Mr. Billionaire’s Accidental Obsession

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We were conversing, or well, Emma was conversing. My patience was thinning by the minute.

“Gosh, Emma, enough already!” I cried out. “You haven’t stopped talking since we woke up this morning!”

“What? I’m just happy,” she said, giving that childish look that made me roll my eyes.

“Do you think he loves me, Ivy!?” she asked suddenly, voice high and hopeful.

I paused, but she kept going. “Apart from the pregnancy… do you think he would still be hanging out?” Her sadness was obvious now.

“Emma…” I dropped the spoon and quickly turned off the gas. I went to hug her tightly. “I mean… he kept hanging out after… one night. He surely likes you. Yes, maybe he hasn’t said it, but he cares, Emma.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but then her phone rang. It was Fred. She quickly smiled and answered shyly:

“Hey… how are you!?”

“Fine.”

“And the baby?”

“Fine.”

“Ok… (pause) Em, so I’m having a party with my friends. Do you mind coming? Just a get-together. I want to introduce the mother of my child to them.” He glanced at me over the phone.

“Can I come with a friend?” Emma asked.

“Yeah… sure. Ivy, right?”

I didn’t answer. Just grumbled.

“Ok, then I’ll send you a driver. Do you need a dress?”

“No, thanks for the invitation,” Emma replied quickly.

“Hmm… it’s by 6 PM, just so you know. Bye.”

“Bye,” Emma said, hanging up.

I looked at her, trying to gauge what she was thinking. “I just hope I’m not the friend you’re taking,” I muttered.

“Oh, Ivy baby,” she said, forcing a pitiful face. “Are you going to leave your besty all alone at a brutal party, heavily pregnant?”

“Ew, Ivy,” I said, frowning. “Firstly, you’re not going to be alone—Fred will be there. Secondly, you’re not heavily pregnant yet, it’s not even six months. Thirdly, the party isn’t brutal, but yes, I will go.”

“You will? Thank you!” Emma exclaimed, happiness lighting up her face.

“On one condition,” I said, folding my arms.

Emma frowned. “Which is?”

“After my leave is over, you let me concentrate on work.”

Emma sighed dramatically. “But Ivy… alright, fine.”

We finally turned back to the kitchen. “Now let’s continue preparing breakfast,” I said, relieved. Thank God she hadn’t started planning her surprise for Fred yet—I wasn’t ready for that chaos.

We finished breakfast in a rush, Emma chattering the entire time, bouncing from one topic to another. I tried to focus on my coffee, my mind drifting back to last night—the SUV, his hands, his kiss—the memory making my chest tighten in ways I didn’t want to admit even to myself.

“Earth to Ivy!” Emma waved her hand in front of my face. “You’re zoning out again. Are you even listening?”

“Yeah, yeah… just thinking,” I mumbled, keeping my voice low. I didn’t want to tell her what I was thinking about.

After breakfast, we both got up to tidy the kitchen. I washed the dishes while Emma packed a small bag for the party. She hummed happily, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil.

“You know,” she said, tossing a straw into the bag, “Fred is going to be so impressed with you. He’ll love seeing me bring a friend—especially one as fun as you.”

I smiled faintly, shaking my head. “Fun? You mean stressed and awkward.”

“Exactly!” she laughed, throwing her arms around me in a quick hug. “Now hurry up and get ready. I want us to look flawless tonight.”

I rolled my eyes but started picking out my clothes, all the while sneaking glances at the window, half-expecting to see the black SUV from last night parked outside, Clyde lurking in the shadows.

“Relax, Ivy. You’re overthinking,” Emma said, noticing my distracted gaze. “It’s just a party. Not some covert mission.”

I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah… just a party.”

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the memory of him—his dark eyes, the heat of his kiss, the weight of his hands. I knew that no matter how much I tried to focus on Emma, Clyde had left a mark on me I wasn’t ready to deal with yet.