Chapter 4

Hope

The subway ride from Bayview to Powell street was long and I had to endure the cacophony of noise usually brought about by people constantly fighting over free seats. 

Fast forward half an hour later and I was standing in front of an enormous lobby whilst running my hand over the red dress Lesley had picked out for me. 

Taking a deep breath in and adjusting my little dress one more time, I made my way through the entrance.

The receptionist; a flawlessly dressed auburn-haired girl around my age sat behind a marbled desk. She smiled pleasantly at me. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, yes, please. I'm here to see Killian Fobster." 

"Is he expecting you?"

"I called to schedule a meeting yesterday."

"What is your name?"

"Hope Sterling."

She smiled. "Excuse me one moment, Ms. Sterling," she consulted something behind her desk for a moment. "Great, you are expected. Please take the last elevator on the right to the sixteenth floor."

After handing me a security tag stamped with the company's logo, I nodded a quick thank you and navigated my way to the elevator. It whisked me with lethal velocity to the sixteenth floor and when I stepped out, I exhaled a deep breath I hadn't realized I held.

According to the sign in the lobby, the acting CEO occupied the entire floor which came as a shock to me because, well, I knew Killian was loaded but not this loaded. I guess it was somewhat relieving to know that the father of my child had a stable finance. 

Smoothening the nonexistent wrinkles on my dress, I stalked through the wide, heavy lightened hallway and soon found myself facing a dark blonde adorned impeccably in black and white.

"Good morning."

She sent a rueful smile my way. "Good Morning. Mr. Fobster is unavailable at the moment." 

"I'm happy to wait," 

"If you wish." She motioned to the plush couch situated near the floor-to-ceiling windows that illuminated the San Francisco skyline at its brightest.

Taking the cue, I headed toward it and sat, trying to calm my nerves by doing the breathing exercise I picked up from watching Jane the virgin.

Inhala . . .

Exhala . . .

Inhala . . . 

Exhala . . .

As minutes dragged by, I repeated the routine and it did seem to be working for me because I didn't feel as tensed as I was when I walked in, but the minute the elevator dinged, everything went from a hundred to one. 

My heart pounded hard and fast and sweat pricked my palms. Holy molly. That suit. I'd never seen anyone rock an elf green suit before. 

Hot was the only word that came to mind and maybe if he didn't have that scowl on his face he would've been hotter. 

I blinked and blinked again, watching as barked into his phone.

"Fucking just do your job, Ambrose! Do your job. Is that too much to ask? What's the point of paying you if you can't get him to sign those fucking consent papers?-What? He's an old man how hard can it be?- If you ask me one more stupid question I swear I'll-Listen figure this out then come back to me when you have a solution that's worth my time and it better be soon because if anything happens to him I'll send you and everyone in that hospital to hell!"

Woah. A real what the fuck moment. 

I didn't know why but hearing him curse out like that made me more anxious. 

He was off the phone call now, looking like someone just pissed in his morning cereal. A vein was popping out of his neck as he leaned back to fork his hand through his lush hair in frustration.

The receptionist sprung up as he walked by her. "Good morning, Mr. Foster!"

Now that he wasn't yelling with that raspy baritone that made my ears bleed, I couldn't quite make sense of what they discussed. So I just sat there, patiently waiting for him to notice me. 

A part of me wanted him to recognize me so bad, the other wished he didn't but the way those dark fuck me eyes turned a shade darker when they met mine told me he recognized me vividly. 

Holy. My lips parted to accommodate faster breaths. I knotted my fingers together, my heart racing so fast that I was sure It was going to burst out of my chest. 

He held my gaze for solid five seconds before snapping his focus back to his secretary. "We clear?"

When she nodded, he picked up the cup of whatnot she handed him and waltzed right into his office without sparing me another glance. 

Worried, I turned to his secretary. She smiled at me. "You can go in now."

I bit my lip, eyeing the door. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "He'll see you now."

Swallowing the thick lump in my throat, I picked up my purse, got up, and made my way towards the door. 

When I reached it, I knocked lightly before entering. 

The office space was large. He had already settled into the chair behind his glass desk and was now sipping from the cup of whatnot. 

"Hi," I croaked, breaking the verbal void between us. "I've been waiting for you."

"So I was told." He leaned back into his chair and took another sip with his eyes on me, devouring, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable. 

God, he was intimidating, and the tension in the room became so thick I could barely breathe properly.

"Well, don't just stand there, take a seat." He spoke again, waving me toward the black leather couch. 

I blinked. "Right." I walked to it cautiously and sat. 

"I presume you have a specific reason for setting this meeting?" His tone softened a bit but the dryness that lingered was still very much palpable. 

