Chapter Three
1371 Words
Chapter 3
Olivia Harper sat on the chilly tile floor of her little apartment bathroom, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her hands trembled as she glanced down at the thin plastic stick laying on the edge of the sink. Two pink lines. Her breath hitched. A strong pulse of disbelief blasted through her chest, but the evidence was right there in front of her. Clear. Unavoidable. Pregnant. Her mouth went dry. Her heart thumped brutally against her ribs as her head spun. No. This couldn’t be happening. She clamped her eyes shut and pushed herself to breathe, but it didn’t help. The nausea that had been building up on her over the past few days suddenly made sense. The tiredness. The emotional swings. The calm suspicion she had shoved to the back of her mind, believing it was nothing. But it wasn’t nothing. It was Nathan’s child. Her stomach turned violently. Her hands curled into fists on her knees as a stinging rush of panic coursed through her veins. How did this happen? Well, she knew how it had happened. The night with Nathan had etched itself into her memories with searing precision. The way his hands had explored her body, the way he had drawn her against him as though she belonged to him and for that night, she had let herself believe it was real. She had let herself want it to be real. And now she was pregnant. With Nathan Blackwood’s child. Her breath quickened as reality came down on her. Nathan was a billionaire. He lived in a world of power and privilege that Olivia had only glimpsed from the outside. He ran Blackwood Industries, one of the most powerful enterprises in the country. His name was connected with influence, riches, and untouchable status. And Olivia? She was a struggling woman from the wrong side of the city who had lost her job and barely had enough savings to make it through the following month. She wasn’t part of Nathan’s universe, not even close. Her gaze slid back to the pregnancy test. Her fingers drifted automatically to her stomach. A protective impulse sparked deep in her chest, powerful and fast. She couldn’t tell him. Nathan would never accept this. A child, an heir was more than simply a personal complication for someone like him. It was a liability. The press would gobble it up. The Blackwood name would be dragged through the headlines. His commercial rivals would abuse it. Nathan would perceive the youngster as a problem. A problem he might strive to fix. No. She wouldn’t let that happen. Olivia stood shakily and dropped the test into the trash. Her reflection gazed back at her from the fogged mirror, pale skin, large, black eyes, and a hollow expression that felt her stomach knot. She couldn’t fall apart. Not now. ******** Two days later, Olivia sat at the little table in her apartment, invoices thrown across the top. The stack of overdue notifications was growing taller, and her bank account balance was dwindling swiftly. She rubbed her temples, trying to ignore the nauseous sense of terror tightening in her gut. Her hand drifted unconsciously toward her lower abdomen. What was she expected to do? A tap at the door shocked her. Olivia stood and crossed the room, opened the door to see her best friend, Emily Reynolds, standing there with two coffee cups in hand. Emily’s piercing green eyes narrowed as she took in Olivia’s pale face and the tangle of papers on the table. “Wow. You look like hell.” “Thanks,” Olivia answered bluntly. Emily came inside, offering her one of the coffee cups. “What’s going on?” Olivia paused. Emily’s gaze sharpened. “Liv?” “I’m… pregnant,” Olivia replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Emily froze mid-sip. “What?” Olivia collapsed into the couch, wrapped her arms about herself. “I found out two days ago.” “Holy shit.” Emily sat down alongside her, eyes wide. “Whose…” “Nathan Blackwood’s,” Olivia said. Emily’s mouth dropped open. “Nathan Blackwood?” Olivia’s chest tightened. “Yes.” “Oh, my God.” Emily leaned forward, her eyes wide. “Did you tell him?” “No.” Emily’s brows went up. “Olivia…” “I’m not going to.” Emily’s eyes narrowed. “Why the heck not?” “Because he doesn’t need to know,” Olivia answered forcefully. “Nathan lives in a separate universe. He’s not going to want this. He’s not going to desire me.” Emily’s gaze softened. “You don’t know that.” “Yes, I do.” Olivia’s chest squeezed uncomfortably. “He’s a billionaire, Em. His life is calculated, structured. There’s no room for… surprises. He would regard this as a problem. And I refuse to let my child grow up feeling like a mistake.” Emily’s expression clouded. “So you’re going to raise this baby alone?” “Yes.” Olivia’s voice steady. “I’m not going to trap Nathan into anything he doesn’t want. I can accomplish this on my own.” Emily observed her closely. “You’ve always been stubborn.” Olivia attempted a weak smile. “I prefer determined.” Emily sighed. “Okay. But if you need anything…” “I’ll be fine,” Olivia said immediately. Emily’s eyes softened. “You don’t have to be fine all the time, Liv.” But Olivia had already made up her decision. She would figure this out. Alone. ****** Nathan sat in his corner office at Blackwood Industries, his gaze sharp as he looked through the newest financial data. But his focus kept drifting, his mind looping back to the same location. Olivia. It had been two weeks since she left his bed. Two weeks ago he woke up alone, the lingering aroma of her perfume still hanging in the air. It shouldn’t concern him. But it did. “Nathan.” Kieran Vale came into the office, dropping a file onto Nathan’s desk. Nathan scarcely glanced up. “What?” “Nothing much.” Kieran grinned. “Just saw something interesting.” Nathan’s eyes sharpened. “Interesting how?” Kieran’s smile grew. “Apparently Olivia Harper hasn’t been spotted at any of her normal places.” Nathan’s gaze clouded. “And?” “And she hasn’t been working.” Nathan’s gaze narrowed. “She lost her job.” Kieran’s brows raised. “You knew?” Nathan’s jaw constricted. “I keep track of things.” Kieran’s eyes glinted. “Well, you’re not going to like this next part.” Nathan’s gaze intensified viciously. “What?” “She was seen leaving a doctor’s office last week.” Kieran leaned forward. “OBGYN.” Nathan’s breath stilled. A terrible tightness twisted in his chest. “That doesn’t imply anything,” Nathan answered coolly. Kieran’s smile sharpened. “Doesn’t it?” Nathan’s pulse raced in his ears as the prospect took shape, acute and terrifying. No. Olivia wouldn’t hide something like that from him. Would she? Nathan’s palm clenched into a fist on the desk. His gaze darkened dangerously. He pulled back from his desk and stood. “Nathan,” Kieran remarked, his tone light. “Where are you going?” Nathan’s eyes blazed. “To get answers.” ****** Olivia stood in her kitchen later that night, staring at the ultrasound photo laying on the counter. A little bean-shaped figure drifted on the black-and-white screen. Her heart constricted severely. A harsh knock at the door shocked her. Her chest clenched as she crossed the room and opened the door. Nathan stood on the threshold. His eyes darkened when they travelled over her face and then drifted to the ultrasound photo on the counter behind her. Olivia’s stomach sank. “Olivia,” Nathan murmured, his voice dangerously low. “Is there something you need to tell me?” Her breath hitched. “Nathan, I…” His gaze tightened. “You’re pregnant.” Olivia’s pulse pounded in her ears. And then Nathan stepped inside, his hand moving to the door as it clicked shut behind him. “We need to talk.”
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