Semua Bab Secret Baby Of the Ruthless Billionaire: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Bryan's POV I knew the call was coming. I'd felt it in the air like a thunderstorm you can smell before the rain hits. There's no hiding from Veronica Ryke when she decides she wants something-or someone. And apparently, news of Eddie had traveled faster than wildfire on a dry summer night.The phone buzzed on my desk. Her name lit up the screen like a warning flare. I stared at it for a long, dragging second before answering."Mother.""Bryan." Her voice was crisp, every syllable polished to a sharp edge. "I assume you weren't planning to tell me about your son."Straight to it. No pleasantries. No how's the weather. That was Veronica Ryke."I was going to," I lied, leaning back in my chair and loosening my tie, even though I wasn't sure if it was to appear casual or because my throat felt like it was closing up. "Things have been... complicated.""I'm sure they have." Her voice could've iced over a whiskey glass. "A child, Bryan. An heir. And you kept it from me.""I didn't know ab

Lisa's POV Dinner was chaos. And by dinner, I mean everything we'd just prepped in the kitchen with all the poise of a small circus troupe on the night before the grand finale. Eddie was in charge of "decorative sprinkles" meant for dessert - a bowl filled with an aggressive rainbow tornado. Bryan was running around like a slightly overwhelmed sous-chef, apologizing to the pasta for over-salting. And I was mid-sermon about the exact meaning of "underwhelming." "Bryan. Less oregano. It's spaghetti, not a Greek myth reenactment." He fished out an innocent-looking leaf from the sauce, peering at it like it had personally offended him. "Are you sure? I thought a little oregano was... tasteful." "Not that tasteful," I muttered, grabbing another box of pasta. "Unless your mom is coming." Which, right - his mother was coming. Tomorrow. That perfect, glass-of-Chablis-wielding, never-approved-of-you woman loomed over us like a storm cloud at a barbecue. So we were having a practice

Bryan pov:I told myself it was just coffee.One cup. Forty-five minutes max. Just long enough to be polite, hear her out, and prove to myself-and maybe my mother-that I could handle Lia being around without falling for her old games. Simple. Clean. No complications.Yet, the second I stepped into the little café on the corner of Redwood Bay's main street and saw Lia waving at me with that too-bright, too-practiced smile, I knew this wasn't going to be simple."Bryan," she called, standing up from her chair like we were starring in some kind of dramatic reunion scene. Her arms opened wide. "It's been too long."I hesitated, then let her hug me. It felt stiff. Awkward. Like hugging a stranger wearing an old lover's skin."Lia," I greeted, pulling back and motioning for the server. I needed coffee. A lot of it. "Thanks for meeting me."She grinned, sliding back into her seat. "You asked me, remember? But I'm glad you did. It's nice to catch up without an audience."Yeah, because she'd b

Lisa's povI woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and the low hum of voices downstairs. For a second, I thought maybe it was Bryan, back to normal, the way things used to feel before Lia arrived like a perfectly dressed tornado. But when I padded down the hallway in my robe, it wasn't Bryan's voice I heard.It was Lia's.And she was laughing.I hesitated at the top of the stairs, catching the tail end of her words. "Oh, Bryan, you always were terrible at mornings."I rolled my eyes and made my way down, determined not to let her get under my skin again. Not today. Eddie had a playdate later, and I had a to-do list a mile long. No room for petty drama.The kitchen looked like something out of a catalog - Lia perched on a barstool, legs crossed, in another one of those silk robes that probably cost more than my rent used to be. Bryan sat across from her, a cup of coffee in hand, looking half-distracted, half-exhausted."Morning," I said, breezing past them toward the coffee pot.Bryan g

Bryan's POVMorning light crept through the heavy curtains, casting soft stripes across the bedroom. I lay still, tangled in sheets and thoughts, the warmth beside me a reminder of what was real-and what wasn't so clear anymore.Lisa's steady breathing was a small comfort, but Lia's words echoed louder than the quiet in the room."I have proof."I'd brushed her off last night, tried to bury the suspicion. But now, staring at the ceiling, the seed of doubt Lia planted was twisting deeper into my mind. It wasn't just the past whispering anymore-it was invading the present.Downstairs, the mansion was already stirring. I could hear the faint clatter of dishes, the distant murmur of a TV, and the soft thudding of little feet. Eddie was up early-probably trying to find some peace before the day's chaos.The thought of him made the tightening in my chest worse. I was supposed to be his father now. Supposed to protect him, love him, trust him. Yet here I was, tangled in a web woven by the wo