Chapter 71: The House with No Guest Room

The black Maybach slowed down, turning off the loud, busy city streets and onto a quiet, tree-lined road.Claire looked out the window. The towering glass skyscrapers slowly faded away, replaced by large, beautiful properties hidden behind tall stone walls and old oak trees.The car finally rolled to a stop in front of a pair of massive iron gates. They opened automatically, and the car pulled into a long, circular driveway.Claire pressed her hands against the cool glass of the window. Her eyes went wide.It was a house. A real, actual house.It wasn't a cold, glass penthouse hovering a hundred floors above the world. It was a beautiful, modern estate made of warm stone and rich wood. It had a massive front porch, huge windows that let in the sunlight, and a sprawling green lawn."Raphael," Claire breathed out, completely stunned. "It is huge.""It is a family home," Raphael said softly from beside her.The driver parked the car. Raphael didn't wait for him to open the door. He stepp

Chapter 72: The Five Bedrooms

Two perfect months had passed since they moved into the new house.The afternoon sun hit the large floor to ceiling windows of Claire's design studio. She sat at her wooden drafting table. She was staring at a fresh sketch for a winter coat line. But her eyes kept crossing.She was incredibly tired.Claire let out a heavy breath. She dropped her pencil on the desk. It rolled and stopped against a spool of red thread.She wasn't sick. Her stomach was perfectly fine. She actually had a huge appetite today. But she felt a deep, heavy exhaustion that settled right into her bones. Her eyes felt heavy. And her chest felt uncomfortably sore against the lace of her bra.She reached over to the corner of her desk. She grabbed her current favorite snack. It was a bowl of salted pretzels and a small jar of strawberry jam.She dipped a pretzel into the sweet jam and ate it happily. The salty and sweet mix was absolutely perfect.Maya had looked at her like she was completely crazy during their vi

Chapter 73: The Hazard Manager

Claire stared at the corner of her desk. She blinked twice.A thick layer of gray foam was taped securely to the sharp wooden edge.She looked around the studio. Every single sharp corner in the entire room was covered in foam. The edge of the cutting table had foam. The windowsill had foam. Even the doorknob was wrapped in something soft.Raphael was standing by the window. He was holding a roll of heavy tape. He wore a crisp white shirt and a dark tie. He looked like a ruthless CEO, but he was currently taping a sponge to a bookshelf."Raphael," Claire said slowly. "What are you doing?""I am babyproofing," Raphael replied. His voice was completely serious."I am four weeks pregnant," Claire pointed out. "The baby is the size of a seed. It is not going to hit its head on the desk anytime soon.""You could hit your head on the desk," Raphael countered. He ripped a piece of tape and secured another piece of foam. "Your center of gravity is going to shift. You could trip. I am eliminat

Chapter 74: The Negative Test

The VIP waiting room at the private clinic did not look like a hospital. It looked like a luxury hotel lobby. There were soft leather chairs, quiet piano music, and a tray of expensive sparkling water.Raphael was not sitting. He was pacing.He walked from the huge glass window to the door, then turned around and walked back. He checked his heavy silver watch for the fourth time in two minutes."Raphael, please," Claire said gently. She was sitting on the edge of a leather sofa. "You are making me dizzy. Sit down.""It has been twenty minutes," Raphael said, stopping his pacing. He frowned at the closed white door. "A blood test does not take twenty minutes. I am going to buy this hospital and fire the lab technicians.""You cannot buy a hospital just because you are impatient," Claire laughed softly. She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Sit with me."Raphael sighed. He walked over and sat down right next to her. He pulled her close, resting his hand protectively over her stomach."

Chapter 75: The Halcyon Contract

One month later, the weather in the city was bright and warm.The Ellis Designs headquarters was completely chaotic. It was a good kind of chaos. Fabric rolls were stacked in the corners. Phones were ringing off the hook.Claire stood at the massive glass table in the main conference room. She was looking at six different sketches of uniform designs.Maya walked into the room carrying two large cups of iced coffee. She set one down right in front of Claire."Drink this," Maya commanded, pointing at the cup. "You have been staring at those sketches for three hours. You are going to burn a hole in the paper.""I have to get them perfect," Claire said. She picked up the coffee and took a long sip. "The executives from the Halcyon Hotel Group are coming here tomorrow. If they approve these designs, we will be outfitting their entire hotel staff across the country.""They are going to love them," Maya assured her. She looked down at the drawings. "The tailored vests look incredibly sharp.

Chapter 76: The Winning Pitch

Claire stood in front of the full length mirror in the master bedroom. She took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking just a little bit.She wore a sharp white blazer and tailored black trousers. It was a simple outfit, but it looked incredibly powerful.Raphael walked into the bedroom. He held two cups of warm coffee. He stopped in the doorway and just looked at her. His dark eyes moved over her outfit slowly."You look dangerous," Raphael smiled. He walked over and handed her a cup."I feel terrified," Claire admitted. She took a sip of the coffee. "Halcyon is the biggest hotel chain in the country. If I mess this up, Ellis Designs loses a massive opportunity."Raphael set his own cup down. He stepped right behind her. He wrapped his arms securely around her waist and looked at her reflection in the mirror."You are not going to mess anything up," Raphael said softly. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "You are brilliant. Your designs are flawless. They would be absolute idiots to