I cleared my throat. For some reason, my stomach felt funny and I had this intense urge to pee. "Well...I don't know if you still remember me but we met at the-"

"No need to dig up uneventful memories. Ms. Sterling." He interrupted and my brows creased together. 

Uneventful? He thought what we shared was uneventful??

"I remember you vividly." He continued. "Now tell me what is it you want."

"I came here because I have something to tell you."

He sipped from his cup. "Go on."

"Well...we...um." Alright, this was going to be way harder than I thought it would. I'd spent most of my night rehearsing, putting the right words in place, and searching for less lethal ways to break the news of my pregnancy to him, but seating here facing him put me at a loss for words.

I cleared my throat and tries again. "...about last time...when we..."

He tilted his head as if trying to read my mind. "I can't fuck you again if that's what you are insinuating."

I shook my head, a little appalled by his statement and the fact that he thought I came all the way here just to rekindle what we'd once shared. "I assure you, I did not come here for that."

"Well then," He wriggled his wrist and glanced at his expensive-looking watch. "Can you go straight to the point? I have a meeting to prepare—"

"I'm pregnant."

The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them and for several seconds, the room stilled, the only noise heard being the whooshing of the air ventilators.

He stared at me blankly, his expression unreadable. 

Maybe my voice wasn't edible enough. Maybe he hadn't heard me clearly. I cleared my throat. "I said I'm-"

"I heard you the first time, Ms. Sterling." He cut me, his eyes finding mine again. "And if you're done saying what you came here to say you might as well leave."

What the hell did he mean by that?

Did he think I was lying?

I clutched my purse tight. "I just told you I am pregnant, Killian."

"And I told you to leave if you're done."

Disappointed stabbed me straight in the heart. "Is that all you have to say?"

A nerve ticked in his jaw. "It's very clear you've mistaken me for one of the other men you probably slept with. I suggest you leave now and find the man responsible because if indeed you are pregnant, I assure you, it's not mine."

"Killian this baby is yours." I pointed out, feeling the need to defend myself. 

He leaned back into his chair and sighed. "You aren't the first lady to walk into my office and try to pin a false pregnancy on me. Ms. Sterling." 

I'd be lying if I said his choice of words didn't anger me. I knew coming here and breaking the news to him wasn't going to be easy, no one could be fully prepared for these things, and finding out you were going to be a parent was a very big blow. His irritations were understandable but that did not mean he could trample over the ounce of dignity I had left.

"Look, I didn't come here to throw false accusations. I came here because I thought you needed to know that I was carrying your child." I reached into my purse and pulled out the test results. I got up and walked over to him. "Here." My arm stretched it out to him. 

He eyed the contents of the paper without touching it. "What's this?"

"It's proof that I'm not lying. I went to the doctors a few days back for a test and it came out positive."

He didn't take the paper. 

"This doesn't mean anything. For all I know, you could've easily fabricated this." 

"I wouldn't." I defended.

He raises a sardonic brow. "And you expect me to believe you haven't fucked another man since we last met?" His voice dropped to freezing levels.

I shook my head, trying to conceal my hurt. "I haven't slept with anyone else. it's only been you." 

His lips curled up in an expression of disgust. "I don't believe your story."

"Killian you need to listen to me."

"No you listen, " he sprung up from his chair. "If it's money you want, I'll give it to you. Now, you can cook up a bunch of lies and come here to say whatever the fuck you want but I refuse to accept that the child you are carrying is mine."

My eyes whelmed up tears. "How can you say this to my face? "I didn't come here because of your money. Do you think I'm happy about this? Do you think I want to be pregnant? I'm just 26! I have my whole life ahead of me. This happened because we fucked up, this happened because of our mistake!"

"Our mistake?" He laughed humorlessly. "I wouldn't call it a mistake since you wanted to fuck me as much as I wanted to fuck you. The only mistake I made was trusting that you were smart enough to flush out whatever was left of me in your system."

"Killian!" The nerves of this man.

"It is not my child. I am not going to be held responsible, so I suggest you go out there and find the guy who fucked you and got you pregnant."

Tears clogged my throat and burned my eyes. "You can deny the reality of the child but it doesn't change the fact that it's yours."

His face contorted with revulsion. "Get out."

My heart dropped. "Killian..."

"I said get the fuck out now!" 

His shouted request made me jump in fright. I whimpered but whipped my hand to my mouth to block the sound.

"I swear to God if you make me ask one more time you're not gonna like me. Fucking leave!"

"Fine." I sniffed. "I'll leave." 

I picked up my purse and walked towards the door, willing my tears back in as I held the doorknob and chanced him a sideways glance. "Your mother should be ashamed of you..."