Lahat ng Kabanata ng Pregnant By My Ex-Boyfriend's Father: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

The reception continued despite the drama.Or maybe because of it. There was a defiant energy in the room—a determination to celebrate despite James's attempted disruption."To the bride and groom!" David toasted. "May your marriage be filled with less drama than your engagement!"Everyone laughed. Even me, though my hands were still shaking from seeing James.Alexander kept me close all evening. His hand on my lower back. His eyes checking on me constantly."I'm okay," I assured him during dinner."Are you? Really?""I'm married to you. I'm better than okay."He smiled and kissed my temple. "Dance with me again?""We just danced.""I want to dance with my wife. Is that a crime?"My wife. I'd never get tired of hearing that.We swayed on the dance floor while guests ate and chatted. The rain had stopped, leaving everything fresh and clean."Victoria says the police have James," Alexander

Three weeks of marriage passed in a blur of normalcy that felt almost suspicious.James stayed away—at least physically. The restraining order kept him 500 feet back, and for once, he seemed to be following the rules.But I couldn't shake the feeling he was planning something."You're paranoid," Victoria said over lunch at a café near my old apartment. "He's probably licking his wounds and plotting his next career move.""Or plotting revenge.""Also possible." She sipped her coffee. "But worrying won't help. Focus on the good stuff. Like the fact that you're twelve weeks pregnant today."Twelve weeks. The end of the first trimester. The point where miscarriage risk dropped significantly.The point where we could finally tell people."Are you nervous?" Victoria asked. "About the appointment today?""Terrified. What if something's wrong? What if—""Stop. You've been taking your vitamins. Going to all your appointmen

The lawsuit dominated our lives for the next two weeks.Lawyers. Meetings. Strategy sessions. Document review.Alexander's legal team was five people strong, led by a woman named Patricia Chen who looked like she ate opposing counsel for breakfast."James's case is weak," she said at our first meeting. "But weak doesn't mean harmless. He's going for sympathy. The wronged son. The betrayed heir. It'll play well in the media.""What's our strategy?" Alexander asked."We prove cause for termination. The harassment complaints. The embezzlement. We have three women willing to testify about James's behavior. We have bank records showing unauthorized spending. We bury him in evidence.""And the defamation claim?" I asked.Patricia looked at me. "That's trickier. He's claiming you and Alexander made false statements about him in your media interviews. We'll argue truth as defense, but we need to be careful. Every word you say from now on coul

Marcus arrived at the penthouse at midnight with a folder full of documents."I found where the money came from," he said, spreading papers across the dining table.Alexander and I—both in pajamas—leaned in."A shell company," Marcus explained. "Registered in Delaware. Single investor. They wired James $100,000 last week.""Who's the investor?" Alexander asked.Marcus hesitated. "That's the problem. The ownership is buried under three layers of LLCs. It'll take time to uncover.""Best guess?""Someone who wants to hurt you. Someone with deep pockets and a grudge."I felt sick. "You think someone's funding James's lawsuit? As a weapon against Alexander?""I think it's possible." Marcus pulled out another document. "There's more. James hired a new lawyer. Top-tier. The kind that charges $1,500 an hour. There's no way he's paying for that himself."Alexander's jaw clenched. "Richard Wolfe is good, but not that good.

The David betrayal made headlines within hours."Sterling CFO Fired Amid Leaked Documents Scandal""Corporate Spy? Sterling's Trusted Advisor Sold Secrets"James, predictably, used it to his advantage.He posted on Instagram: "Even my father's own employees know the truth. Justice is coming. 🙏"The comments were brutal.@JamesSupporter: Your dad is a fraud! We see through him!@TruthSeeker: First his son, now his CFO. Maybe Alexander is the problem?@NYCRealist: When everyone around you is the enemy, maybe YOU'RE the villain."Stop reading those," Victoria said, taking my phone. "Social media is toxic.""Half of them think Alexander is the bad guy now.""Half of them are idiots." She tossed my phone aside. "Public opinion doesn't matter. The trial matters. Evidence matters. Truth matters.""Does it? Because it feels like whoever controls the narrati