"Look at me! Answer me!"
She raised her eyes, tears clinging to her lashes. "Yours." She said it again, quietly but clearly. "The baby's yours, Richard. Always has been."
After the shock came overwhelming joy.
My child.
Mine and Natalie's.
Still alive, growing inside her. God...
But the joy lasted only a heartbeat before fury swallowed it.
"That miscarriage report..."
"Was fake." She closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her face.
Natalie had lied to me in the cruelest way possible. She let me believe we'd lost our child. Let me suffer through countless nights of guilt and pain. Let me accept that goddamn fiction about "Andrew's baby." Even made me say those terrible words just now.
"You lied to me." The words scraped out through clenched teeth, cold and bitter. "You used a fake miscarriage report to get me to sign divorce papers. You watched me suffer. Watched me compromise. Even watched me prepare to accept you carrying another man's child... Natalie, you played me. Was it fun?"
She opened her eyes, tears flowing harder. "Yes! I lied! But that's because you never cared about me or this baby! When I was in the hospital almost losing our child, where were you? Shopping with another woman!"
"So you decided to run away with my child?" I yanked her closer, close enough to see my distorted reflection in her pupils. "Natalie, whatever lies happened before, whatever misunderstandings—one thing's certain now. That's my baby. So from this moment until the birth, you're staying with me. Nowhere else. Your escape plans end here."
"No!" She struggled, pushing against me with all her strength. "Don't even think about it! We're divorced, Richard! You have no right to control me! I'm not going back with you! Never!"
"Then we'll remarry," I said coldly, half-forcing my arm around her waist, dragging her away from the chaos toward my car at the alley entrance. The driver had already opened the rear door.
"You're insane! I won't sign anything!" She kept fighting, kicking at me, but pregnancy and emotional exhaustion had weakened her. The resistance was feeble.
"You don't have a choice." I pushed her into the back seat and climbed in after her, telling the driver, "Airport. My private plane. Back to Los Angeles. Now."
The door slammed shut. Natalie lunged for the other door, found it locked, then turned and pounded my arms and chest like a trapped, desperate animal. "Let me out! This is kidnapping! Richard, you're a complete psycho! Bastard!"
I let her hit me. The blows didn't hurt. Only one thought occupied my mind—Natalie and the baby had to stay within reach, under my protection. No more accidents.
I leaned forward slightly and grabbed the unsigned documents from the front seat, tossing them onto the seat beside her.
"New prenup. And a legally binding arrangement for pregnancy and postpartum." I settled back, closing my eyes, pressing my throbbing temples.
God. My child with Natalie.
Even now, the reality hit with unreal force, making my heart pound erratically between joy and lingering anger.
I'd give this child the best education, endless wealth, everything I had.
"Sign it. The terms only benefit you. After the baby's born, you'll receive a guaranteed share of the Winston family trust, and—"
"I won't sign!" She didn't even look, grabbing the folder and tearing it in half with all her strength, throwing the pieces at me. "Go to hell, Richard! I want out of this car!"
I looked at the scattered pages. Didn't get angry. Actually smiled.
"Tear away. I made plenty of copies. There's a whole box in the trunk. You can keep tearing until we reach Los Angeles. Or until you change your mind."
"You..." She trembled with rage, pointing at me, speechless.
"Save your energy, Natalie." I turned toward the window, watching Las Vegas's garish neon blur into cold streaks of light. "For the baby. Getting worked up isn't good for you."
