Sixty Days In The Billionaire's Arms

Chapter 19

Nate’s Pov

Claire held up the old photo like a weapon. Eleanor—my mother—holding two babies. Serena’s hand tightened in mine until it hurt. I pulled her closer on the couch, my arm locked around her shoulders. She was breathing fast, but she stayed strong, leaning into me.

“What is this?” I asked, voice low. My other hand covered Serena’s, trying to warm her cold fingers. “More secrets? More ways to tear us apart?”

Claire smiled thinly. “The pact went deeper than affairs. Your mothers traded children to seal business deals. One of the babies in that photo is Serena. The other… might be you, Nate. Switched at birth to hide the bloodlines.”

Serena turned to me, eyes wide with panic. “Nate… if that’s true, then everything we feel—”

I cut her off with a kiss. Short, firm, full of everything I felt. “No,” I said against her lips. “We are real. I don’t care about photos or pacts. I love you, Serena. The woman in my arms right now. That’s what matters.”

She kissed me back, desperate and scared. Her hands held my face like I was her anchor. When we broke apart, her forehead rested on mine. “I love you too. So much it hurts. But these secrets keep coming. How do we trust anything?”

“We trust us,” I whispered. I brushed her hair back, looking into her eyes. “You and me. We’ve survived every twist. This won’t break us.”

Marcus and Robert watched quietly. Claire kept talking, but I barely heard her. All my focus was on Serena. I kept my arm around her, hand rubbing her back in the slow way she liked. She melted into my side, breathing steadier.

“We’ll do new tests,” I told her softly. “Private. Just us. No one else touches them. And no matter what, I’m marrying you. Not for the will. For us.”

Serena nodded, a small smile breaking through. “You always know what to say. You make me feel safe when the world is falling apart. I love you, Nate. More than the fear.”

“I love you more,” I said, kissing her temple. “We’re getting through today. Then tomorrow. One day at a time.”

The meeting dragged. Claire showed more papers. Old agreements between families. I held Serena through all of it, whispering in her ear when it got too much. “You’re my everything. Hold on to that.”

She squeezed my hand back every time. Her strength amazed me. After everything—debts, exes, hidden siblings—she still sat tall beside me.

When it finally ended, I took her hand and led her to the balcony. Fresh air. Just us. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, chin on her shoulder. “Talk to me. What’s in your head right now?”

Serena leaned back into me. “Scared we’re too connected by all this old stuff. But hopeful because of you. You choose me every time. It makes me want to choose us too.”

“Good,” I murmured. I turned her around and kissed her properly. Slow, deep, full of love. Her hands slid up my chest, holding on. We stayed like that for a long time, the city humming below us. No rush. Just us.

Back inside, we sat with Marcus and Robert. Simple dinner. Serena curled against me on the couch, legs over mine. I fed her bites of food, making her smile. “You’re spoiling me,” she said softly.

“You deserve it,” I replied. “After carrying so much alone. Now you have me. All of me.”

She kissed my cheek. “Best thing that ever happened to me.”

Later in bed, we held each other close. Clothes on, just comfort. I traced patterns on her arm while she talked about the photo, the babies, the fear. I listened, then told her my own worries about who I really was.

“You’re the man I love,” she said simply. “That’s enough for me.”

We fell asleep tangled together. Her head on my chest, my arms around her. Peaceful for once.

Morning came with another knock. Marcus looked serious. “The private lab results are in. No switch. You two aren’t blood related. But the pact… it’s bigger. Claire wasn’t lying about one thing. There’s a living witness who knows everything. Your real grandmother. She’s been hidden for decades. And she wants to meet you both today. Alone.”

Serena sat up beside me, gripping my hand. “Alone? After everything?”

I pulled her close. “We decide together. No more alone stuff. But if you want answers, I’ll be right outside.”

She nodded, eyes determined. “With you, I can do it.”

We dressed and went. The meeting place was a quiet park. An old woman waited on a bench. She looked frail but sharp-eyed.

“You’re here,” she said. “The pact ends with you two. Love breaking the chain. But there’s one final secret. The real reason the debts and the will happened. It wasn’t random.”

Serena held my hand tight. “Tell us.”

The old woman leaned forward. “Your mothers made one last deal. The child who married into the other family would inherit everything. But only if the love was real. They set the whole thing up. Including the loan that brought you together, Serena.”

My stomach dropped. Serena looked at me, shocked.

“Everything was planned?” she whispered.

The grandmother nodded. “Almost. But real feelings changed it. Now the final piece—sign the merger papers today or the company and all assets go to a trust. Controlled by… Diana.”

Serena turned to me, eyes full of questions and love. “Nate, what do we do?”

I cupped her face. “We choose. Together. I love you. Real love. Not their game.”

Before I could say more, my phone rang. Victor.

“Son. Or whoever you are. Sign the papers my way or I release proof that the accident that killed your mother wasn’t an accident. And Serena’s father knew.”

Serena gasped beside me, reading the message over my shoulder.

The grandmother stood slowly. “Choose carefully. The past is bloodier than you know.”