Too Late, Mr Billionaire

smelled of anti

s, filling out the forms while Chriss stood nea

sked, his voice low and impatient. "I don't want excuses.

ds the window, stopped,

ed her eyes

. Medical

arefully, occasionally pausi

er blood type, she entered the infor

ached the n

of th

red above th

It wasn't as though the man standing a few feet

ee, the way he liked his shirts pressed, and the exact expression

: Chriss

tionist l

oble...

aised h

es

is ready

call halfway th

ld whoever was on the other end befo

ed towa

hing the clipboard

ready?"

no

t offer

rridor lined with framed medical certifi

e of the photograp

born wrapped in a blue blanket. The man had his arm a

ooked

photograph. Noth

rything she had once imagi

unning through her dark hair. She wore a white coat over a

. Noble. How have

tle nauseous

ual. Any crampin

N

d and glanced th

et's get you

ed and adjusted her dress while a nu

near the door, c

he needle is thin, but you'll need to stay very still.

ed towar

d her hand i

pped f

lanced

nd, she thought he m

eside the bed. His fingers curled around it, le

soldier a

x," the doct

red at th

tiny brown mark

nted th

ty-

y-th

to her abdomen. Toria fli

the nurse

s fi

nd equipment, studying the monitor

ing well,"

gh her fingers had

ame th

rp breath, gripping

r. Mehra reminded

r eyes on the

int hum of the machine, the rustle of the nurse's gl

rned h

hadn'

nd the rail. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his eyes were fixed on

lling it, s

ng, he was holding it

e almost wanted

mo

s casual dismissal of her questions. The way he had spoken a

ay before she

ere," the

losed h

l d

came as

d she was holding. The nurse helped her sit

itor again. "Everything appears fine at the moment. We'

a hand over

you,

re we

glanced be

re, would you like to know

gave a stran

ed towar

anted to hear w

nswered im

ctor p

Most parents

no differe

ice wa

hing to M

ghtened around the

s no di

words again in

acts and business figures. No curiosity. No excitement. No de

nding beside her at the delivery room,

e changing when he heard

ther he would even l

We'll contact you when the results are available. In the meantime, take it easy. Avo

a no

hanked t

she had heard him say

echoed with the soun

g from one shoulder. Her heels struck

owed withou

walking

n't slo

or

d the elev

ha

re up

ors opened. She

m

and pressed the button

why. The resu

t the numbers

u love

turned

ha

oa

to bounce off th

id no

y father told me. You haven't denied it. So I'm

ression

he way his jaw tightened and his eyes los

question you

stared

your

of my child. Joan has

she still c

ne of your

ator doo

ked ou

her heels ringing

tertaining another woman throughout our marriage, a

pped besid

cold, his voi

not your e

Toria simply

augh esc

ugh. It sounded brok

"I've been living in your past for eight

tart thi

ng my husband to

or

up every time I ask you someth

ocked

your

u tell me

ound s

ing. She reached for the car door, gripping the h

d stretched into p

blin

n

ic

rkness did

ris

stant, as though som

tur

ha

gely weak. A cold wave passed through her body, a

or

step tow

ucture blurred

mething warm sli

fr

eyes dropped

spreading across

ouldn't understand

r breat

" she wh

me sounded nothin

ded lik

owed he

drained fro

or

swer, but her l

ontinued

she could think about was the