Be My Baby’s Dad, Mr CEO

All at Stake

Miss Walter, a moment,” he said, his tone neutral.

“Yes, sir,” Tesley replied, turning back.

“That was commendable,” Blake said. “Did you study in Germany?”

Tesley shook her head. “No, I lived there with my parents for ten years before we moved back to New York.”

“I see.” Blake nodded. “We’ll be meeting with Mr. Muller again tomorrow. 9 a.m. sharp.” With that, he dismissed her.

Tesley thanked him quietly and made her way out, stopping by Director Clark’s office to finalize a few details. Then she headed down to the lower floor and found Eva at her desk.

“How did it go?” Eva asked, eyes bright with curiosity.

Tesley rolled her eyes dramatically. “What do you think?”

Both of them burst into laughter and hugged.

“Thank you, Eva. Really. Thank you for thinking of me,” Tesley said, her smile warm. “I mean it.”

“If I don’t do that for my girl, who will?” Eva replied playfully.

“And please thank Jack too,” Tesley added, clasping her hands.

“I will. I’ll pass your message along.”

Tesley glanced at the clock. “It’s almost closing time. I need to pick up Leo from school, then take Simon for his medical check-up.”

“Alright. We’ll catch up at home, girl,” Eva said with a wink.

Tesley hopped out of a cab as the school gates buzzed with cars and chatting parents. She scanned the crowd of kids with colorful backpacks. Her phone buzzed with a reminder about Simon’s appointment, distracting her for a second….

“Mommy!”

That voice. Sweet and bright.

She looked up to see Leo sprinting toward her, his tiny arms stretched wide.

A smile bloomed across her face. She dropped to one knee, opening her arms.

“That’s my baby!”

Leo flew into her embrace. But instead of giggling, he sniffled.

Tesley’s smile faltered.

Her heart clenched. She hated when he was sad.

She lifted his chin gently and looked into his big blue eyes.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Leo sniffed again, lips trembling. “Liam and Zane said I don’t have a daddy.”

Tesley’s breath caught.

Her arms tightened around her son. Those words had stabbed her deeper than she expected. How do you explain something you don't even fully understand to a four year old boy?

John? She hadn’t heard from him in five years. No phone calls. No messages. Nothing, just his name and face imprinted on her head.

Was he dead?

She couldn’t tell Leo he was dead. That would be a lie if he wasn't.

Alive?? Hiding? Watching? She couldn't tell. And she couldn’t promise Leo he was coming back either.

It was all her fault, for making such a rash decision with a total stranger.

She took a slow breath, forcing down the ache in her throat. Right now, Leo didn’t need the truth. He needed comfort.

So, she blinked away the emotion and cupped his soft cheeks gently. “You know what?” she said with a bright smile,

“You have me. And I love you enough for two people. Maybe even three. Do you love mommy too?”

Leo stared at her with misty eyes, his eyes beautiful and innocent. His lower lip wobbled. “I love you mommy”

She tapped his small nose. “And I will always love you too, my baby. Always.”

Now, how about we grab your favorite snack on the way to get Simon for his doctor’s appointment?

Leo sniffled, then whispered, “Banana muffins?”

Tesley grinned. “The biggest ones they have.”

His eyes lit up.

Tesley rose to her feet, holding his hand as they walked out of the school gate. Leo was busy humming his favorite cartoon rhymes.

Behind her smile, her chest still burned. The pain hadn’t gone away. But for now, she had tucked it behind the one thing that mattered most, her son’s smile.

Simon’s check-up had gone well, thankfully. But the bills kept piling. At least Director Clark promised to pay half tomorrow, the rest after the deal closed.

Dinner was quick. Simon had taken his medicine and Leo was already in bed. Eva had called to say she’d be home late. She's out with colleagues for drinks.

So, Tesley didn’t wait up. She needed rest. Tomorrow was too important.

By dawn, she was up early. She'd made breakfast, dished Simon’s portion and packed Leo's bag. Smartly dressed, she slipped out with Leo, even before Eva stirred.

She had to drop Leo. Get to the office and have enough time to prepare. Blake’s warning echoed in her head: “9 a.m. sharp.”

Inside the cab, she checked her watch, it was still 7:35am. She exhaled slowly. Leo leaned against her, quiet.

“Leo?” she whispered.

No answer.

She turned. His head lolled sideways, lips pale. A cold panic gripped her chest.

“Leo!”

She shook him gently. Nothing.

“Please, take us to the hospital. Now!” she shouted at the driver, her voice trembling. Her hands shook as she pulled Leo closer, feeling the warmth drain from his small body.

“Faster!” she cried again.

In minutes, they arrived at the hospital. Everything became a blur. Nurses rushed over, checking his vitals. A doctor barked out orders.

“Run his blood. Possible underlying condition. We need more tests.”

Tesley stood frozen. Her phone kept buzzing, ringing non-stop. She barely glanced at the screen. Names flashed. Eva, Jack, unknown caller, Director Clark.

None of it mattered. Not now. Not with her son unconscious behind a curtain.

At the office, Director Clark paced furiously. The meeting with Mr. Muller was scheduled to begin in less than twenty minutes, and Tesley was still unreachable.

“Where the hell is she?” Clark snapped at Eva and Jack.

“She left home before I did,” Eva replied quickly. “She should be here.”

Clark checked the time. “This is a disaster.”

Blake would not take this lightly. They had brought Tesley in and vouched for her. The entire communication department would take the fall.

Panicking, Clark called several interpreter agencies, only to be met with disappointment.

“It will take us two to three hours to get someone there, ma'am.”

“Damn it.” Clark ran a hand over her face.

Blake's jaw tightened. Mr. Muller was known for his punctuality and zero tolerance for delays. If this meeting fell apart, the deal would be gone with it.

Three minutes to go. Through the building tension, Blake gave a nod to his assistant.

“Move to the conference room.”

Inside, he kept his eyes on the door, willing Tesley to appear.

But she did not.

The door opened and everyone turned, expecting her.

It was Mr. Muller.

Blake rose to his feet and forced a polite smile.

“Mr. Muller. Please, have a seat.”

If there was any hope left, it would take a miracle now.

They were ten minutes behind schedule.

“Where is the interpreter?” Mr. Muller asked, checking his watch.

Blake remained composed, though chaos swirled inside him. He tried to engage, but Mr. Muller stood abruptly.

“I am sorry, Mr. Blake,” he said, the rest of his words lost in a mix of German and broken English.

Blake and his assistant could only watch, helpless.

Then, the door opened again.

And Tesley walked in.