Her Billionaire and Her Baby

As the cold winter air rushes through the quiet library, rustling pages of a few open books, Maryanne shivers, her body tightening up. She presses the start button on her key fob to make sure her car is running. Shaking the chill off, she releases her tied up hair from her dark scrunchie, allowing her pale locks to fall down around her shoulders. After running her hands through her hair, she pulls on a black beanie and shrugs on her winter jacket.Maryanne sighs, dreading the walk from the door to her warm car. After she places the strap of her purse around her shoulders and tries to pick up her car keys with her gloved hands, she walks away from her desk."Have a good night," Jessica calls out to her, her glasses slipping down her thin nose as she looks up from her paperwork."You too. Don't stay too long." Maryanne smiles softly before bracing herself against the mid-January air.She all but bolts to her warm Toyota, groaning out a sigh once she is out of the freezing wonderland.

"How is this even possible," Maryanne questions under her breath. Her hands shake as she stares at the woman across the courtroom. Her dark hair is tied back while a scowl contorts her features."I didn't even know that Greg had a sister." She says this a little louder to Max as he sits next to her, with his lawyer."They didn't get along. Caroline has gotten into a lot of trouble in the past for her drug addiction. She was charged for aggravated assault. If I remember correctly, she went through rehab." Max speaks softly as the judge walks in.The entire room stands, waiting for the judge to reach his chair."What if they really give Riley to her?" Maryanne bites her lip, her mind racing. Would she ever see Riley again? How will Caroline raise her?"Don't worry, that won't happen." Max grasps her quivering hand and squeezes.She looks into his emerald gaze, her heart swaying. Why does he have to be so kind?The judge clears his throat, "I have reviewed the documents and statement

Waking up in her excessively large bedroom, Maryanne barely wants to move. She had never experienced such luxury, even when she was going on dates with Max before. She had only gone to his penthouse once, and didn't stay the night. It did not end well.Rubbing her brow, trying hard to wake up, Maryanne glances around her room. The decorations on the wall are all themed, travel and books. There are canvas paintings of Italy and Paris. A large clock adorns the wall across from her canopied bed, the Eiffel tower displayed behind the moving hands. There are two large bookcases near the door. One has dozens of titles on the topic of traveling and cooking, while the other one has random romance and fantasy genres. Maryanne swallows passed the lump of emotion. Why is Max doing such nice things for her? The house, the library, and her room. Is he trying to apologize for the past? Until recently he always gave her the cold shoulder, or snapped at her with callous comments. One time, right af

"Maryanne, how was your time off," Jessica inquires, stacking some of her paperwork on her desk.She tries to smile, but the stress and pain of the last week has almost been unbearable and the idea of explaining it all has a headache forming. She even experienced a nightmare last night that Riley got out of her bedroom and fell down the flights of stairs. She shudders even imagining it now."It was, um, eventful," she says softly. She avoids eye contact as she unzips her jacket and places it around her chair."Did you party too hard," another librarian chuckles from across the room.Maryanne looks up, cocking her brow, "Not really, Shelley."There is a soft silence spanning throughout the library as Maryanne sits down and sighs, staring at her desk.She didn't have a chance to talk to Max any further on the subject of Riley. He locked himself in his study, telling Geneva that he was working and that no one was to bother him. She got the hint that it was mainly because of her. H

Waking up the next day is a nightmare. Riley had not wanted to go to sleep. She continuously got out of bed and played with her toys. She laughed and screamed, waking Maryanne several times during the night. With Max still not home, she is forced to do everything for the child.Now, with three consecutive hours of sleep, Maryanne is trying to wake Riley up to get ready. Although Geneva is gone, there is a drop-in daycare three blocks over that usually has room for a few extra children a day."Come on Riley, I have to get to work." Drying her hair with her towel, Maryanne wanders over to Riley's closet and sifts through her clothes. "Alright, let's see here."She pulls out a pink long sleeve shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Do you want your hair braided today?""Yes!" Riley jumps on top of the bed before bouncing off the edge. She doesn't stick her landing though, and falls on her butt, giggling."Okay, come on, let's hurry. I can't be late for work."Riley climbs back up on the