The Trillionaire's Baby mama

Eleven

Nerissa

I walked back toward the office, my heels clicking against the polished floors, but my mind was miles away.

Why did Dan bring up Silver? Had he seen her? Had she asked about me?

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. It didn’t matter. She didn’t matter.

What mattered right now was getting through the day without losing my sanity.

By the time I reached Asher’s office, I had regained my composure. I knocked twice, waiting for permission to enter.

“Come in.”

His voice was clipped, impatient. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately noticing the tension in the air. Asher sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping against the dark wood, his jaw set tight.

“You took your time,” he remarked, not bothering to look up from the papers in front of him.

I bit back a retort. Professional. Indifferent. Play the part.

“I was in the middle of something,” I replied smoothly, walking over to stand beside his desk.

He finally looked up, and for a brief moment, something unreadable flickered in his dark eyes before it vanished. “I need you to schedule a meeting with Mr. Thompson for later this evening. Confirm the venue and ensure everything is set.”

“Understood.” I pulled out my phone to make a note of it.

“And next time, don’t keep me waiting.” His tone was cold, dismissive.

I inhaled slowly, letting my irritation slide off me like water. “Noted.”

I turned to leave, but just as my fingers touched the door handle, Asher spoke again.

“Did you enjoy your chat?”

I froze, my back stiffening. Slowly, I turned around. “Excuse me?”

His lips curled into something that was almost a smirk, but his eyes were unreadable. “With your friend. You seemed… engrossed.”

A sharp pang of unease shot through me. Had he been watching?

I narrowed my eyes. “I didn’t realize my conversations were any of your concern.”

“They’re not.” He leaned back in his chair, studying me. “Just an observation.”

I didn’t know what game he was playing, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had rattled me.

“I’ll confirm the meeting,” I said curtly before walking out.

******

I thought this was going to be a quick task—just scheduling a meeting. Something simple, something that wouldn’t keep me trapped here long past the time I was supposed to leave. But Asher had other plans.

The first time I glanced at the clock, it was a little after four. No big deal, I told myself. Just a few more minutes, and I’d be out of here. But then, another task landed on my desk. Then another. Each one seemed small, but they all piled up until suddenly, it was past five, and my fingers were trembling as I typed, my mind racing.

I was supposed to pick up Luke from school.

My foot tapped anxiously under my desk. I couldn’t exactly march into Asher’s office and say, Hey, sorry, I was actually supposed to clock out an hour ago because I have a son to pick up. Oh, and by the way, he’s yours.

Just the thought made my stomach clench.

If Asher ever found out the truth, it wouldn’t just cost me this job—it could cost me everything. A man like him had power, influence. He could have me thrown in prison for keeping his son a secret, for making this decision on my own. And what would happen to Luke then?

I curled my fingers into fists, pressing them against my thighs to stop them from shaking.

The office was silent now, most people already gone for the day. The only sounds were the distant hum of printers and the faint shuffle of papers coming from Asher’s office.

I fidgeted with the hem of my blouse, debating whether I should just slip out quietly.

Then, a deep voice shattered the silence.

“Why are you fidgeting?”

I flinched so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. My heart lurched as I turned around and found Asher standing right behind me, his dark eyes locked onto my face, studying me like I was some puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.

I swallowed hard. “I—uh—”

No excuse came to mind. I could lie and say I wasn’t feeling well, but that might just make him insist I stay longer.

Instead, I asked, “Do you have any more work for me?”

His eyes narrowed slightly, like he knew I was avoiding the question. But after a brief pause, he shook his head. “No. You’re done for today.”

Relief flooded through me so fast I almost felt lightheaded. I grabbed my bag and practically bolted from the office, throwing a hasty, “Goodbye,” over my shoulder.

By the time I reached my car, my hands were shaking. I yanked the door open and slid inside, turning the key. The engine sputtered twice before finally roaring—well, more like groaning—to life. I let out a breath and peeled out of the parking lot, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Every red light felt like torture. Every slow-moving car in front of me was a personal attack.

By the time I reached Luke’s school, most of the kids had already been picked up. He was standing near the entrance, his small backpack slung over his shoulders. The moment he saw me, his face lit up.

“Mommy!”

I barely parked before I was out of the car, rushing toward him.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I murmured, crouching to his level and pulling him into a hug. “Mommy got held up at work.”

Luke just grinned up at me, always so forgiving. “It’s okay! Mrs. Thompson waited with me.”

I looked up to see his teacher giving me a warm smile from the doorway. I mouthed a quick *thank you* before grabbing Luke’s hand and leading him back to the car.

I ignored the way my engine protested when I started it again. I just needed to get us home.

The moment we stepped into the apartment building, I noticed something was different.

Loud music was blasting from the apartment next to ours.

I frowned. That place had been vacant for weeks, but it seemed like we had a new neighbor.

Shrugging it off, I led Luke inside, setting his backpack down near the couch before heading to the kitchen to make dinner.

By the time I fed him, bathed him, and tucked him into bed, exhaustion was settling into my bones. But there were still things that needed to be done.

I grabbed a small notepad and made a quick list.

Milk. Bread. Eggs. Toothpaste.

Nothing fancy, just the essentials. I figured I’d run down to the mini-mart on the last floor of our building to grab them.

The elevator dinged softly as I pressed the button, and I stepped inside without thinking.

Then I froze.

A man was inside, pressed against the elevator wall, his hands tangled in a woman’s hair as they kissed like they had completely forgotten the rest of the world existed.

The woman let out a surprised gasp and pulled away slightly, her face red as she turned toward me. The man, however, didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. He turned his head, dark green eyes locking onto mine, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

“Didn’t know we had an audience,” he murmured, voice smooth and deep.

My face burned. “I—uh—”

The woman, clearly flustered, hurriedly adjusted her dress and practically ran out of the elevator, muttering something about calling him later.

Which left me alone with him.

He leaned back against the elevator wall, completely unbothered, one hand casually adjusting the sleeve of his shirt. He had dark, slightly messy hair, a strong jaw, and a confidence that made me want to roll my eyes.

“You live here?” he asked, eyeing me with mild curiosity.

I nodded, shifting uncomfortably. “Yeah.”

His smirk widened. “Then I guess we’re neighbors.”

Great. Just what I needed.

Of all the people who could have moved in next door, it had to be someone like him.

I turned my eyes to the elevator doors, silently begging them to open faster.

He chuckled, clearly amused by my discomfort. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around, neighbor.”

I didn’t reply.

The moment the doors slid open, I stepped out and made a beeline for the mini-mart, my mind spinning.

Asher doesn’t know about Luke. If he ever finds out, my life as I know it could be over.

And now, on top of that, I had a new neighbor to worry about.

What else could possibly go wrong? Right?