The Contract of Hearts

Chapter 6: The Storm

Two weeks had passed since Lily's arrival, and they'd developed a fragile routine. Emma woke early to get Lily ready, Ryan had breakfast with them before work, and Tommy helped entertain his new niece in the evenings. To anyone watching, they looked like a real family.

The problem was, they were starting to feel like one too.

"Daddy, up!" Lily demanded, reaching for Ryan from her highchair.

Ryan picked her up without hesitation now, letting her smear banana on his expensive suit. Two weeks ago, he would have been horrified. Now he just smiled and grabbed a napkin.

"You're getting soft," Emma teased, trying to ignore how her heart fluttered at the sight.

"She's corrupting me," Ryan agreed, tickling Lily until she squealed with laughter.

The doorbell rang, unusual for a Wednesday morning. James answered it, returning with a troubled expression.

"Mrs. Blackwood, there's a woman here. She says she's from Child Protective Services."

Emma's blood ran cold. Ryan immediately handed Lily to her, his expression hardening into his CEO mask.

A stern woman in a gray suit entered, clipboard in hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood? I'm Janet Miller from CPS. We received a concerning report about a child in your care."

"Let me guess," Ryan said coldly. "Anonymous tip?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. But given the unusual circumstances of how the child came to be here, we need to investigate."

"What unusual circumstances?" Emma asked, holding Lily tighter.

"An abandoned child, no custody papers, no formal adoption proceedings. And questions about the legitimacy of your marriage."

"Our marriage is perfectly legitimate," Ryan said.

"Perhaps. But marrying someone days before a child appears is suspicious. Some might say it was arranged specifically to provide two parents for custody purposes."

Emma saw the trap immediately. Victoria had orchestrated this perfectly. If they admitted the marriage was fake, they'd lose Lily. If they insisted it was real, they'd have to prove it.

"What do you need from us?" Emma asked calmly.

"I need to inspect the home, interview you separately, and observe your interactions with the child."

The next two hours were torture. Ms. Miller examined every corner of the house, taking notes on everything from the safety locks Emma had installed to the toys scattered in the living room. She interviewed Tommy, who thankfully sold their relationship perfectly.

"Emma's been crazy about Ryan forever," he lied smoothly. "She used to come home talking about him all the time. I'm just glad he finally noticed her."

When it came time for separate interviews, Emma went first.

"How long have you known Mr. Blackwood?"

"Two years. I've been his secretary."

"And when did your relationship become romantic?"

Emma drew on every moment of the past two weeks, the small touches, the shared looks over Lily's head, the way Ryan's walls were slowly crumbling.

"It was gradual," she said truthfully. "Ryan isn't easy to get close to, but once you do, he's wonderful."

"And the child? How do you feel about raising another woman's baby?"

"Lily isn't another woman's baby anymore. She's ours."

Ms. Miller made notes. "You seem very attached for only knowing her two weeks."

"Have you ever held a scared child who just wants to be loved?" Emma asked. "Time doesn't matter. Love happens instantly."

Ryan's interview was happening in his study. Emma paced outside, Lily on her hip, worried about what he might say. He wasn't good at emotional conversations.

Finally, Ms. Miller emerged. "I have one more requirement. I need to see your bedrooms."

Emma's stomach dropped. They had separate rooms. This would expose everything.

But Ryan smoothly led the way to his room, opening the door to reveal Emma's things mixed with his. Her hairbrush on his dresser. Her robe on his chair. Her slippers by his bed.

When had he done this?

"We haven't had time to fully combine everything," Ryan explained. "With Lily's arrival, she's been our priority."

Ms. Miller examined the room carefully, then nodded. "I'll file my report. For now, the child can remain here, but this case stays open. I'll be back for follow-ups."

After she left, Emma confronted Ryan. "When did you move my things?"

"This morning, after Marcus called to warn me she was coming."

"He knew?"

"He has contacts everywhere." Ryan ran a hand through his hair, exhausted. "We need to be more careful. Victoria won't stop."

That evening, Emma found herself actually in Ryan's bed. They'd agreed to share, just in case anyone checked. The bed was enormous, with plenty of space between them, but Emma was hyperaware of his presence.

"Thank you," Ryan said in the darkness. "For what you said to CPS. About Lily being ours."

"I meant it."

"Did you? Or were you just playing the part?"

Emma turned to face him, though she could barely see him in the dark. "I don't know anymore. The lines are getting blurred."

"I know what you mean."

They lay in silence, the space between them feeling both too large and too small.

"Tell me about Sophia," Emma said suddenly.

Ryan sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"We met at a charity gala. She was beautiful, charming, everything I thought I wanted. We dated for three years. I was planning to propose on our anniversary. I had the ring, the restaurant booked, everything planned. But the morning of, I woke up and she was gone. Along with a million dollars from our joint investment account."