AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The words leave my lips, and a wave of sadness crashes into me. I'm not used to feeling this vulnerable.
19
HUNTER
Isit alone in my office, staring out at the city through my floor-to-ceiling windows. The room feels eerily quiet and a half-drunk whiskey sits by my side, fueling my intense thoughts.
I think back to the heated words I threw at Maya today.
I regret it. I let my frustrations get the better of me like a fucking child. The way she walked out, the door slamming behind her, without a word... It keeps replaying in my mind. I'm usually more composed, more calculating with my words, but Maya, she has a way of getting under my skin. She gets to me.
I lean back in my chair, rubbing my temples. The loneliness that wraps around me is familiar.
"Damn it, Maya," I mutter to the empty room. "I need you to talk to me. Just tell me what's going on. Because I'm at my wit's end here."
My gaze falls on the photo of Kaitlyn sitting on my desk. My guilt leaks into my veins. She's been avoiding me too. And her absence is a void that can't be filled.
I finish the whiskey in one gulp, the liquid burning a path down my throat.
I can't help but think that I'm losing Maya too. And the thought scares me more than I'm willing to admit. This isn't just about our professional relationship. It's true that I can't afford to lose her in this position.
But it's more personal than that.
I glance at my reflection in the glass. The billionaire businessman who always gets what he wants, replaced with a confused, worried man.
Who the fuck are you?
I rub my face roughly, the prickling stubble reminding me of how long I've been holed up in my office.
Suddenly, the office door bursts open, and in storms Christy, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. She slams a newspaper on my desk and points a well-manicured finger at the front page. A paparazzi shot of Maya, her hand protectively on her belly.
"What the hell is this, Hunter? Are you trying to humiliate me? And our entire family?"
I stare at the newspaper.
Pregnant?
My mind reels, trying to process the rapidly changing situation.
"Explain yourself!" Christy demands.
An explanation?
For what?
I don't even know what's going on.
I push back my chair, standing up. "Get out," I tell Christy, my voice eerily calm amidst the chaos she brought in. "Now."
Her mouth drops open at my response, but my eyes must have told her I meant business. She turns to leave but as she does, Kaitlyn walks in.
She freezes in the doorway, as she looks back and forth between me and her mother. I can feel the tension in the room. Without a word, Christy turns around to stake her claim with Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn continues inside and catches sight of the newspaper on my desk. She walks over, picking it up. The picture and headline hit her like a gut punch. A picture of Maya, her hand resting on her belly, and the headline screaming'Billionaire's Assistant Expecting?'She looks up at me, her confusion turning into shock.
"Dad, Is Maya pregnant?"
I look at her. Shit. I can't lie to her. And something in me can't say 'no'.
