Chapter 28

Chapter 27

Daniella’s Pov

My hands shake so badly I drop my coffee cup back onto the saucer with a loud, clattering crash.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, my face turning bright red as a few drops of dark brown coffee splash over the white ceramic edge.

Kent reaches across the small, sticky table of the diner. His long fingers wrap gently around my trembling hand, stopping it from shaking. His touch is warm, solid, and entirely grounding. All the heavy practice speeches I repeated to myself all afternoon—every single careful sentence I planned to say so I wouldn't sound like I was trying to trap him—vanish right out of my head.

"Hey," Kent says softly, his deep voice cutting straight through the loud noise of the diner. His dark eyes look deep into mine, completely full of worry. "You don't have to be nervous. Talk to me, Daniella. What is going on?"

When I texted him earlier to change our plans, I thought I was being smart. I managed to sneak away from Gareth’s parents' house for just one hour by lying and saying I felt sick and needed fresh air. But sitting here across from Kent now, looking at the sharp lines of his face and remembering that he is officially engaged to Freya, my chest feels tight and heavy.

"Kent," I start, but my voice gets stuck in my throat like dry sand.

"Is it Gareth?" Kent asks immediately, his jaw tightening into a hard line. The protective anger in his voice makes my heart ache. "Did he hurt you again? If he did anything to you, Daniella, tell me right now. I don't care about the rules anymore. I will deal with him."

"No, no, it's not Gareth," I rush to say, shaking my head quickly. I pull my hand back from his grip just a little bit, sliding it down into my lap so I don't get lost in the warmth of his skin. "Well, it is, but... that's not what I came here to tell you."

Kent tilts his head, his dark eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "Then what is it? You've been acting different all week. You look pale. You said you've been feeling sick every morning. Are you sure it's just allergies like you told me before?"

My stomach twists into a painful knot. Here it is. The exact moment I planned for. All I have to do is open my mouth and say three simple words: I am pregnant. I have to tell him that the night we spent together at the penthouse had a consequence, a tiny new life growing inside me that will change everything forever.

"Kent," I begin again, my lips trembling. "I haven't been honest with you. The sickness... it's not allergies. It's something much more serious. Something that is going to change both of our lives."

Kent leans forward across the table, his full attention locked onto every single word I say. "Daniella, what is it? Tell me. Whatever it is, we will face it together. You are not alone."

Before I can push the final words past my lips, the sharp, annoying ring of a mobile phone cuts through the air.

We both jump. Kent pulls his phone out of his suit jacket pocket with a frown, expecting a work call. But when he looks down at the bright screen, the color completely drains from his face.

"It's my father," Kent murmurs, holding the phone up for a second so I can see the name flashing on the screen.

He hesitates, pressing the red button to decline the call. But a second later, the phone lights up again. And then again. His father is calling over and over, refusing to stop.

"You should answer it," I whisper, a cold wave of fear washing over my skin. I know how strict his family is. I know about the business deals, the high society expectations, and his upcoming marriage to Freya.

Kent sighs heavily, his fingers gripping the phone so tight his knuckles turn completely white. He slides his thumb across the screen and brings it up to his ear. "Father," he says, his voice cold and stiff. "This better be important. I am busy."

I sit very still in the small, worn-out booth, holding my breath as I watch him. I cannot hear what his father is saying on the other end, but I can see the exact moment the color leaves Kent’s face entirely.

"What?" Kent says sharply, standing up halfway from the booth. "An announcement? Tonight? Father, you cannot do that without asking me... No, I told you, I am not ready for a public press conference about the engagement... Because it's my life!"

My heart shatters into a million tiny pieces right then and there.

Engagement.

Freya’s name. The rich family. The massive wedding announcements on the news and in the newspapers.

Listening to Kent argue with his powerful father on the phone, the harsh reality crashes over me like freezing water. What was I thinking? How could I possibly sit here and tell a man who is trapped in a multi-million-dollar corporate marriage that I am carrying his baby? It would destroy him. It would ruin his career, anger his terrifying family, and make me look like a desperate girl trying to trap a rich professor.

Kent hangs up the phone with a hard slam on the table, breathing heavily. He looks back at me, his eyes wide with stress and frustration. "Daniella, I am sorry. My family is planning a huge public announcement this weekend about... about the wedding with Freya. They are trying to force my hand."

I force a weak, fake smile onto my face. I pull my bag up onto my lap and slide out of the booth, standing up quickly before my legs can give out under me.

"Daniella? Where are you going?" Kent asks, his voice full of panic as he stands up too. "You were just about to tell me something important. What was it?"

"It's nothing," I lie, blinking back the hot tears stinging the backs of my eyes. My voice is small and shaky, but I force the words out. "Really, Kent. It was just silly. It can wait."

"It didn't look silly," Kent says, taking a step toward me. His dark eyes search my face, looking right through my lies. He notices my sudden change in mood, and I can tell he hates that he can't figure me out. "What were you going to say?"

"I have to go back," I say, taking a step backward toward the diner door. "Gareth will notice I've been gone too long, and you have to deal with your family's announcement. Your real life, Kent."

Before he can stop me, Kent crosses the space between us in two long strides. He reaches out, his hand gently catching my arm, stopping me right by the exit.

"Stop," he says softly.

I look up, and the look in his eyes takes my breath away. All the strict professor is gone. All the rich businessman is gone. There is only a man who looks at me like I am the only thing that matters in the world.

"I have been thinking about you constantly since the night at the penthouse," Kent admits, his voice dropping to a low, desperate whisper that makes my whole body shiver. "Every single minute of every day, Daniella. All I do is think about you."

My breath catches in my throat. I stare up at him, completely stunned.

Kent reaches down, his warm fingers wrapping gently around my hand, squeezing it tight.

"Whatever is happening," Kent tells me, his dark eyes burning with pure emotion as he looks down into my face, "and no matter how messy everything gets... I don't want you disappearing from my life."