Legally Bound: Pregnant with my Rival's Baby

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The familiar nausea hit me like a tidal wave as I stepped off the elevator onto the 47th floor of Zhang & Associates. I swallowed hard, willing my stomach to settle as I made my way to my office. This was getting ridiculous. How was I supposed to maintain my reputation as a fierce litigator if I couldn't even make it through a morning without hugging the toilet?

I barely made it to my private bathroom before the contents of my meager breakfast made a reappearance. As I knelt on the cold tile floor, I couldn't help but think of Derek. Would he be holding my hair back if he were here? The thought sent an unexpected pang through my chest.

A knock on my office door startled me out of my reverie. "Sophia? Are you in there?" Marcus Zhang's voice called out.

Panic surged through me. I scrambled to my feet, flushing the evidence of my morning sickness away and frantically rinsing my mouth. "Just a minute!" I called, wincing at the hoarseness in my voice.

I emerged from the bathroom to find Marcus standing in my office, his brow furrowed with concern. "Sophia, are you alright? You look a bit pale."

I forced a smile, smoothing down my blazer. "I'm fine, Marcus. Just a touch of food poisoning, I think. Nothing to worry about."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "This wouldn't have anything to do with why you've been leaving early and coming in late for the past few weeks, would it?"

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Of course he'd noticed. Marcus Zhang didn't miss a thing. It was one of the reasons he was such a formidable lawyer, and why I'd always looked up to him as a mentor.

"I..." I started, then stopped. How could I explain this without revealing everything? "It's a personal matter, Marcus. I promise it won't affect my work on the MegaCorp case."

Marcus's eyes softened slightly. "Sophia, you know I consider you more than just an employee. You're the brightest young lawyer I've seen in years. If something's going on, I want to help."

His words, so kind and unexpected, broke through my carefully constructed defenses. Before I could stop myself, tears welled up in my eyes. Damn hormones.

"Oh, Sophia," Marcus said, his voice gentle. He guided me to the couch in my office, sitting beside me. "What's going on?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. There was no way around it now. "I'm pregnant, Marcus."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with implication. Marcus was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was careful, measured. "I see. And the father?"

I tensed, images of Derek flashing through my mind. His cocky grin in the courtroom, his vulnerable expression at the ultrasound, the way he'd held my hand as we left the doctor's office. "He's... not in the picture," I lied, hating myself for it even as the words left my mouth.

Marcus nodded slowly. "Sophia, you know I support you. But I have to ask - how do you plan to handle this with the MegaCorp case? We're in the middle of a crucial negotiation phase."

The question I'd been dreading. I straightened my spine, channeling every ounce of determination I possessed. "I plan to handle it the same way I handle everything, Marcus. With professionalism and dedication. This pregnancy changes nothing about my ability to win this case."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Marcus's mouth. "That's the Sophia Chen I know. But you have to understand, this complicates things. The long hours, the stress..."

"I can handle it," I insisted, perhaps a bit too forcefully. "I'm not the first lawyer to have a baby, Marcus. And I won't be the last."

Marcus held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I have no doubt you can handle it, Sophia. But as your boss and your friend, I have to consider what's best for you and for the firm."

A chill ran down my spine. "What are you saying, Marcus?"

He sighed, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "I'm saying that perhaps we should consider bringing in some additional support on the MegaCorp case. Not to replace you," he added quickly, seeing the protest forming on my lips. "But to assist. To take some of the pressure off."

I felt my heart sink. This was exactly what I'd been afraid of. The beginning of the end, the slow slide into irrelevance. "Marcus, please. I don't need assistance. I can do this."

"I know you can," he said softly. "But Sophia, you have to think about your health. About your baby's health. This case is high-stress and high-stakes. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

His words hit me like a physical blow. Of course I cared about my baby's health. But the thought of stepping back, of letting someone else take even a fraction of my role in this case... it felt like failure.

"I appreciate your concern," I said, my voice tight. "But I assure you, I'm more than capable of handling this case and my pregnancy. I don't need assistance, and I certainly don't need to be sidelined."

Marcus studied me for a long moment, his expression a mixture of concern and admiration. "Alright," he said finally. "We'll do it your way, for now. But Sophia, promise me you'll tell me if it becomes too much. There's no shame in asking for help."

I nodded, relief washing over me. "I promise, Marcus. Thank you for understanding."

As Marcus left my office, I sank back onto the couch, one hand resting protectively over my still-flat stomach. "We did it, little one," I whispered. "We're still in the game."

But even as I said the words, doubt nagged at me. How long could I keep this up? How long before the stress and the physical toll of pregnancy forced me to step back?

And what about Derek? A small voice in the back of my mind whispered. How long can you keep him a secret?

As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone buzzed with a text from Derek:

"Hope you're feeling okay today. Don't forget about dinner with Mother tomorrow night. I'll pick you up at 7. Try not to vomit on her Chanel, okay?"

Despite myself, I felt a smile tug at my lips. How did he always seem to know when I needed a bit of levity?

I typed out a quick reply:

"No promises on the vomit front, Hawthorne. Your mother might just bring it out in me."

His response came almost immediately:

"That's my girl. Give 'em hell, Chen."

My girl. The words sent an unexpected warmth spreading through my chest. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the feeling. This was Derek Hawthorne, for crying out loud. My rival, my nemesis, the bane of my professional existence.

And the father of my child. The man who'd held my hand during the ultrasound, who'd looked at me with such wonder and vulnerability that it had taken my breath away.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. When had everything gotten so complicated?

A knock at my door interrupted my spiraling thoughts. "Ms. Chen? Your 10 o'clock is here," my assistant called.

Right. Work. I could do this. I was Sophia Chen, rising star of Zhang & Associates. Pregnancy, complicated feelings for Derek Hawthorne, impending dinner with his terrifying mother - none of that mattered right now.

I stood, smoothing down my suit and squaring my shoulders. Time to show the world - and myself - that I could handle anything life threw at me.

As I walked out to greet my client, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was standing on the edge of a precipice. Everything was about to change, whether I was ready for it or not.

But ready or not, I was Sophia Chen. And I didn't back down from a challenge.

Bring it on, world, I thought as I plastered on my most convincing smile. Bring it on.