PREGNANT BY THE WRONG BILLIONAIRE

THE EXTORTION

The silence in the east wing hung heavy, punctuated only by the low hum of the gate speaker and the steady rain beating against the glass.

Julian's gaze moved from the monitor on the wall down to Evelyn. "What medical records does he have, Evelyn?"

"None!" Evelyn's chest rose and fell fast as she tried to think. "I kept all my clinic receipts and file copies in a locked box under my bed. He couldn't have." She cut herself off, her eyes widening. "The spare key. When I moved my things out on Tuesday, I couldn't find the spare key."

"He opened your box," Julian said smoothly.

"Evelyn!" Daniel's voice barked through the speakers again. "I have the full Aegis donor contract! I have the donor profile codes, the payment receipts, and the clinic's signature page! You want the press to know you bought a donor sample behind everyone's back?"

Evelyn walked up to the wall panel, her hands trembling. "He's bluffing about the donor code. Aegis keeps the donor identity sealed even from the patient until the third trimester!"

"He isn't bluffing about the press," Julian said. He reached past her and pressed the intercom button. "Daniel."

On the monitor, Daniel flinched at the sound of Julian's voice, then straightened his jacket and looked straight into the camera lens.

"Vance," Daniel said, a small smile touching his lips. "I figured you'd be listening. Tell your security to open the gate."

"You are standing on private property with stolen documents," Julian said into the microphone. "Turn around and return to your car."

"Try moving me," Daniel shot back, holding the thick white envelope higher against the lens. "The moment your guards touched me, my lawyer had email scans of every page to the Daily Chronicle. The story won't just be about Evelyn's sudden pregnancy, Vance. It'll be about Vance International bypassing donor anonymity laws."

Evelyn reached out, grabbing Julian's sleeve. "Julian, if he leaks those compliance pages, Aegis will use that to freeze my care!"

Julian didn't look down at her hand. He kept his eyes on the screen, his posture relaxed.

"What do you want, Daniel?" Julian asked.

"Fifty thousand dollars," Daniel said without hesitating. "Cash or a cashier's check. And a signed agreement stating Evelyn won't sue me for breaking our apartment lease. You give me that, and I hand over the original file and the flash drive right here."

Evelyn stared at the monitor in disgust. "Fifty thousand dollars? Daniel, you pathetic"

"Deal," Julian interrupted flatly.

Evelyn turned to him, her eyes wide. "Julian, no! You can't give him fifty thousand dollars! That's extortion!"

"It's a nuisance fee," Julian said, releasing the talk button. He turned to Marcus, who stood near the hallway door. "Marcus, have security bring Daniel into the gatehouse holding room. Do not let him step onto the main drive."

"Understood, sir," Marcus said, tapping his tablet before stepping out.

"Are you out of your mind?" Evelyn demanded, stepping directly into Julian's path as he grabbed his coat off the chair. "If you pay him, he's just going to come back in two weeks asking for more! That's how Daniel operates!"

"He won't come back," Julian said, slipping his arms into his suit jacket.

"How can you be so sure?"

Julian adjusted his cuffs, meeting her gaze. "Because fifty thousand dollars isn't his payout, Evelyn. It's his paper trail."

Evelyn paused, trying to catch up. "What?"

"If I destroy his leverage quietly, he remains an ex-boyfriend with a grudge and a story," Julian explained quietly. "If I pay him fifty thousand dollars in exchange for stolen documents, it shifts from a civil dispute into a felony. Wire fraud, grand larceny, and extortion."

Evelyn's breath hitched in her throat. "You're setting a trap."

"He set it himself," Julian corrected. "He walked up to my gate with stolen property and made a financial demand on a recorded intercom line. He just signed his own arrest warrant."

Evelyn stared at him, a chill settling over her. The speed with which he turned a crisis into an absolute dead end was terrifying.

"You called the police," Evelyn realized aloud.

"My security detail called the precinct five minutes ago," Julian said, checking his watch. "They are picking him up at the gatehouse. Stay in this wing, Evelyn."

"I'm coming with you," Evelyn said immediately, reaching for her coat.

Julian caught her arm, his grip firm but careful. "No. You're exhausted, you're carrying twins, and you don't need to stand in a cold gatehouse while they handcuff your ex."

