Impregnated By The Billionaire

Chapter 4

“How long were you planning to keep it a secret?” Vincent asked, his deep voice woven with sharp disappointment.

Noémie swallowed, feeling cornered. “I wasn’t…”

She shook her head, clenching the skirt of her dress more tightly in her fist. Why was her heart beating so fast in her chest? Why did she feel like she had done something wrong?

“I planned nothing. I didn’t even know until yesterday.”

Vincent hummed, not posing any more questions as he drove silently the entire way.

It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. But more than that, it was even more ridiculous to try.

After she passed out in her apartment last night, she woke up in the private jet she recognized all too well.

For three continuous years, she had assisted Ajax at several meetings and balls all across the world. She had traveled on this plane too many times to count. She recalled him sitting in his regular spot by the window, asking her to assess all the files before they landed or to reiterate his schedule so he wouldn’t make plans for his engaged hours. Ajax was such a workaholic. He had turned her into one without even knowing it. Several nights they had spent in the office, arguing and discussing projects or politics.

While all those memories brought a sweet longing to her heart, they also brought with them the shock of that night.

And thinking about them, her chest suddenly tightened.

Was she really going to let these people take the reins of her life?

Was there not a single cell in her body willing to put up a fight?

But what else could she do other than let fate take its course? The baby she was carrying might not be out of love, but it did belong to the Halest family. The truth was that even if Vincent hadn’t shown up with the willingness to accept the child, she wouldn’t have aborted it either way. Her heart was not that cruel.

Once the car came to a standstill in front of the huge Halest Villa, Noémie knew she had arrived at her destination. It was time to face the elephant in the room.

Pushing the strands of her dark hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, Noémie stepped out of the car when a man in uniform opened the door and held it open for her.

“Welcome, madam!” the man greeted.

Noémie only gave him a gentle nod of her head, recognizing him as the old butler of the Halest family. “Thank you, Albert.”

The moment Noémie and Vincent entered the mansion, a female voice greeted them eagerly. “Noémie, my dear, you came!”

Mrs. Sonia Halest, the mother of Ajax and Vincent Halest, pulled Noémie into a hug before kissing her forehead. She pulled away but never released Noémie’s hand. Instead, she led the young woman to the dining room and pulled out a chair for her.

“How have you been, Noémie? I hope your journey hasn’t been too tiring. I still can’t believe you came. I was afraid that you’d still be angry and wouldn’t want anything to do with us.”

Noémie had known Sonia Halest for as long as she had known her sons. This was not the first time, of course. The woman had always been nothing but kind to her. She was polite, generous, and a true lady—the kind of person everyone wanted to admire and become. Hence, it wasn’t a surprise that even right now, she was only showing her accommodating side.

“Here. Try this.” Lost in her thoughts, Noémie failed to notice all the food that had been piled onto her plate.

What the hell? How was she going to eat all that?

“Mrs. Halest,” Noémie spoke for the first time, trying to be as polite as possible. “This is too much. I don’t even have that big of an appetite.”

“What?” Mrs. Halest looked offended. “These are just starters, my dear. The proper breakfast is yet to be served. Berney!” she called over her shoulder, elegant as ever. “Bring out the rest.”

“Yes, madam!”

Noémie was rendered speechless, but she also knew there was no point in arguing with the woman. She was just as stubborn as her sons.

After breakfast, Albert, the butler, ushered Noémie to a room upstairs. Mrs. Halest hadn’t allowed her to get up from the table until she finished the last bite on her plate. And after eating so much, Noémie couldn’t wait to collapse onto the bed and close her eyes.

Exhausted and jet-lagged, she didn’t realize when sleep dragged her into deep silence.

————

Noémie had never been a heavy sleeper. So when a knock on the door resounded, her eyes snapped open. Getting up from the bed, she made her way to the door, rubbing her eyes and pushing the messy, dark curls out of her face.

She wasn’t surprised to see Vincent standing outside, although the worried lines etched across his forehead did make her a bit curious.

Before she could ask, however, he beat her to it and spoke.

“It’s time,” he said, nodding toward the other end of the hallway. “Let’s meet him.”

Hesitation and dread swiftly surged into her bloodstream. Noémie visibly turned pale. “This soon?”

“Why not?” Vincent looked confused.

“I—” Noémie tried to speak, but the lump in her throat kept her from being straightforward. “I—I haven’t even taken a bath.” She thought maybe making an excuse was the best way to go about this. Vincent might be sharp-tongued and stubborn, but he wasn’t exactly unreasonable or cruel. “I… smell bad.”

Vincent took a quick glance at her overall appearance.

“You look fine. Come on. Let’s not make him wait any longer.”

Not wasting another second, Vincent grabbed Noémie by the arm—gently—and led her toward the office, as if she were a tiny kid reluctant to go to school.

Once they reached the office door, he let go of her and took a step back. “Go.”

Another surprise struck Noémie. “You’re not coming?”

“No. You go in by yourself.”

“But—”

“I’ll be right here if you need me. Now, stop wasting time and go in already.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit—” But she never got the chance to finish because before she knew it, Vincent had already pushed the doors open and shoved her inside, closing the door behind her.

What the—?

Unexpectedly, the slight panic building in her stomach surged up to her throat, filling her mouth with a nervous taste.

Noémie pounded on the door. “Vincent! How could you?” she whisper-yelled, but got no response in return. She wasn’t even sure if he could hear her.

‘Get me out, dammit!’ she worried inwardly, doing everything in her power to yank the door open and run for the hills.