The Billionaire's Son: Pregnant with My Ex's Baby

Chapter 14

[Ethan]

The boardroom hummed with tension, the air thick with the scent of expensive cologne and even more expensive ambition. I sat at the head of the gleaming mahogany table, my fingers steepled in front of me as I listened to the droning voice of our legal counsel. But despite the high stakes of this merger, my mind kept drifting to a pair of emerald eyes and a kiss that wasn't meant for me.

"Mr. Blackwood?" Zara's sharp voice cut through my brooding thoughts. "Do you have any comments on the proposed terms?"

I blinked, forcing myself back to the present. The expectant faces of my business partners and legal team stared back at me, waiting for the calculated response of the ruthless CEO they'd come to expect.

"The terms are unacceptable," I said, my voice cool and controlled despite the storm raging inside me. "We need to push for a higher percentage of the overseas properties. Their Asian market share is the whole reason we're considering this merger."

As the room erupted into a flurry of negotiations, I found my mind wandering again. The image of Ava in that slinky black dress, leaning in close to her date, burned behind my eyelids. The surge of jealousy that had coursed through me when I saw them together was still simmering in my veins, threatening to boil over at any moment.

"Ethan," Zara murmured, leaning in close. "Are you alright? You seem... distracted."

I shot her a warning glance. "I'm fine. Focus on the negotiations."

But even as I turned my attention back to the meeting, I couldn't shake the memory of Ava's lips on that stranger's. The way her cheeks had flushed, the slight parting of her lips... God, how I wanted to be the one kissing her, tasting her, reminding her of what we'd once had.

"Mr. Blackwood, surely you can see that our offer is more than generous," the representative from the other company, a sharp-eyed woman in her fifties, spoke up. "We're already conceding significant control over the European properties."

I leaned forward, channeling my frustration into the negotiations. "Generous? Hardly. Your European properties are underperforming, and we both know it. The real value is in Asia, and if you want this merger to happen, you'll need to sweeten the pot."

As the debate raged on, I found myself growing increasingly agitated. Every counter-argument, every subtle negotiation tactic, felt like a pale imitation of the real battle I wanted to be fighting. The battle for Ava's heart.

"Perhaps we should take a brief recess," Zara suggested, her eyes darting between me and the increasingly frustrated faces around the table. "Give everyone a chance to regroup and consider their positions."

I nodded curtly, grateful for the reprieve. As the room emptied, I remained seated, my eyes fixed on the New York skyline visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Alright, spill it," Zara said once we were alone, perching on the edge of the table. "What's going on with you? I haven't seen you this off your game since... well, ever."

I ran a hand through my hair, a habit I'd picked up in moments of stress. "It's nothing. Just focus on getting them to agree to our terms."

Zara's eyes narrowed. "This isn't nothing, Ethan. This is a multi-billion dollar deal, and you're acting like your mind is anywhere but here. Is it about Oliver? Did something happen with Ava?"

The sound of her name on Zara's lips was like a match to gasoline. "Ava," I growled, the word tasting both sweet and bitter on my tongue. "I saw her last night. At Le Petit Château. On a date."

Understanding dawned in Zara's eyes. "Ah. And I'm guessing you didn't take that well?"

I laughed humorlessly. "That's putting it mildly. Christ, Zara, you should have seen her. In this little black dress that left nothing to the imagination, laughing and flirting with some suit who couldn't possibly appreciate her the way I..."

I trailed off, realizing I'd said too much. But Zara just nodded, her expression sympathetic. "The way you do?"

I stood abruptly, pacing the length of the boardroom. "It doesn't matter how I feel. She made her choice five years ago when she took my son and disappeared. And now she's out there, dating other men, while I'm stuck in this limbo of co-parenting and unresolved feelings."

"Have you considered," Zara said carefully, "that maybe Ava's feeling just as conflicted as you are? That maybe these dates are her way of trying to move on, even if her heart's not really in it?"