"He stole my private medical records, Julian!" Evelyn said, her eyes flashing. "He tried to ruin my life and sell my files for quick cash! I am going to look him in the eye when he realizes what he did."

Julian looked at her for a moment. The panic in her face was completely gone, replaced by quiet, sharp anger.

"Fine," Julian said, letting go of her arm. "Grab your coat."

Five minutes later, inside the estate's private gatehouse, Daniel stood near the wall heater, wringing out his wet sleeves and pacing back and forth. Two of Julian's security guards stood silently by the door.

The main door opened, and Julian walked in, shaking the water from his umbrella. Evelyn stepped in right behind him, her coat buttoned to her collar.

Daniel's face lit up with an arrogant smile. "Evelyn! Look at you, playing house in the big estate. I knew you'd come down once Vance realized I had you both cornered."

Evelyn kept her hands buried in her coat pockets, her jaw tight. "You're unbelievable, Daniel."

"I'm practical," Daniel scoffed, pulling the thick file and a small USB drive from his pocket and placing them on the desk. "Where's the money, Vance? My lawyer is waiting for the transfer confirmation."

Julian walked slowly over to the desk. He didn't look at the file, nor did he reach for a checkbook. He simply stood there, towering over the desk with his hands in his pockets.

"The money is being processed," Julian said softly.

"Great," Daniel said, reaching for a pen on the blotter. "Hand over the lease waiver and we can"

The sharp, wailing screech of police sirens cut through the sound of the rain outside. Red and blue lights flashed through the frosted windows, washing over the walls.

Daniel froze, dropping the pen. He turned toward the window. "What is that?"

The gatehouse door opened, and two uniformed police officers walked in from the rain.

"Daniel Reed?" the lead officer asked, pulling handcuffs from his belt. "Hands behind your back."

Daniel went pale, taking a step backward against the wall. "Wait! What is this? Vance, what did you do?!"

"Mr. Reed, you're under arrest for grand larceny and extortion," the officer said, pulling Daniel's arm behind his spine and clicking the steel cuff into place.

"This is a mistake! I was settling a lease dispute with my ex-girlfriend!" Daniel yelled, turning toward Evelyn as the second officer secured his other wrist. "Evelyn! Tell them! Tell them we had an agreement!"

Evelyn walked forward slowly, stopping a few feet away from him. She looked at him as he struggled against the officers.

"We didn't have an agreement, Daniel," Evelyn said, her voice completely steady. "And those files weren't yours to take."

"Evelyn, please!" Daniel panicked, his voice pitching high. "Vance, call them off! I'll give you the drive! I won't say another word!"

Julian didn't answer him. He picked up the manila file and the USB drive from the desk, handing them directly to the lead officer.

"The recorded intercom audio is already on a server waiting for your detective," Julian said.

"Appreciate it, Mr. Vance," the officer said, turning Daniel toward the exit. "Let's go, son."

"Evelyn!" Daniel shouted as he was led out into the downpour toward the idling squad car. "Evelyn!"

The door clicked shut, leaving only the sound of rain against the roof.

Evelyn stood by the desk, letting out a long, quiet breath. The adrenaline was finally leaving her body, leaving her shoulders heavy.

"It's done," Julian said, stepping up beside her.

Evelyn looked at her hands, still cold inside her pockets. "Is it? Aegis still has their legal team. The press knows something happened. And now my ex is in a police report attached to your address."

"Aegis won't be an issue by the end of the week," Julian said calmly. "And Daniel won't be bothering you again."

Evelyn turned to look at him, searching his face. "You handle everything like a corporate takeover, don't you?"

"I handle threats when they appear," Julian said, meeting her eyes. "You'd do the same."

Before Evelyn could reply, Julian's phone vibrated sharply in his palm. He looked down at the screen, and his eyebrows drew together into a sharp, deep line.

Evelyn caught the sudden shift instantly. "What is it?"

Julian locked his phone, his jaw tightening. "Aegis didn't file that court injunction alone."

"What do you mean?"

Julian looked at her, his voice dropping into a quiet, dangerous register.

"The legal injunction was co-signed by my father."