All Chapters of My Ex's Boss is My Baby's Father: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Three years pass.Three years of building, growing, succeeding.Three years of proving I can do it alone.Three years of wondering if I made the right choice.Charlotte is three now. Bright, curious, full of energy. She looks like Lucien with my stubbornness. She asks about her daddy constantly."When is Daddy coming?""Soon, sweetheart. He visits next month.""Why doesn't he live with us?""Because Daddy has work in New York, and Mama has work in London.""But why?"The questions never end. And I never have good answers.Leo is eleven now. Still splitting time between me and Blair, who moved to the Cotswolds two years ago. He's adjusted to the arrangement, but I can see it weighs on him. Two homes. Two families. Never quite belonging fully to either."Are you and Lucien ever going to get married?" he asks one evening."I don't know, sweetheart. It's complicated.""You always say that.""Because it's true.""Mom and her boyfriend are getting married. They're having a baby."Blair. Pre

The weekend Lucien takes Charlotte to the Cotswolds, I'm a nervous wreck. I check my phone constantly. I call three times on Saturday alone."She's fine," Lucien assures me each time. "We're having a wonderful time. She fed ducks this morning and she's been talking about it nonstop.""Let me talk to her."Charlotte gets on the phone, breathless with excitement. "Mama! I fed ducks! And Daddy took me to a playground! And we had pancakes for breakfast!""That sounds wonderful, sweetheart.""I miss you, but Daddy is fun."The words should make me happy. Instead, they make me ache. She's bonding with him. Which is what I wanted. What she needs.But it also means I'm not the center of her world anymore. She has a father who's fun and present and giving her experiences I can't provide while working eighty-hour weeks.Saturday night, I can't sleep. The flat is too quiet without Charlotte. Clara went to visit family. Leo is with Blair. It's just me, alone with my thoughts.I try to work but ca

I spend the afternoon after my show doing interviews and meeting with buyers. Orders pour in. The collection is a commercial and critical success. Everything I worked for is paying off.But all I can think about is dinner with Lucien.At seven, I return to my hotel to change. I stand in front of my suitcase, staring at my options like they're battle armor. Which dress says "successful, independent woman" while also not screaming "I'm trying too hard"?I settle on a simple black dress. One of my own designs, of course. Understated elegance. Confidence without flash.I'm applying lipstick when my phone rings. Blair."How was the show?""Amazing. Standing ovation. Orders flooding in.""That's incredible! I'm so proud of you.""Thanks.""You sound nervous. What's wrong?""I have dinner with Lucien tonight."Silence. Then, "Finally. What took you so long?""I don't know. Fear. Stubbornness. General emotional dysfunction.""Well, you're doing it now. That's what matters.""I'm terrified.""

We spend the morning in my hotel room talking. Not about the past anymore. About the future. About what trying actually means."So we're doing this," I say, sitting cross-legged on the bed while Lucien sits in the armchair across from me. Distance. We need distance to think clearly."We are.""But we need to be smart about it. Strategic."He raises an eyebrow. "Strategic? That's romantic.""I'm serious, Lucien. We can't just fall into bed and pretend three years didn't happen. We can't rush this.""I'm not suggesting we rush.""Aren't you? You want me to move back to New York. Merge our lives. Be a family.""Eventually, yes. Is that so wrong?""No. But eventually isn't now. We need to date properly. Get to know each other again. Build trust before we make big decisions."He leans forward. "We already know each other. We have a daughter together. We've been in each other's lives for years.""We've been in each other's lives from a distance. That's different. We video call about Charlot

Two weeks after Milan, I'm back in London settling into routine. Charlotte at nursery. Work at the studio. Dinner with Leo when he's with me. Video calls with Lucien every evening.It's mundane and wonderful. Normal life with the promise of something more.Lucien arrives on Thursday for his week in London. He's staying at a hotel but spending every evening with us. We have dinner together, all three of us. Charlotte is delighted. Leo, when he's there, accepts Lucien's presence naturally."Are you and Lucien together now?" Leo asks one night after Charlotte's in bed."We're trying. Seeing if we work.""You work. Anyone can see that.""It's complicated, sweetheart.""Adults always say that."He's right. I do always say that."We're being careful. Making sure it's right before we make it official.""Okay. But for what it's worth, I think he's good for you. You're happier when he's around."Out of the mouths of children.That Friday, I have a meeting at my studio. A potential investor wan