All Chapters of Forever Was Never The Deal: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

She smiled like she hadn’t just casually dropped the most confusing sentence I had heard all morning.“My baby daddy’s fiancée?”My voice came out quieter than I intended.Lisa shrugged.“I misspoke.”“You don’t just misspeak about having a baby with someone.”Jade glanced at me. I could practically hear the question forming in her head. Who the hell is this woman?Lisa’s smile remained perfectly intact.“I’m Lisa Kennedy Parker. Miles’ ex.”“I heard you the first time.”Her eyes flickered toward the entrance. For the first time since she walked up to me, something changed in her expression. Not fear. Something closer to satisfaction.Then I heard a familiar voice behind me.“Hilary.”I turned.Miles was walking toward us. His eyes landed on Lisa. His entire face changed. Just for a second. But I saw it. That tiny flash of panic. And suddenly, I didn’t care about the wedding anymore.I cared about answers.“Miles,” Lisa greeted calmly.“What are you doing here?”She smiled.“Attending

“But this is important,” Miles continued. “Once we sign those papers, everything becomes official.”I looked at him.Then smiled.“Of course.”He seemed relieved.“Come on.”I followed him into the study.The moment I stepped inside, I stopped.Everyone was there.My father sat behind his desk, with Bianca beside him. Christian and Geoffrey stood near the fireplace, while Arthur and Jade were positioned quietly beside the bookshelves.Richard was there too.My lawyers were seated around the table.I looked at them.Then at Miles.“Why is everyone here?”Miles gave me a reassuring smile.“Because this affects more than just us.”I almost laughed.If only you knew.My father gestured toward the chair.“Sit, Hilary.”I did.Miles sat beside me.One of the lawyers placed a thick folder on the table.“The prenup,” he said. “Everything has been reviewed and prepared for signing.”I looked at the folder.Then at Miles.He reached for my hand.“This is just a formality.”I smiled.“Right.”Th

For a few seconds, I couldn't speak. I stared at Christian. Then at Lisa. Then back at Christian. My brother's arm was still around her waist. Lisa was smiling. Not nervously. Not awkwardly. She looked completely comfortable standing there. Which somehow made it worse.“Your girlfriend?”Christian nodded.“Yes.”I blinked.“You're dating Lisa?”“Yes, Hilary.”I let out a small laugh, mostly because I genuinely didn't know what else to do.“You're serious?”Christian's expression changed slightly.“Very.”I looked at Lisa. She didn't say a word. She just stood there quietly, her hand resting against Christian's arm.I looked back at my brother.“Since when?”“A while.”“A while?”“Yes.”“And you didn't think to tell me?”Christian sighed.“I was going to.”“When?”“When the time was right.”I folded my arms.“Well, apparently tonight was the time.”He gave me a look.“Hilary.”“No, seriously.”I glanced at Lisa again.“You're dating her?”“Yes.”I shook my head.“This is unbelievable.”

By ten in the morning, I was already regretting my decision. Not because I had agreed to spend the day with William.Well…Maybe a little.I stood outside the stables, staring at the horses in front of me. Then I slowly turned toward William.“You brought me to a stable?”He smiled.“You wanted to know the first activity.”“I was expecting something normal.”“This is normal.”“For who?”He laughed.“You said you wanted a challenge.”“I said I wanted to win a challenge. There’s a difference.”“Same thing.”“No, it's not.”He walked toward one of the horses.I followed him reluctantly.“I've never ridden a horse before.”William glanced at me.“Really?”“Really.”“You're scared?”I looked at the horse.Then back at him.“A little.”His smile widened.“Interesting.”“What?”“Nothing.”I narrowed my eyes.“I don't like that look.”“What look?”“That look you're giving me.”He shrugged. “I'm just surprised.”“About?”“That Hilary Banks is afraid of something.”I scoffed.“I'm not afraid.”

By the time dinner was over, I had officially lost the wager. At least, that was what William thought. We walked out of the restaurant together, and I couldn't stop the smile threatening to form on my face. I had spent the entire day away from my office. No meetings. No business calls. No checking documents every five minutes. Just horse racing, music, dinner, and William. It was annoyingly enjoyable. William held the door open for me as we stepped back inside to collect my things. “So,” he said, “does this mean I win?” I picked up my bag. “Absolutely not.” He grinned. “I'll take that as a yes.” We headed toward the private lounge where we'd left our things. The restaurant had become quieter. Most of the guests had already left, leaving only soft music playing in the background. William walked beside me. Neither of us said much. And for some reason, the silence didn't feel awkward. It felt comfortable. That was new. We stopped near the entrance. William turned to