Semua Bab A baby for my Billionaire Alpha Stepdaddy: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Victoria’s POVBy the time we returned to the mansion, my feet were aching, but my heart felt wonderfully full. The charity gala had been a success. The foundation had raised more money than I ever imagined possible. Every speech, every donation, every conversation reminded me why I kept doing this year after year.For once, everything had gone right.The staff greeted us quietly as we walked inside. “Good night, Mrs. Voss.” “Good night.” I smiled warmly before handing my clutch to one of the housekeepers. “Thank you.”Ofelia excused herself first. “I’m exhausted, Mom.” “I know, sweetheart.” I hugged her gently. “You looked absolutely beautiful tonight.” She smiled shyly. “So did you.” I kissed her forehead. “Go get some rest.”She wished Damien goodnight with a polite nod before disappearing upstairs. I noticed they were still awkward around each other. Not openly hostile anymore. Just… careful. Maybe working together every day really was taking some getting used to. I made a mental

Damien’s POVSleep never came.I lay awake for what felt like the entire night, staring at the dark ceiling of my bedroom while the events of the gala replayed in my mind with cruel precision. Every time I managed to close my eyes, I found myself back on that balcony beneath the city lights. I could still hear the distant music drifting through the open doors, still feel the cool night breeze against my face, and still see Ofelia standing beside the stone railing in that sapphire-blue gown.More than anything, I remembered how close we had been.Too close.Close enough that if someone hadn’t called my name, I wasn’t sure either of us would have stopped.I sat upright in bed with an irritated groan, dragging both hands through my hair.“What the hell is wrong with you?”The question echoed around the empty room.No answer came.Because I already knew the answer.The problem wasn’t that I had almost kissed Ofelia.The problem was that I had wanted to.Every instinct inside me had urged

Damien’s POVThe rain became heavier with every passing minute, pounding against the roof of the car so loudly that it almost drowned out the sound of the engine. Water rushed along both sides of the road, swallowing the pavement and forcing every vehicle ahead of us to slow to a crawl. Through the darkened windows, the city had become a blur of grey buildings, flashing brake lights, and people running beneath umbrellas that were doing little to protect them from the storm.I sat back against the leather seat, trying to concentrate on the emails waiting on my phone, but my attention kept drifting toward Ofelia. She sat beside me with her tablet resting against her lap, staring through the rain-covered window as though she could somehow see a clear path through the traffic. She had been unusually quiet since I thanked her for catching the mistake in the investors’ documents, and although I had meant every word, I wondered if my praise had made her uncomfortable. Perhaps she was still w

Damien’s POVThe photograph was waiting for me before Richard even left my office.I had barely finished discussing the revised terms of our agreement when my phone vibrated against the desk. At first, I ignored it. Richard was still speaking, explaining something about a possible expansion into another region, and under normal circumstances, he would have had my complete attention.Instead, my eyes kept drifting toward the glass wall separating my office from the executive floor.Ofelia sat at her desk with her phone in one hand.She looked pale.Even from where I was sitting, I could see the tension in her shoulders.Something was wrong.Richard followed my gaze and gave me a knowing smile.“You seem distracted.”“I’m not.”“Of course not.”I looked back at him. “Were you saying something about the revised timeline?”His smile widened, but thankfully, he continued without another comment.The moment he left, my office door opened again.This time, three members of the public relatio

Damien’s POV“Once I save enough, I’m leaving.”The words stayed with me long after Ofelia ended the call.She had gone silent the moment she noticed me standing near the entrance to my office, her phone still pressed against her ear and guilt flashing across her face as though I had caught her doing something wrong. She had quickly told Adrian she would call him later, then returned her attention to her computer without explaining herself.I hadn’t asked for an explanation.I should have.Instead, I walked into my office, closed the door, and spent the next several minutes staring at a document without reading a single word.Leaving.Of course she was leaving.She had never intended to remain at the mansion forever. She had moved in because she had nowhere else to go after losing her apartment. The arrangement was temporary. Everyone understood that.So why did hearing her say it make something unpleasant twist inside my chest?I placed the document down and looked through the glass