Chapter 10

Angela POV

I heard Sean close the door as he left, and found myself letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Lying in bed, I was really tired, but sleep still eluded me.

Sean's recent behavior left me confused and unsettled.

Today he had kissed me - supposedly just to make me take the medicine - but that kiss had nearly made me fall for him all over again.

My fingers traced my lips, still able to recall the peculiar taste of that medicinal kiss. He had even made a point of explaining that he hadn't spent the night with Christina.

The thought rekindled my anger. If he was going through with our divorce, why was he doing things that left me so confused?

And I hated myself even more for being so weak - a hundred times I had resolved to let him go, yet one kiss was all it took to set my heart trembling again.

When I got up the next morning, Sean was already gone. He had always been dedicated to his work. After hurriedly eating breakfast, I rushed to the office myself.

I had barely settled into my office when Nathan appeared in my doorway.

His golden curls caught the morning light, and his athletic build filled out his tailored suit in a way that made him look more like a hockey player than a Wall Street executive.

"The Lawrence Capital team is being deliberately obtuse about the merger terms," he said, walking into my office with his usual confident stride. "They're wasting your time."

"Nathan..." I started, trying to maintain my professional tone.

"You look exhausted," he cut in, moving behind my chair. His fingers brushed through my hair with surprising gentleness, a gesture so unexpected it made me freeze. "Let me handle this. Please."

The tender touch transported me back to six years ago - Nathan at seventeen, the youngest trader Wilson Investment Bank had ever hired, brilliant and brash and so eager to prove himself. My father had seen something special in him, had even hinted at a possible match.

But...

I pulled away slightly, careful not to hurt his feelings. "I appreciate the concern, but I can manage."

"You always say that!" The frustration in his voice was raw, unfiltered. His hand dropped from my hair, but he remained standing close behind my chair. "Even when you could lean on others, you just..."

"The Lawrence Capital meeting is in an hour. Send me the latest projections."I rubbed my temples, fighting another wave of nausea.

"Already done." His efficiency was one of the reasons he'd risen so quickly in the company. "But Angela..."

"Yes?"

"Never mind. I'll have Emily bring up the files."

After hanging up, I barely made it to my private bathroom before morning sickness hit in full force.

A phone call came in just as I was returning to my desk. It was my best friend Sophie, her voice as bright and clear as a songbird.

"I just got back from Fashion Week in LA, and I brought you a gift! Let's meet after work!"

Bluestone Lane's discrete corner booth offered a welcome refuge from the office's watchful eyes.

The moment I stepped into the restaurant, I spotted Sophie sitting by the window.Her edgy, bold style always made her stand out in a crowd.

Before I could even pull out my chair, she thrust a small velvet jewelry box into my hands.

"This pair of earrings matches your eye color perfectly."

"Thank you!"

"Spill," she demanded before I'd even settled into my seat. "And don't give me that 'everything's fine' corporate face. I've known you since freshman year."

I glanced around before lowering my voice. "The test was positive."

"Oh my God." Sophie's perfect composure cracked. "I can't belive you're gonna be a Mom! Dose Sean know?"

"No..."I shook my head and took a sip of tea.

"Angela! You can't keep this from him. This is your child - Sean has a right to know!"

"Christina's back."

The words hung between us like smoke, bitter and choking. Sophie's expression shifted from shock to understanding, then to fierce protectiveness.

"So what? That perfect little princess's return doesn't change the fact that-"

"That what?" I cut in. "That I'm carrying the child of a man who's planning to divorce me? That I got pregnant during a marriage that was never meant to last?"

"Stop it." Sophie reached across the table, gripping my hand. "You're not thinking clearly. Despite all Sean's flaws, he's not the kind of person who would abandon his own child."

"No," I agreed quietly. "He wouldn't. And that's exactly why I can't tell him."

Sophie sat back, studying me with the same intensity she used on potential cover stories. "Explain."

"If Sean knows about the baby, he'll do the 'honorable' thing. He'll call off the divorce, stand by me, play the perfect father." I traced the rim of my untouched tea cup. "And he'll resent every minute of it."

"You don't know that."

"I do." The certainty in my voice surprised even me. "Because I've watched him these past two years, Sophie. I've seen how he looks at Christina, how his voice changes when he talks to her."

"And what about your claim?" Sophie demanded. "Two years of marriage, shared memories, and now this baby - that counts for nothing?"

"It counts for exactly what it was meant to be - a business arrangement that's reached its natural end."

"God, I want to shake you sometimes!" Sophie's frustration burst out. "You're acting like this is all set in stone. Sean's not married to Christina. He married you."

"For his grandmother's sake." The words tasted bitter. "And once her heart surgery is done next week, that reason disappears."

Sophie opened her mouth to argue further, but her phone buzzed - probably her assistant with another crisis at the magazine. She glanced at it and sighed.

"This conversation isn't over," she warned, standing to leave. "But I have to run. Just... promise me you'll think about what you're doing. Really think about it."

I watched her go, her Louboutins clicking against the floor with decisive purpose. She made it sound so simple - tell Sean, keep the baby, live happily ever after.

But life was never that easy.

Sometimes I wished I could be as optimistic as Sophie. On my way home, her advice kept echoing in my mind.

Should I just follow her suggestion, tell Sean the truth, and keep this baby?