rattled from the strange conversation she just had. Now
She muttered under her breath. “Useless,” she said, thinking of James. He left her there to deal with Samuel, Talia<b>, </b>and whatever Logan Hayes was. She was going to make him pay for thatter.
The moment she stepped off the elevator into her office floor<b>, </b>something immediately felt off.
People were quiet. Too quiet. Conversations dropped the second they saw her. Some avoided eye contactpletely. Others whispered behind their hands<b>. </b>
Her brows pulled together as she walked toward her desk.
“Emery.” One of the secretaries–Dana<b>–</b>stood from her cubicle. “The CEO wants to see you. Now.”
Emery didn’t ask questions. She just nodded and turned toward the executive offices.
Inside, she knocked once, then stepped in.
“Mr. Loring,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry I’mte. I got held up-”
The CEO, n Loring, didn’t motion for her to <b>sit</b>. He didn’t offer a response either<b>. </b>He just looked at her.
Then he said, “You’ve offended someone.<b>” </b>
She paused. “Excuse me?”
n leaned back, his fingersced on top of his desk. “I received a call an hour ago. A very specific call. From someone powerful enough to put every project we’re working <b>on </b><b>at </b>risk.”
Emery’s stomach sank. “Who?” she asked, but she already knew. <b>She </b>didn’t need him to <b>say </b>it. The answer <b>was </b>obvious.
Just as she expected, he didn’t answer.
Instead, he said, “Today will be yourst day with us<b>.</b>”
The room suddenly felt colder. Emery had been with thepany for five years, ced there directly by her brother since it was one of theirpany’s subsidiaries. This was easier than creating some new fake identity.
“I’m sorry, Emery,” he said. “But this isn’t negotiable. Whoever you upset doesn’t want to see your name on anything tied to thispany. And if we don’tply… <b>we </b>won’t have apany left to run.”
Emery stepped forward. “There has to be a misunderstanding. I <b>have </b>been the top performer for the <b>past </b>four years<b>, </b>Mr. Loring<b>, </b>and you are aware of <b>that</b>.” She had worked here for five <b>years</b>, and not once had anyone–not even the CEO<b>, </b>n Loring–knew her real identity. That had been part of the arrangement with her father from the beginning
n sighed. “I’m sorry, Emery I can’t really control this. Let 11R handle your offboarding quietly. And don’t make a fuss. Take this as
advice”
12:35 AM Pp.
He picked up a document from the desk and held it out to her. “If you ever want to work again–anywhere—don’t make a scene. The person who made that call… they have the power to shut every door in this industry.”
Emery didn’t take the paper right away. Her jaw tightened as her thoughts churned. Her father wouldn’t do this. Her brother wouldn’t either.
That left only one name.
Samuel.
Samuel Dwight.
“Well… damn you! Samuel!” she hissed.