Chapter 29

Angela POV

I followed the address Christina texted me and found this cozy little café tucked away near the office.

As I approached the door, I noticed a "Closed for Rest" sign hanging there. Just then, my phone buzzed.

"Angela, don't worry about the sign-just push the door open and come in. This is my friend's place, and I asked him to shut it down for a few hours so we could talk privately."

I didn't bother replying, just hung up and nudged the door open. The moment I stepped inside, I saw Christina sitting in the corner, waving me over.

I headed toward her and slid into the seat across the table.

Next to her was a bald, slightly chubby middle-aged guy.

The second he laid eyes on me, he stood up, walked over, and-without warning-placed a hand on my shoulder. The gesture felt way too familiar, and I couldn't help but tense up, a little put off by it.

"Hey, you must be Christina's friend, right? Can I get you something to drink?" His voice was softer than I'd expected, almost warm, but his eyes lingered on me a bit too long, sizing me up in a way that made my skin crawl.

I shifted slightly to shake off his hand and shook my head. "No, thanks. I can't have coffee right now-doctor's orders because of the baby."

He froze for a split second, clearly caught off guard. Then, with a weird little grin, he said, "Pregnant, huh? No problem-I like mature women!"

I blinked, unsure how to respond to that, but Christina jumped in before I could. "Drake, just grab her a hot milk, will you?"

"Sure thing," he said with a quick nod, shooting me one last glance before heading off. "You two catch up. I'll be right back."

Once he was out of earshot, Christina leaned in with a small, knowing smile.

"Drake's an old friend I met in Paris. He's pretty laid-back-came back to New York and opened this café. No grand plans, just likes keeping things simple. And when it comes to relationships, he's a total romantic. Treats his girlfriend like gold."

She paused, her tone shifting to something more deliberate. "You know, after your divorce from Sean, if you don't have anyone else in mind maybe give Drake a thought."

Wait, hold on. Was that her angle all along?

No wonder he'd been acting so weirdly friendly.

She'd clearly already decided I was some kind of package deal to pitch to him. I bit back the urge to snap, but a hint of sarcasm slipped out anyway.

"Christina, I owe you one, sure-but are you seriously trying to run my love life now too?"

She looked startled for a moment, then laughed it off like I was overreacting.

"Oh, come on, Angela. I'm not meddling in your marriage or anything. I just think Drake's a decent guy"

"Really? Then why don't you date him?" I cut her off, not letting her finish.

Her smile faded, and the air between us grew tense. Our friendship had always been more surface-level than either of us liked to admit-I didn't buy for a second that she was doing this out of kindness.

There was a long pause. Christina picked up her spoon and stirred her coffee slowly, like she was buying time.

"I didn't expect you to get so defensive about someone who's helped you out," she said, her voice cool, her eyes sharp with judgment.

Oddly enough, that jab actually made me relax. I grinned.

"Oh, good-so you're finally dropping the act? Honestly, the real you isn't half bad. At least you're not forcing that fake smile anymore."

Her expression darkened. "I just don't think you deserve me being nice to you! I didn't peg you for someone this ungrateful," she shot back.

"Ungrateful?" I raised an eyebrow, studying her. "Just because you helped my dad, does that mean I should throw away a life for you?"

Her face paled. "What are you even talking about? When did I ask you to kill someone?"

"Isn't that what you're after?" I said coolly. "For me to get rid of my baby?"

She froze, stunned, then scrambled to argue.

"It's just an embryo, Angela. You're getting divorced-why keep it? Don't pretend I don't see through you." She leaned forward, her voice dropping.

"Your family's broke, and that baby's your last tie to Sean. Even after the divorce, you'll use it to cling to him-maybe even squeeze him for cash. You think I'm going to let that slide?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're overcomplicating it. Once the baby's born, it's got nothing to do with the Shaw family. It'll take my last name."

She gave me a skeptical look, clearly not convinced.

"And don't try to guilt me," I added. "If I want to keep this baby, that's my call. You can't force me to abort-it's not even legal."

"You" Her voice shook with frustration. After a long, heavy sigh, she finally backed down. "Fine," she muttered, defeated.

"Keeping the baby might be a mess for you, but if you're dead-set on it, we'll need to sign an agreement."