The CEO's Secret Baby

CHAPTER 9

Emily stared at the door Liam had vanished behind, his warped offer hanging in the air like a noxious fog, throttling the room. To her, it felt like there was such a lie, the betrayal, the fight they were about to undertake. Daniel didn't budge, fists clenched as if withholding himself from pounding something-anything.

"We need to be sneaky about this," Emily whispered finally, her voice shaking but firm.

Daniel nodded but cast no glance at her. His jaw contracted and he locked his eyes on the window. The city skyline opened out before them, but suddenly its beauty seemed far off, like a planet they no longer inhabited.

You think he's bluffing? she asked.

"I don't know," Daniel said. "And it doesn't matter. We can't count on Liam because he's playing his own game. Ava's already running; she's the real threat ."

Emily went into panic mode. "What if it's too late? What if she's done too much damage?

Daniel turned to her black and fierce. "We don't have it too late. That's not possible.

But even as he spoke the words, Emily saw a doubt in his eyes. The man who had built an empire, who protected her from every storm, for the first time seemed the man who was always so certain about everything.

It terrified her too.

****

The city lights sparkled under them later that evening as Daniel and Emily sat in their living room, their phones ringing nonstop-accounts from their attorneys, PR teams. Each call felt like a gut punch, another step into the pit Ava was leading them into.

She's only doing that to torture us, Emily said, skimming the headline of the latest news. Ava's leaks began to snowball. What started as whispers turned into full-blown accusations. Sensationalists smelling scandal, journalists circled.

Daniel whispered, his voice low, "She wants me broken." She's never known me well enough, though. She doesn't know how far I'll go."

Emily heard the darkness in his tone and swallowed. "How far will you go?"

She felt her heart skitter as he didn't immediately answer. He had never spared anyone in business, but somehow this felt different. Personal. Desperate.

His phone broke the silence before he could respond. Daniel snatched it, looked at the screen, and responded.

His voice firm, he said, "What is it?"

Emily kept a tight eye on him, her uneasiness growing as his face darkened with every second. She knew it wasn't good, even if she couldn't hear the other end. Daniel's face went white; his eyes narrowed at his fury.

"When did this happen?" he yelled. "Who else knows?"

Emily straightened up with her heart racing in her chest. She whispered, *What?*

Daniel shook his head, raised a hand, listened, then said finally, "Take care of it. Now.

He hung up and just stood there for a moment, his chest heaving. Like a ticking time bomb, Emily could practically feel the tempest building inside of him.

Daniel, what happened?"

His eyes locked on hers, and for a second, she felt afraid. Real trepidation.

"Ava didn't just spread financial rumours," he said with an edge to his tone. She has gone seeking something worse.

Emily began to feel her stomach sink. "What do you mean?"

Daniel paced the room, running a hand over his hair. "She dug up a volatile old contract from years ago. There were so many corners cut.".

Emily's blood ran cold. She knew exactly what this would mean. Were Ava to let this out, not only would Daniel's reputation be in jeopardy but the whole business could get ruined. Possibly even lead to some lawsuits.

"How did she find it?" Emily whispered, barely managing to keep her voice from shaking.

Daniel spat the word Liam out as if it were a curse. "He must have had to tell her the facts. He is feeding her everything, but I'm not sure how."

The earth seemed to Emily to have fallen away beneath her feet. Though Liam's treachery went beyond what she had expected, the fear of what was to come was way worse.

Her voice shaking, "What do we do?" she asked.

Daniel stopped pacing and strapped her in, his eyes taking a harder edge. "We fight back."

Blinking, with confused incredulity, Emily "But how? Since proof,-"

"We can turn the tables," Daniel said, and his mind was already racing. "Ava isn't perfect." She has personal demons and made mistakes of her own. We simply need to find something that hits her just a little bit stronger.

Emily felt her breath stopping. You are talking about playing dirty here.

Daniel's eyes glinted. "She took all my options away from me ."

She grasped the same second his words chilled her with their pitiless intent. They had little time and less choice. If they didn't strike back now, Ava would destroy everything.

"Do we have time?" Still trying to keep her panic at bay, Emily asked.

Daniel's phone buzzed again and he glanced at it, a scowl tugging at his lips. "We might.

The doorbell rang before Emily could question what he meant.

They exchanged a look. Late, far too late for visitors.

" Who could that be?" Her heart racing in her chest, Emily asked.

Daniel walked over to the door, wary. He opened it slowly, and Emily would never have noticed the figure standing in the hallway.

"Ava," Daniel called out in a tone no louder than a whisper.

Emily's body went numb as her mind couldn't fathom the action at hand. Ava?" Present.

Ava strode into the room with arrogance and shining eyes of triumph. Surprised? she asked with a voice filled with malice.

"What in the whirl are you doing here?" groaned Daniel.

Ava smiled and took her time looking around the place as if she already owned it. "I thought I would come to see the damage closely. After all, Daniel, you will soon lose everything. It is only natural.

The sight of her made Emily's skin crawl, her obvious conceit in speech. "Get out," she cried, her voice tumbling with rage.

Ava, however, did not budge. She fixed her stare on Emily, the smile spreading across her face. "Oh, love, I am nowhere at all. Not till I get what I want."

What is that? Daniel pressed on, advancing closer towards her, his fists clenched.

Ava saw and her eyes glinted. You.

The class fell silent. Emily's heart had stopped. Daniel's face went pale, incredulity replacing the fury in his features.

"What?" he whispered, barely able to get the word out.

Ava took a step closer, her smile twisted to malevolent. "I'd be wanting you back, Daniel. I want to make sure that when you finally come crawling to me, I am the only one left for you.