Between Duty And Desire

chapter 4

Kyle

The scotch burned its way down my throat, but it did nothing to put out the fire in my chest. I don’t usually drink during working hours but my temper was out of control right now.

My hand tightened around the glass, and I stared at the amber liquid swirling inside.

A knock broke the silence, without waiting for my response, the door opened, and Edward walked in. Edward was more than my lawyer, he has been my friend since college. He understood me better than most, which was why I wasn’t surprised when his eyes immediately fell on the glass in my hand.

“Alcohol at this hour?” he asked, raising a brow as he dropped into the leather chair opposite me. “Who pissed you off this time?”

I set the glass down with a little more force than necessary. “Mr. Wes.” My tone carried the weight of my irritation. “The man’s playing games with me, last time, he asked us to meet at that restaurant downtown, he didn't even bother to show up, he claimed his wife was sick. Said he would make it up by coming to the office personally. Guess what, He just called to cancel again, Last minute.”

Edward smirked faintly, flipping through the stack of files he had brought. “He’s an old man, Kyle, maybe you should cut him some slack.”

“Old man, my foot.” I leaned back in my chair, jaw tightening. “If his property weren’t so damn perfect for this project, I would’ve shown him another side of me by now.”

Edward didn’t argue, instead, he slid one of the files across my desk. “Speaking of perfect, take a look at this.”

Curiosity pushed aside my anger as I reached for the file. My eyes scanned the name on the front, and everything inside me stilled.

“She’s married to Raymond Baldwin?” I asked, my voice dropping lower.

Edward leaned back, watching me carefully. “That’s what it says.”

I flipped open the file, and the photo staring back at me nearly stopped my breath. Her face, her eyes, she wasn’t just beautiful, she was the kind of woman who can’t be ignored. Graceful in a way that wasn’t forced, she was alluring without trying. I have seen her before in person, but holding her profile in my hands made it different.

“You know,” Edward began carefully, “there are plenty of women who are just as beautiful and single. Tell me, Kyle, how exactly do you plan to get a married woman to carry your child?”

My lips curved in amusement and certainty. “Have you met her, She isn’t just any woman, Eddy. She is different and gorgeous, but it’s more than that. For the first time in my life, I am certain of something and she’s the only woman I want carrying my child.” I tapped on her picture.

Edward sighed, rubbing his temple like he often did when he thought I was being reckless. “Fine, so now you know she’s married, what’s your brilliant plan?”

I didn’t answer immediately, instead kept flipping through the pages, personal details, family background, financial records. Then something caught my attention.

“She’s married to Raymond Baldwin, yes,” I murmured. “But this little girl here… she isn’t her daughter.”

Edward glanced over, frowning. “You noticed that?”

“Of course.” My eyes narrowed as I studied the photographs attached to the file. “Interesting, isn’t it?”

But what struck me even more was buried further down in the report.

“Wait.” I tapped the page. “It says here Raymond’s company went bankrupt, he is actively searching for investors.”

Edward’s sigh deepened. “Kyle…”

A slow smile spread across my face, “What if I invest in his business?”

“You wouldn’t,” Edward said quickly. “Don’t even think about it. Did you miss the part where he’s one of the worst decision makers alive? That man can’t run a lemonade stand. If you invest, you won’t make a penny back.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “Who said I care about returns? What I want has nothing to do with profit. Raymond’s desperation is an open door. All I have to do is walk through it and he will let me have what I want.”

Edward’s eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about his wife.”

I didn’t bother denying it.

“This is obsession, Kyle, you don’t even realize it. You want a child so badly you’re willing to force an innocent woman into this madness. What happens if she refuses, What happens if Raymond refuses?”

“Then I will convince them,” I said simply.

He shook his head. “This is insane, what about your parents, What do you think they’ll say when they find out you want to father a child with some random woman you barely know?”

My laugh was humorless. “My parents, the women they have picked for me in the past were worse than random, they were disasters. One stole all my valuables, the only time I brought her to my house, the others, gold diggers my mother found at her charity luncheons. Beautiful shells with hollow insides, I don’t want that.”

I picked up the file again, my gaze lingering on her picture. “I want someone different, someone convenient, a woman I can discard when this is over. No messy strings, no custody battles, just a clean cut once the child is born.”

Edward was silent for a long time, but I could feel his disapproval, Still, he knew better than to argue when my mind was made up.

“Draft the contract,” I ordered finally. “I will see Raymond this weekend, First half of the payment before the child is born, the second half after. In the meantime, I will collect a small ROI for two years. It will look legitimate enough to keep him comfortable.”

“You really think he’ll agree to this?” Edward asked quietly.

I swirled the last of the scotch in my glass, “Raymond Baldwin is a greedy man, desperation makes men do unspeakable things. Trust me, he will.”

I leaned back, closing the file with deliberate care. My gut told me this was meant to happen, that woman was meant to carry my child, no one else could.

And when I wanted something, I didn’t stop until it was mine.