CHAPTER 5:THE BOARD MEETING

I did not sleep in Luke's Cliff House.

I lay in white sheets that smelled like sea and money and stared at ceiling glass that showed stars over Lion's Head. My hand on flat stomach where HCG 10452 was building a baby.

6 weeks. His heir.

At 5 AM I ironed. Old habit from East London. When you are scared, you iron.

I ironed new red dress — designer red, R25k tag, tight, backless. Then I remembered Luke's text at 4:58 AM:

_LUKE: Wear red. Not white. You are not Dawn's image anymore. You are mother of my heir. — L_

I wore red.

Amanda called at 6 AM.

"Linda! Nandy posted in Billionaire Wives group — she said you trapped Dawn with baby! Is it true you are pregnant?"

"Yes. Luke's. I was virgin until Billionaire Club. Dawn never touched me. He is gay."

Amanda screamed so loud glass shook.

"Girl, you will be richest girl in Cape Town or dead by Nandy! Wear red and slap her with that pink test!"

I took Maybach to Richness Waves. 14th floor.

Every floor I passed, people stared. Because I was not in white shirt. I was in red, tight, 6 weeks pregnant, no ring, clutch with two pink lines and blood results HCG 10452.

14th floor boardroom. Long glass table. Black chairs.

Inside:

Nandy Jordan — 55, pink blazer, queen. Vanelly — 33, surgeon, holding my blood results like trophy. John Sterling — 33, CEO Sterling Holdings, best friend of Luke, warm grey eyes, invited by Nandy to witness. Dawn — 30, perfect suit, eyes swollen, no ring. Luke — 32, CEO, black suit, cold, standing at head of table. And 8 board members.

I walked in. Red dress. No pearls. No image.

Silence.

Nandy smiled.

"There she is. East London girl in red dress. Linda Long, 25, virgin was. Now 6 weeks pregnant with my grandchild that she made on my son's glass desk. Tell us, Linda, whose is it?"

Dawn looked down.

Luke stepped forward.

"She does not answer you. I answer. It is mine. She was virgin. I took her virginity on 14th floor on her 25th birthday. She is carrying my heir. She keeps job as Marketing Manager 120k and will be promoted to 200k because she earned Sephora while bleeding."

Board murmured. John Sterling looked at my eyes, not my dress. He nodded small, respect.

Nandy lifted my blood results.

"HCG 10452. 6 weeks. A mother cares. A mother also protects bloodline. Linda Long, you have no money for lawyers. I do. If you want to keep this baby, sign this."

She slid paper across glass.

_CRANSTON HEIR AGREEMENT: Child will be named Cranston, raised in Lion's Head Mansion under Nandy Jordan guardianship as trustee of 50M trust. Linda gets 5M settlement and loses Sephora job. If refuses, Nandy takes full custody as bloodline owner._

5M to give away my baby.

I laughed.

"No," I said.

Nandy blinked. No girl ever said no to her.

"No?"

"No," I said louder, in red dress, 6 weeks pregnant, Oxford First Class, East London girl who ironed white shirts at 5 AM to be image. "I am not property. My baby is not property. I was virgin for 25 years, starved, used as image by your son who needed shield. Your other son wanted me, not my image. He took my virginity on his desk and I bled and he held me. This baby is mine. Long. Not Cranston. I will keep Long name. I will keep 120k salary I earned, not 5M you give to buy my baby."

I slammed clutch on glass table. Two pink lines fell out. Blood results. Virgin blood spot photo from glass desk that Luke kept in drawer.

Board gasped.

John Sterling stood. Calm. Lawyer brain.

"Mrs Jordan," John said. "You took blood for HCG without informed consent. That is assault under South African law. You threatened to take baby as property. That is coercion. Miss Long is 25, Oxford, 120k salary, independent. She is 6 weeks pregnant consensually. Mother has full custody until DNA. And you cannot fire her for pregnancy. If you try, I will represent her as friend of Luke."

Luke looked at John. Best friends. Nod.

Nandy looked at John, then at me in red, then at two pink lines on her glass table.

"So you want to be Linda Long with 120k salary and baby Long, not Beige wife image?" Nandy said.

"I want to be Linda Long," I said. "Not property."

"Then you will have war," Nandy said, standing. "Board votes now. Does Marketing Manager Linda Long keep job on 14th floor while pregnant with CEO's heir, or is she fired for sleeping with CEO on company desk?"

Board hands went up.

4 for firing. 4 for keeping.

Tie.

Dawn's hand. Last vote.

Dawn looked at me in red dress, tears.

"I vote she keeps job. And keeps baby. And keeps Long name. Because she was only person who ever made me feel safe. And she deserves to be Linda Long, not Beige."

5-4. I keep job. I keep 14th floor keys.

Nandy's face — Botox finally cracked.

"Then you keep job, Miss Long. But you will work for me now. Maternity fashion show next week. You will model pregnant in red. For press. To show Cranston heir is healthy. Or I leak pink test to Billionaire Wives group and say you trapped Luke."

Luke slammed hand on glass table. Glass shook.

"Enough, Mom. She is pregnant. She is mine to protect. Meeting over."

He took my hand, in front of board, in front of Nandy, in front of Dawn, in front of John Sterling.

He walked me out of 14th floor boardroom holding my hand like I was not secret anymore.

Behind us, Nandy said to Vanelly, loud enough to hear:

"Get the DNA kit. 48 hours. I want proof that East London girl is carrying Cranston blood. And get painter. I want to add baby to painting. Alone. Without her