Forbidden Night with the CEO

Chapter Seventeen

Ava stared at Damien after he asked if he could come with her to her next hospital appointment.

For some reason, the question touched her more than she expected.

"You want to come with me?"

Damien nodded.

"Yes."

Ava looked away.

She had imagined telling Damien about the baby so many times. In some of those thoughts, he was angry.

In others, he accused her of trying to trap him.

She had never imagined him asking to be there.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," she said quietly.

"Why?"

"Because everything is still new."

"I know."

"And things between us are complicated."

Damien gave a small nod.

"They are."

Ava looked at him again.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do this because of the baby."

"I'm not doing it because I have to."

His voice was calm.

"I'm doing it because I want to."

Ava remained silent.

Damien continued.

"I'm not asking you to decide anything about us. I just want to be there."

She took a slow breath.

"Okay."

Damien looked at her.

"Okay?"

"You can come."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you."

Ava nodded.

Then Damien asked, "Does Karen know that I know?"

"No."

"Then you should tell her."

Ava smiled faintly.

"I will."

And then she turned toward the door.

And left.

When Ava got home that evening, she dropped her handbag on the sofa and immediately reached for her phone.

She called Karen.

Karen answered almost immediately.

"Hey. How are you?"

Ava sat down.

"I told him."

There was silence on the other end.

"You told Damien?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Ava smiled slightly.

"He knows about the baby."

Karen released a long breath.

"Oh my goodness."

Ava laughed softly.

"I know."

"What did he say?"

"He asked why I didn't tell him."

"And you told him?"

"I told him I was scared."

Karen became quiet.

"And how did he react?"

Ava looked down.

"Not the way I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"He was angry at first. But then he started asking questions. He wanted to know if I'd been going through the pregnancy alone."

Karen smiled.

"That sounds like a good sign."

"I think so."

"And then?"

Ava hesitated.

"He asked if he could come with me to my next hospital appointment."

Karen gasped.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Ava, that's good."

"I know. I just don't know what happens after that."

Karen sighed.

"You don't have to figure everything out tonight."

Ava nodded.

"That's what he said too."

"And does he believe the baby is his?"

"Yes."

Karen was quiet for a moment.

"Then maybe you should give him a chance."

Ava looked toward the window.

"Maybe."

She still had fears, but for the first time, they didn't feel quite as heavy.

Across town, Damien sat alone in his apartment.

The lights were off, and the city outside his windows was glowing in the distance.

He couldn't stop thinking about Ava.

Or the baby.

He leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Three months.

The timing made sense.

The charity event had happened three months ago.

And Ava had been the woman he'd been trying to remember.

Everything was finally coming together.

But one question still bothered him.

Why had she kept it from him?

He knew she had been afraid.

He understood that.

But part of him still wished she had trusted him enough to tell him.

And then he remembered the look in her eyes when she finally confessed.

She hadn't looked manipulative.

She had looked terrified.

Damien sighed.

Maybe he had been looking at the situation from the wrong angle.

Ava hadn't hidden the pregnancy to hurt him.

She had hidden it because she didn't know what he would do.

He picked up his phone and stared at her name.

He wanted to call her.

But he stopped himself.

They had already talked enough for one night.

Instead, Damien made a decision.

If he wanted Ava to trust him, he couldn't demand it.

He had to earn it.

And then he looked toward the city lights.

A baby was coming into his life.

Everything was about to change.

The next morning, Ava arrived at Blackwood Group earlier than usual.

She walked into the office and took her seat.

Everything looked exactly the same.

The desks.

The computers.

The files.

The constant movement of employees.

Yet somehow, everything felt different.

She was no longer carrying her secret alone.

And then Damien walked out of his office.

Their eyes met.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

"Good morning," Ava said.

"Good morning."

Damien walked toward her desk.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Ava smiled.

"Yes."

He nodded.

"I want you to take things a little easier."

Ava raised an eyebrow.

"I still have a job to do."

"I know."

"And I intend to do it."

Damien smiled slightly.

"I didn't say you couldn't."

"You were thinking it."

He laughed softly.

"Maybe."

Ava smiled.

Then Damien became serious.

"If you feel tired, take a break."

"I will."

"And no staying late."

Ava sighed.

"You're becoming very bossy."

"I'm still your boss."

She smiled.

"Unfortunately."

Damien laughed.

And then he returned to his office.

Ava watched him go.

Their relationship was still complicated.

But something had changed.

There was no longer a wall between them.

Later that afternoon, Damien asked

Ava to meet him in his office.

She walked in and closed the door.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes."

Damien gestured toward the chair.

"Sit."

Ava sat down.

Damien remained quiet for a moment before speaking.

"I've been thinking about everything."

"So have I."

"I want to be involved in the baby's life."

Ava looked at him.

"I know."

"I mean it, Ava."

"I believe you."

Damien nodded.

"But I don't want us to rush into a relationship just because there's a baby."

Ava's expression softened.

"I don't want that either."

"We need to figure out what we are first."

She nodded.

"I agree."

Damien leaned back.

"I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't."

For the first time, they seemed to understand each other.

And then Damien's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

His expression immediately changed.

"Excuse me."

He answered the call.

"Hello?"

Ava watched him carefully.

Damien listened without saying anything.

His face became more serious with every second.

Finally, he ended the call.

Ava stood.

"Is everything okay?"

Damien looked at her.

"We need to talk."

Her heart began to race.

"About what?"

He hesitated.

"It's about the night we spent together."

Ava froze.

"What about it?"

Damien stared at her.

"I just found out something you need to know."

And then the room fell silent.