I paused, her words hitting uncomfortably close to home. "It doesn't matter," I said finally, my voice rough. "We have Oliver to think about. We can't keep playing these games, confusing him, confusing ourselves."

Zara stood, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "You're right. You can't keep playing games. So maybe it's time to stop playing and start talking. Really talking, Ethan. About your feelings, about the past, about what you both want for the future."

I shook my head, the very idea terrifying and tempting in equal measure. "It's not that simple, Zara. There's too much hurt, too much history."

"Maybe," she conceded. "But there's also five years of Oliver's life, and a love that was strong enough to create him. Isn't that worth fighting for?"

Before I could respond, the door opened, and our business partners began filing back in. I straightened my tie, forcing my thoughts of Ava to the back of my mind.

"Right," I said, my voice carrying the authority that had made me a force to be reckoned with in the business world. "Let's get back to these negotiations."

But as the meeting resumed, I found my mind continually drifting. To Ava's smile, to the way she'd looked at me last night with a mixture of longing and fear. To the feel of her in my arms, a sensation I'd been craving for five long years.

"Mr. Blackwood," the sharp-eyed woman from earlier spoke up. "You seem... distracted. Perhaps we should reschedule when you're more focused on the matter at hand?"

Her condescending tone snapped me back to reality, igniting a familiar fire in my veins. This was my arena, dammit. I'd built an empire from nothing, and I'd be damned if I let thoughts of Ava derail the biggest deal of my career.

"That won't be necessary," I said, my voice cold and calculated. "In fact, I think it's time we laid all our cards on the table. You need this merger more than we do. Your Asian properties are underperforming, and you're hemorrhaging money in Europe. Without us, you're six months away from a hostile takeover."

The room fell silent, all eyes on me. I could feel Zara's approving gaze, knew I was back in my element.

"So here's what's going to happen," I continued, leaning forward. "You're going to give us 60% of the Asian properties, not the 40% you've been pushing for. We'll take on the restructuring of the European division, but in return, we want full control over branding and marketing for all properties worldwide."

"That's... that's outrageous," the woman sputtered. "We couldn't possibly—"

"You can, and you will," I cut her off. "Because the alternative is watching your company crumble while we expand into your markets on our own. Your choice."

For the next hour, I negotiated with a ferocity that left no room for thoughts of Ava or personal dilemmas. By the time hands were shaken and preliminary agreements signed, I felt more like myself than I had in weeks.

As the room cleared out, Zara approached me, a small smile playing at her lips. "Well, that was quite a performance. Remind me never to get on your bad side in negotiations."

I chuckled, loosening my tie. "Just doing my job."

"Mmhmm," Zara hummed, unconvinced. "And I suppose thoughts of a certain ex-wife had nothing to do with that display of dominance?"

I shot her a warning glance, but there was no heat behind it. "Zara..."

She held up her hands in surrender. "I know, I know. None of my business. But Ethan? Whatever's going on between you and Ava, whatever feelings you're trying to suppress... they're not going away. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face them."

As Zara left, her words echoed in my mind. Face my feelings for Ava? The very thought sent a jolt of both fear and anticipation through me. Because the truth was, beneath the anger and hurt, beneath the carefully constructed walls I'd built around my heart, there was still a part of me that longed for her. That wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and never let go.

But could we ever move past the hurt we'd caused each other? Could we find a way to be more than just co-parents, to recapture the love we'd once shared?

As I gathered my things to leave, my phone buzzed with a text. From Ava. "We need to talk. About last night, about... everything. Dinner tomorrow?"

I stared at the message, my heart racing. This was it. The moment of truth. With a deep breath, I typed out my reply: "My place. 8 PM. We'll order in."

As I hit send, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. For better or worse, Ava and I were finally going to have the conversation we'd been avoiding for five years.

And God help me, I was terrified and exhilarated in equal measure.