LOGINLauren blinked several times, trying to make sense of what she had just heard. “Could you please repeat that?” she asked, her voice flat, almost robotic. Her brow was furrowed so deeply it looked painful as her brain struggled to process the absurdity of the statement.Colt inhaled slowly, his chest expanding under his crisp shirt as if he was bracing himself for impact. “I said… move in with me.”For a second, nothing happened.Then Lauren laughed. It burst from her, sharp and suddenly, echoing off the cramped walls of her apartment. She bent forward, hands on her knees, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. Tears slipped from her eyes, blurring her vision.Mia and Colt exchanged a look, the kind people share when they realize something has gone very wrong.“Laur,” Mia said carefully from the corner, her voice small and cautious. She reached for Lauren’s arm. “Is… everything okay?”Lauren shook her head, still laughing, the sound breaking apart. Then, just as suddenly as it started,
Lauren woke up on the couch to the sound of her own ragged breathing. A sour, metallic taste coated her tongue, and a violent wave of nausea knotted her stomach.The apartment felt too small, the air felt too thick. Her head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache, and her throat burned as if she’d swallowed coal. Every bone in her body felt as if it had turned to lead, pinning her to the worn-out cushions.With a trembling hand, she fumbled for her phone on the coffee table. Her vision blurred as she scrolled to the only person she could think of. “Hey, babe… are you home?” she whispered.Mia’s voice shot through the speaker. “Laur? What’s wrong? You don’t sound okay.”Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the room from spinning. “I think… I think it’s the morning sickness. It won't stop, Mia. I can't even stand up.”She heard Mia inhale sharply on the other end. “Say no more, babe. I’m on my way. Don't you dare move.”The line went off.Lauren dropped the phone and focused on br
Colt stood over his mahogany desk, his knuckles white as he leaned his weight onto them. His jaw was locked so tight his teeth ached, and his pulse was racing as if he had been sprinting.Charlotte was still holding her phone, her thumb frozen over the screen. She was staring at that headline again, Romantic Lunch, as if by looking at it long enough, everything might turn out to be a big joke.Finally, Colt spoke, his voice sharp. “Is she having me followed, Charlotte? Is Madison actually tracking my car or something?”Charlotte lifted her head quickly, her first instinct to laugh it off, to say it was just a coincidence. But she stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. “That’s ridiculous,” she whispered at first, her voice wavering. “Why would she…” She trailed off, her eyes widening as the pieces fell into place. “Oh God. She actually would. This is Madison we’re talking about. She’s not just spoiled, Colt. She's actually insane.”Colt shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his t
Colt pushed the plate in front of him a little farther away; the screech of ceramic against the table echoed his foul mood. His appetite died the moment he sat down. The restaurant was upscale and quiet for a Monday afternoon, filled with the soft, gentle hum of jazz and the clinking of silverware.Alex broke a breadstick in half with a loud snap. “You look like you’re ready to commit a felony,” he noted, reaching for the butter.Colt ignored him. His phone sat on the white tablecloth, with its screen facedown. He had checked it five times since they walked in.Five days.Five days of picking up the phone, scrolling to Lauren’s name, and stopping with his thumb hovering over the screen. Five days of locking it again and dropping it as if it had burned him. He was a man who made million-dollar decisions in seconds, yet a contact list paralyzed him.He kept hearing her voice in his head, cold and distant."'We need to be cordial for the baby's sake, nothing more."That part had stung the
Lauren balanced the brown grocery bags against her hip as she walked toward her apartment building. Her steps were slow, and her mind felt far heavier than the bags she carried.Two days had passed since Colt walked out her door, and she could still remember every word that was said and every emotion that was on his face. Her chest tightened just thinking about it.She reached her building's entrance, adjusting the bags, when a car pulled to a stop right in front of her.She froze.Logan got out quickly and shut the door behind him. “Lauren,” he called, relief flooding his face. “God, I’m so happy I finally met you today.”She shut her eyes for a second and took a long, tired breath, gathering the patience she had left. “What are you doing here, Logan?” she asked quietly.He lifted his hands a little, as if he wanted to calm her before she even reacted. “I know I’m the last person you want to see. I get that. But I needed to tell you something, and I didn’t know how else to reach you.
Colt sat in the driver's seat long after he pulled away from Lauren’s building. The engine was off, but the silence in the car felt louder than any noise. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles paled, holding it tight as if his life depended on it. He could feel his heartbeat everywhere — in his fingertips, in his throat, behind his eyes, as if his body didn't know how to calm down. He whispered the words again to hear them out loud.“I'm going to be a father.”Saying it made his stomach twist into a knot. It made his chest burn with a heat he couldn’t name. He let his head fall back against the headrest and closed his eyes.He was thirty years old. He ran a billion-dollar empire. He fired people, made deals, and handled pressure every single day. But this? This was bigger than anything he had ever faced; it made him feel like a terrified boy.“God, I don't know if I'm ready for this,” he said into the quiet car, his voice breaking. He dragged in a shaky breath; h







