CHAPTER 16: SECRET PLANS AND BROKEN ALLIANCES

CHAPTER 16:

The quiet afternoon sun streamed through the glass windows of my private quarters. Charles, my college best friend, sat across from me on the sofa, staring in total shock at the soft curve of my stomach hidden under my sweater.

"You're... you're actually pregnant?" Charles whispered, his jaw practically hitting the floor. "Soren, what on earth are you going to do?"

I looked down at my hands, taking a quiet, deep breath. "My plan hasn't changed, Charles. Once I finish using this corporate deal to take down Matthew and reclaim my family's legacy, I'm going to end the contract with James."

Charles leaned forward, his eyes filled with deep concern. "End the contract? And then what? Where will you go?"

"I've been thinking about leaving all this corporate warfare behind," I said softly, a small, genuine smile touching my lips for the first time in weeks. "I want to take the land I newly acquired, sell off what I don't need, and help you expand your bakery. We can build a large, successful business together—somewhere quiet, away from all this toxic revenge."

Charles stared at me for a long moment before a warm, supportive smile broke across his face. He reached out and squeezed my hand tightly.

"You know I’ll support you no matter what you decide, Soren," Charles said softly. "If that’s your plan, I’m all in. And don't worry about the baby—we’ll raise this little one together at the bakery. You won't ever be alone."

Relief washed over me. Having a real exit strategy made the heavy weight on my chest feel just a little lighter.

Meanwhile, inside the executive office at Mercer Holdings, the air was suffocatingly tense.

Matthew paced back and forth behind his desk, his face pale and his hands shaking in anger following James's terrifying visit. Tyla sat on the leather sofa, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor.

"You need to stop this right now, Tyla!" Matthew snapped, slamming his fist onto the desk. "James Vance just threatened to completely obliterate us! If you want to ruin Soren, you can't use these reckless, sloppy tactics!"

Tyla whipped his head up, his eyes flashing with sudden, jealous rage. "Oh, so now you're taking James's side? Or are you just trying to protect your precious ex-fiancé?!"

"What are you talking about?" Matthew said, startled.

"Don't play dumb with me, Matthew!" Tyla spat, standing up and stepping toward him. "I see the way you look at Soren! You're still in love with him, aren't you? You can't stand seeing him with James!"

"That is absurd!" Matthew yelled, closing the distance between them and grabbing Tyla by the arms. "I don't love Soren! I have never loved Soren, Tyla—it has always been you! You have to stop acting like this. James is my uncle, and he is extremely dangerous. Going head-on against a Prime Alpha like him will destroy us both. If we want to take Soren down, we have to be smart about it."

Tyla’s chest heaved as he stared into Matthew's eyes, his jealous walls slowly coming down. Matthew pulled him closer, pressing a firm, reassuring kiss against Tyla’s lips before pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Trust me," Matthew whispered into Tyla's hair. "We will get what we want, but we have to play it safe."

Back at Vance Enterprises, James sat behind his heavy desk, staring blankly out the window. Arthur walked in holding a tablet, taking note of the absolute exhaustion written across his boss's face.

"Sir?" Arthur asked gently, stepping closer. "How is your... 'friend' doing? Did he manage to make things right with his partner?"

James let out a heavy, bitter sigh, rubbing his temples. "My friend doesn't even know what to do anymore, Arthur. Every time he tries to step closer, his partner just throws the business contract back in his face. He feels like he's fighting a war he's already losing."

Arthur set the tablet down on the desk, giving James a calm, steady look. "Well, tell your friend that true devotion isn't proven in a day, sir. A contract is just paper. Real care is actions. If his partner is scared, he just needs to keep showing up until those walls finally crumble."

James looked up at Arthur, a slow, determined glint returning to his silver eyes as the secretary's words sank in.

Later that afternoon, the heavy oak doors of my suite swung open, and James strode in with an air of absolute, unyielding authority.

"Get up, Soren," James said, his voice smooth but leaving zero room for argument. "We're going out."

"Go out where?" I asked, looking up from my laptop with a frown. "I have audit files to review—"

"I don't care about the files right now," James interrupted, walking over and pulling me gently to my feet by the hand. "Come on."

Before I could protest further, he ushered me down to the underground garage and into the back of his sleek black sedan. To my utter confusion, the car didn't head toward Vance Enterprises. Instead, we pulled up outside a sprawling, ultra-exclusive luxury auto showroom downtown.

James led me inside, where a team of nervous showroom managers immediately bowed in greeting to the billionaire tycoon.

"Pick a car, Soren," James instructed, gesturing to the gleaming fleet of sports cars and luxury sedans parked under the bright halogen lights.

My eyes widened as I looked at the price tags. "Are you out of your mind? I am not picking a car. These cost more than a small corporation! I can't accept something this expensive."

"It's not a negotiation, Soren," James replied calmly, his silver eyes softening as he looked down at me. "You need safe, reliable transport. I'm not having you take public buses or walk alone ever again."

"I said no, James," I crossed my arms, stubbornly refusing to point at a single vehicle.

Seeing that I was entirely immovable on the matter, James let out a quiet sigh. He didn't argue with me any further. Instead, he smoothly turned around, had his assistant handle a separate matter quietly, and escorted me back to the estate.

Later that night, long after the house had gone quiet and I had changed into my soft cotton pajamas, I was sitting propped up against the pillows in bed, reading a book.

Without knocking, the bedroom door opened, and James walked in. He looked tired, but there was a quiet, determined glint in his eyes.

Without a word, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a sleek silver key fob bearing a luxury automotive emblem, and tossed it through the air toward me. It landed softly on my lap.

I blinked in surprise, picking up the key and looking up at him. "What is this?"

"I noticed you lingering by that matte-gray BMW in the showroom earlier today," James said, leaning against the edge of the mattress with his arms crossed. "So I bought it. It's parked in your designated garage bay right now."

I stared at me, my breath catching. "James, I told you I didn't want you buying me an expensive—"

"Listen to me, Soren," James cut in gently, his deep voice carrying an earnest weight that made my chest tighten. "I didn't buy it to trap you with a gift, and I didn't buy it to buy your affection. I bought it so you never have to trek or wait at a public bus stop again. I bought it so no one will ever have the chance to abduct you on a lonely road."

He stepped a fraction closer, his gaze softening intensely as his eyes dropped briefly to my stomach before meeting my eyes again.

"Even if you want to keep telling yourself this is just a contract, and even if you don't want to think about what we are... please, think about the baby," James whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Let me do this. Because I am the father of this child, and keeping both of you safe is the only thing that matters to me."

The quiet sincerity in his voice completely dismantled what little resistance I had left. My throat felt tight, and my heart hammered a frantic, heavy beat against my ribs. I looked down at the car key in my hand, unable to find a single cold word to push him away.