Chapter Four

Emilia

Something was wrong.

It was jarring. Things weren't supposed to be this way and for the most part, it was.

Freedom felt good . It had been a month since Jayden's breakup with me and I had been thriving. I'd realized it after taking on the first five jobs within only two days of re-entering the job market. All this time, albeit unconsciously, I had been subduing herself.

It all started years ago because of what Jayden used to tell me. I had graduated with better honors and opportunities than him but because of his insecurity, I took low level jobs to not make him feel bad and kept supporting him. Now I realized what a stupid mistake I'd made. In pushing myself down he had thought I was lower than him.

Without Jayden dragging me down, I’d made waves in my freelance career. Jobs surprisingly kept piling up and for the first time in years, I felt like I was actually progressing. I was happier than ever in life.

Until the symptoms started.

At first it was just simple exhaustion and nausea. I'd brushed it off, telling myself it was stress.

But when I found myself hunched over the toilet for the fourth morning in a row, dread had filled me.

It couldn't be…could it?

Over the past few days I have been teetering between avoiding it and facing the problem. However, all the possibilities didn’t help my anxiety.

And so I'd gone out to the pharmacy, leading me back here.

“Just get it over with,” I whispered to myself, looking at the pregnancy tests I’d bought. With shaky hands, I took them out and waited.

Less than ten minutes later, I received my answer.

I slumped against my living room couch as I took them out. Each one taunted me with the same two pink lines.  

I was pregnant.

My thoughts spun. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be some sort of joke. But as I glanced at the tests again, I knew it wasn’t.

My hands unintentionally moved to my stomach, and a wave of panic hit me. I wasn’t ready for this, this was never in my plans. And then there was the father.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the memory of that night flashed in my mind. The heat from the drug, stumbling into the wrong room, and waking up to his sharp, accusing gaze.

That mystery man. The handsome asshole who had presumptuously accused me the day after. The man who still remained in my thoughts despite it being nearly a month.

I had complained and railed about it to Bae the day after revealing the night I spent with him and my hazy memories before.

I had tried so hard to move past it, but now it was staring me in the face.

And I didn't know who he was.

What was I supposed to do?

Panic filled me to the brim. Taking the tears from the bathroom I stumbled my way back to the living room before grabbing my phone to call Bae. Thankfully she answered on the second ring.

“Hey Emilia, just in time. I've got news for y-”

“Bae, I... I need to tell you something,” I cut her off, my voice trembling.

“What's wrong?” Her tone immediately shifted. Sucking in a breath I braced myself before speaking.

“I’m pregnant,”

There was a beat of silence that seemed to drag on for ages.

“Wait, what? How sure are you?" She finally broke out in disbelief.

“Very,” I replied, looking over the two tests.

“And do you think it's-”

“That man in the hotel? Yes.”

There was no chance it could be Jayden's. He had stopped being intimate with me months before. At least it kept the question clear.

Her silence persisted through the phone and worry filled me. What was she thinking?

“Bae?”

“Emilia, I need to tell you something as well.” Bae said, her voice even more heavy.

“You remember the description of the man you gave me when you spoke of your mystery man? Including the mark on his face? I thought it seemed familiar at first but didn't pay attention to it. But then I saw this news article. Ems, I think he's Richard kane.”

I reared back in shock. What the hell did she mean?

“That's not funny Bae,” i said

“Just look at the picture I sent you.” She exasperatedly. Just in time my phone dinged at a notification. Pulling away, I looked at the picture and my blood ran cold.

“It's him right?” Bae's words went over my head amidst the shock running through me.

“No,” I whispered to myself as I traced over the picture, but there was no doubt. It was the same man.

Although I was in the business scene I'd never seen him and I was too bothered with work over the month to bother thinking about anything else. But everyone knew who Richard Kane was.

The man that had it was Richard Kane, President of Kane Groups. The same Kane Groups Jayden worked for.

My breath hitched.

He was my ex’s Boss?!

The realization hit me like a truck and the memory of that day shook me. Not only had I somehow managed to sleep with, insult and run away from one of the most powerful men in the city, but now I was carrying his child?

“This is insane. ” Bae said and I'd never agreed more.

“Yeah,” I breathed out, looking at the picture. It all seemed too surreal.

“What are you going to do?” She asked and my throat went dry. What on earth was I supposed to do with everything I'd just learned?

The sound at my door jolted me. Who could be here at this time?

“Leia, I'll call you later,” I rushed out, heart beating in trepidation.

I moved to open the door only to freeze instantly at the sight.

It was him.

Richard Kane stood right in front of me, his silvery grey eyes piercing mine.

My heart flew to my throat. What the hell was going on?

Everything seemed to be going so fast. There were so many questions. How did he find my place? Why was one of the biggest billionaires at my front door?

And why was he looking at me like that?

His gaze roved over me before he smirked, “Long time no see Miss Carter.”

I gaped, speechless. The first thing that left my lips were

“What are you doing here?”

His smirk widened.

“Let's find out, shall we?”

Before I could think, he'd pushed against the door, slipping into my apartment. Irritation snapped inside me. Who invited themselves into a house?

“Hold on, I didn’t invite you into my home.” I rushed out, a slight twinge of irritation. Shutting the door behind me I rushed in to follow him only to stop at his frame.

He remained completely silent. The arrogant expression was frozen, his gaze fixed somewhere. I followed it and my heart sank.

My pregnancy tests were out in the open and he'd seen them.

The silence was deafening. I found myself unable to move as he turned towards me, his piercing grey locking onto mine.

“You’re pregnant,” he said, his voice low and even.

“And it’s mine.”