My Billionaire Boss Is My Secret Baby Daddy

Elena POV As I stepped back to look at my reflection in my vanity mirror, one of the picture frames resting by the side fell face down and broke. I panicked because Mama always said, “If a picture frame or mirror breaks before something good happens, it’s a bad omen.” I crouched down and turned the frame toward me. It was the picture I took with Ethan when we had just started dating. We looked so happy back then. I sighed, placed the photo where the frame used to be, and quickly cleaned up the broken glass. When I was done, I checked the time and realized I was going to be late for work if I didn’t leave the apartment immediately. I grabbed my bag and rushed to the bus stop. As the bus moved through the city, my mind kept drifting back to the broken frame. I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling, but it stayed with me. I finally got off the bus and hurried to my desk. I couldn’t let Mr. Hamilton see me come in even a minute late or I would get an earful. “Sleep late?” a voice said behind me, startling me. I turned around on my chair and saw Ethan holding a cup with a grin on his face. I placed a hand on my chest. “Ethan, don’t startle me like that. For a second, I thought you were Mr. Hamilton.” He laughed. “You should have seen your face.” He dropped the cup on my table and leaned against it. “So, why is the punctual Elena late to work today? Did you decide to walk to the office like I suggested?” “I was only a minute late, and no, I did not walk to the office.” “Well, you should at least walk a distance. This fat won’t burn itself.” “Ethan, we’ve spoken about this. I will get the gym membership by next week, so drop it.” He raised both hands. “Fine, I won’t say anything about your weight, but you haven’t told me why you came in late. You usually arrive before anyone.” I let out a sigh. “Our picture frame fell and broke when I was about to leave the house. I had to clean up the mess.” “A frame? Here I was thinking you had an emergency to take care of.” “Just so you know, a broken picture frame is a bad omen. I can’t believe you’re taking this lightly.” Ethan burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re into that superstitious nonsense.” I was already getting annoyed. “Why are you even here?” “I got a new herbal tea that I wanted you to have, because I don’t want you taking juice or coffee. You really need to watch what you—” “Ethan, don’t.” He smiled. “My apologies. The second reason I’m here is to ask about the marketing analysis document for Mrs. Claire. She asked you to send it today, but I thought of coming here to get it myself.” “I totally forgot about it,” I said, quickly unlocking my system. As I searched for the saved document, Ethan picked up the cup of tea and accidentally spilled it all over my blouse. I groaned. “Ethan!” “I’m so sorry, Elena. I wanted you to have some.” “It’s fine. I’ll clean it,” I said, rushing to the restroom. I knew Ethan cared for me, but sometimes his jokes and controlling comments got to me. I placed my pink handkerchief under the running tap and dabbed at the stained area of my top. After struggling for what felt like forever, the stain finally came off, but the fabric stayed damp. I let out a deep sigh and returned to my desk. Ethan was sitting in my chair. He stood up quickly when he saw me. “I’m so sorry about the tea. It wasn’t my intention. Please forgive me.” “It’s fine, Ethan.” I sat down, unlocked my system again, and printed out the documents he needed. Once he left, I tried to focus on tomorrow’s big presentation. Every two years, the company held a competition where departments presented solutions to client problems. The best one got a promotion and a huge raise. I had won the last one, and I desperately needed to win this time too. The extra money would finally let me breathe. I had already finished my slides. I just needed to rehearse my talking points. At lunchtime, I rushed to the cafeteria for the chicken tacos—they only served them once every two weeks. But as I reached the front of the line, Ethan handed me a bowl of salad instead. “You can’t have that, Elena.” “It’s just this one time. Let me have it today,” I pleaded. “Elena, we’ve talked about this. You need a proper diet,” he said sternly. I reluctantly took the salad and sat down. One bite made me scrunch my face. I hated salad, but Ethan had me on a strict diet and wouldn’t let me eat what I wanted. He sat across from me, happily eating the chicken tacos. “Ethan, at least let me have a taste.” “Eat your salad quietly.” Anger rose inside me. I stood up, left the salad on the table, and walked out of the cafeteria. Ethan called after me, but I didn’t turn back. Later, while I was typing at my desk, Ethan approached again. “So, you walked out because I tried to help you?” I ignored him and kept typing. “Here,” he said. I looked up. He was holding out a chicken taco with an apologetic smile. “I realized I was being too harsh. Please don’t be angry at me.” I stood up, grinning like an i***t, and hugged him. “Apology accepted.” He hugged me back tightly. ***************** Presentation day finally arrived. I stood outside the conference hall, my heart racing with nerves and excitement. Only five people per department were selected. I was number five. Ethan was number two, and I heard loud applause and praise when he stepped out. He even kissed my cheek before going in. Today was a free day—once we finished presenting, we could go home early. I sat on one of the chairs, reviewing my notes until the CEO’s secretary opened the door. “Ms. Elena Hart.” I stood up. “Yes.” “We’re ready for your presentation.” I walked into the conference room with full confidence, handed over my flash drive, and waited for the projector to come on. The room was full of senior managers and department heads. This was my chance. As I was about to speak, the projector screen lit up. “This presentation was compiled and written by Elena Hart. The department of—“ I started, but the murmur from the board outweighed my voice. “Mh, uhm, Miss Hart,” one of the board members started. “Someone has already presented this. You might want to check your slides again.” “I assure you that I wrote everything myself sir,” I said with an air of confidence. “Why is Ethan Cole written at the end of your presentation then?” An uneasiness settled at my stomach, as I looked with bewildered eyes, Ethan’s name sitting pretty at the right end of my slides. My heart pounded against my ribs, as I tried to process it all. I tried to click to the next slide, but the system froze. Before I could understand what went wrong, error messages started popping up everywhere. Sensitive company files appeared on the screen, files I had never opened. Client contracts, financial records, confidential data from competing projects, everything I didn’t have in my system. It looked like I was trying to steal information and send it to an outside server. Gasps and murmurs filled the room. “What is this?” one of the directors demanded. “I… I don’t… I didn’t do this!” I stammered, clicking desperately. But the more I tried, the worse it got. It now looked like I was sabotaging the company, leaking secrets to a competitor right in the middle of my presentation. Security guards entered the room and Mr. Hamilton glared at me with pure disgust. Ethan stood at the back, his arms crossed, watching with a calm expression I had never seen before. “Ms. Hart, you are under investigation for corporate espionage and data theft,” the head of security announced loudly. “Hand over your company devices immediately.” My world spun. This couldn’t be happening. I had worked so hard. I had poured everything into that presentation. As the guards moved toward me, I looked straight at Ethan. For a split second, I saw something cold and satisfied in his eyes. And in that moment, I realized the man I loved had just destroyed my entire life.