All Chapters of The Billionaire's One-Night Baby: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Celeste The next morning, my phone buzzed just as I was finishing my coffee. A message from Sebastian: I’m on the way. We’ll drop Amara off at school first, then head to the office. I stared at the screen for a moment, my heart skipping a beat. He was going to pick us up. Me. And Amara. It felt strange. New. Like something I wasn’t quite used to yet. I typed back quickly, trying to keep my heart steady. Okay. See you soon. Amara was already dressed, humming as she packed her little backpack with the same careful determination she had when she tucked in her picture book last night. She glanced up at me, eyes bright with sleepy excitement. “Will Uncle Seb come with us?” I smiled, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. “Yes, he will.” When the doorbell rang, I took a deep breath before opening it. Sebastian stood there, looking like he belonged—like this was exactly where he should be. In that moment, it didn’t feel complicated or heavy. Just… right. Amara ran to him witho

Celeste I tucked the feeling away, locked it behind my ribs, and turned back to my screen like nothing had happened. I knew how to function under pressure. Knew how to smile when my chest was tight. I’d been doing it long before Sebastian Hale ever looked at me twice. Ten minutes later, I stood from my desk and slipped out quietly, taking the familiar path to the pantry to prepare him some coffee. Two drinks—his and mine. He liked it black, no sugar. I liked pretending mine was just for the caffeine. By the time I returned, the office had settled into its usual rhythm: hushed phone calls, muffled footsteps, controlled chaos. No one paid me much attention as I crossed the floor. I knocked once before stepping into his office. Sebastian looked up from his desk, eyes flicking to the coffee in my hands. His expression softened—not noticeably, not enough for cameras or curious eyes, but enough for me to feel it. “You’re spoiling me,” he said quietly. I set the cup down on the edge

Celeste I stayed quiet for the most part. Alexis carried herself with the kind of confidence that didn’t need to be loud. She wasn’t cold—just sure of herself. And sitting there across from her, I felt… young. Careful. Like I didn’t quite know how to exist in their rhythm yet. Sebastian and Alexis were talking. Mostly him. He kept the conversation moving, occasionally glancing my way to make sure I was still with them. I nodded when I needed to. Smiled when I could. Every so often, Alexis would look at me directly. And whenever she did, it was never judgmental. Just curious. “You’re quiet,” she said eventually, breaking off a piece of bread from the basket in front of her. “Is that just your default setting, or are you still deciding if I’m the enemy?” My lips tugged upward, a little embarrassed. “No, I just… I’m not really used to this.” “To what? Family meals with secret siblings?” she teased, arching a brow. Sebastian groaned softly beside me. “Lex—” “What?” she said, grin

Celeste It had been a week since that afternoon in the private room—the quiet moment that shifted everything between Sebastian and me. We hadn’t made it public, of course. No one knew what was really happening beneath the surface. But in that week, our secret held firm. We moved through the office with the same ease, same careful balance, like dancers stepping around a flame. Our stolen glances became a language only we understood. The tension was still there, but it felt less like a threat and more like a promise. “Are you sure we’ve covered everyone on the guest list?” I asked, clipboard in hand, scrolling through names with Sebastian in the conference room. He nodded, eyes sharp as he tapped on his tablet. “Yes. Investors, board members, some long-time family friends. Theodore’s birthday is a big deal. We can’t afford any slip-ups.” I smiled, trying to keep my nerves in check. “Honestly, I’m surprised you let me help this much.” Sebastian smirked, that confident tilt to his l

Celeste I steadied my breath. Violet wanted me shaken, but I wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction. She could stalk the edges of this estate in her perfect dress, dripping venom with every word—but at the end of the day, I knew who I was. I wasn’t here as Sebastian’s secret. I was here as his secretary. And tomorrow wasn’t about her. It was about Theodore Williams—the chairman, the man who built all of this. My focus belonged there. I adjusted the clipboard in my hands, flipping to the page on the final logistics checklist. A few notes to revise, a table layout to confirm, a missing floral arrangement to follow up on. Real work. Concrete tasks. Things I could control. Sebastian glanced at me as he walked with his parents, maybe expecting to find me rattled. Instead, I gave him a small, professional nod and turned toward the catering staff still finishing their breakdown. I wasn’t running away. I wasn’t shrinking. I was working. If Violet wanted a reaction, she wasn’