“You just had the procedure done the other day and he’s telling you that you are pregnant with his child?” Nina scoffed as she ate her take outs. She just arrived from a really long emergency meeting with her father’spany. Obviously, Emery immediately told her what happened the other night. “I mean… you really do attract the crazy ones, huh.”

Emery sighed. She doesn’t even know if the insemination worked.

“By the way, are you really going to work today?” Nina asked. “I mean.. The crampings.”

“I don’t feel anything,” Emery said. Which was surprising. In fact, everything that the doctor told her wasn’t happening to her body. Emery didn’t feel drained. If anything, her body felt light–too light. Almost like nothing had happened.

That scared her.

She remembered the doctor mentioning cramps, tenderness, or at least some heavinessb. /bBut she felt… fine. Normal. Maybe too normal, Her chest tightened as the thought crept in–what if it didn’t work? What if the reason she didn’t feel anything was because there was nothing to feel?

She didn’t say any of that out loud. Instead, she stood up and picked up the blouse Nina had left for her.

“I’m going to work,” she said.

Nina looked up from her takeout. “Seriously? You just had the procedureb. /bAnd no cramps at all?b” /b

“None.”

“Not even bloating? Fatigue?b” /b

“Nothing.”

Nina blinked. “That’sb… /bweird.”

“I knowb./bb” /b

For ba /bmoment, Nina just stared at her. Then she took another bite of her food and spoke with her mouth half full. “So, you’re burying yourself bin /bwork?b” /b

“I need to do something. I can’t just sit around waiting for symptoms.”

“Right And are you driving?b” /b

“No. I’ll take a taxi My car’s still at Samuel’s building.”

“Well, you can always call me if you need anything.” Nina said.

“I feel tine. You don’t bhave /bto worry about bme/bb./b”

“I’m not. I’m just interested to see if that hot guy would show up bagain /bWait, Nina put down her chopsticks “You never told me what happened with that guy. The weird one. Did hee back?*

“No: He just left Looked pissed, but I don’t care. I already told bsecurity /bnot to let hun bin /b

bNina /bnarrowed her eyes “How did he get in anyway? bYou /bneed ba /bcode to get inside this building”

“No idea” Emery said She grabbed her phone and dropped it in bher /bpurse. bThis /bbuilding was exclusive and the security was pretty strict Sadly, beven /bthe security couldn’t tell her anything and they refused to show her any secuny videos because they value the privacy of their residents Bullshit, she thought “But he’s not getting in again

“Good” bNina /bleaned back, rubbed her beyes/bb, /bthen byawned /b“Alrigtu bI /bneed to crash Lock up when you leave

“I bwill /b

bEmery /bwaited buntil /bbNina /bdisappeared into bher /broom before heading to the bathroom. She took a bquick /bshower, bdried /buit, and bgot /bdressed Thankfully. Nina had bought benough /bclothes to give her boption /band she bknew /bher Hyleb, /bso bthere /bwasn’t much to worry about She tied her hair bback/bb, /bslipped into bheels/bb, /band left bthe /bapartmen

12:34 bAM /bPP

Her first stop bwas /bher office. She needed ess to her workptop and to turn off that location–sharing nonsense once and for all.

But the moment she stepped outside the building, a ck car rolled up and blocked her path.

The rear door opened.

Roni stepped out.

Emery stopped walking. Her jaw clenched the second she saw his face.

He gave her ba /bshallow bow, stiff and practiced. The disdain in his eyes was barely concealed.

“Miss Vaughn,” he said. “Mr. Dwight requests your ice. The car bis /bready.”

Emery didn’t answer. She stepped around him without pause.

Roni reached out to block her again.

??? ?? ? ????????????

“bI /bsuggest you don’t cause a scene,b” /bhe said. “You did this before and Mr. Dwight doesn’t really like it when you start ying games like this.”

She didn’t stop. “I’m not getting in that car.”

b“/bYou’re making a mistake.”

She turned slightly. “No. I made that five years agob./bb” /b

Then she kept walking.

Roni didn’t move. He watched her walk a few steps before calling out.

“You should stop acting like you’re hard to get,” he said. “You can’t stop the marriage. It’s already done. They’ve made the preparations which cost millions.”

Emery stopped.

She turned around and looked at him. He was smirking, hands folded behind his back like he had just delivered a fact and not an insult.

Roni took ba /bstep closer. “Just get in the car and go back to Mr. Dwight’s residence. Be a good girl. Stay in yourne. Being ba /bmistress isn’t that bad. You’ll still get the money. You’ll still get the luxury.”

Emery didn’t blink.

She walked back toward him, closed the distance without saying a word.

Then she pped him.

Hand

The sound echoed off the sidewalk. Roni’s head turned slightly from the impact. He blinked, stunned for ba /bsecond

Emery stood in front of him. hand still at her side. “Wow” she uttered. “That felt good” She bnced /bbat /bher hand. It was slightly rest but it wasn’t actually that painful Who would have known that pping someone would feel thats good?

“You-”

“What?” Emery smiled and took ba /bstep closer. “Do you want to dap bmer /bWhy don’t you try it.”

Roni didn’t respond right away He bstared /bat her, like he was trying to bfigure /bout if she was serious

“bYou /bbknow/b,” she continued. “I’ve bwanted /bto do that for a long tune. Ever since I figured out byou /bwere bthe /bone feeding Samuel bbes /bbabout /b

me

Hotu’s brows pulled slightly together, but he didn’t interrupt

“You think I didn’t know?” she asked “Every time I saw tum pull away, every time bhe /bquestioned something that care straight from your mouth, I knew it was you You’ve been looking down on bme /bsice the day we met. And for what? Beause you thought secretary?”

i2/3 /i

12:34 AM PP

She tilted her head. “I thought about pping you before, but I didn’t. I figured it would be too painful.”

Roni remained still for ba /bsecond, then let out a short breath. “There it is,” he said. “Finally showing your real face.”

He shook his head and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves.

b“/bbI /bbalways /bknew that whole sweet–girl act was fake. Smiling at everyone like butter wouldn’t melt. Acting innocent. But you’re not. You’re just another gold digger who happened to get lucky.”

Emery didn’t flinch. She’d been called bworse/b–especially by Samuel’s family. Back then, it stung. Now? She didn’t care. She had been in Nove. Stupidly, blindly in love.

“You fooled him,” he added. “But not me. You can dress it up, act sweet, whatever–doesn’t change what you are.”

She let out a dryugh. “You really are pathetic,” She leaned in a little. “Why don’t you tell Samuel what you just discovered? Tell him/I am vicious, a gold digging bitch,” she asked. “You can’t… Can you?”

He gritted his teeth but didn’t say another word.

“At the end of the day,” Emery said. “You’re nothing but his mouthpiece. bHis /berrand boy. His dog.” She took a step closer. “So don’t bare your teeth at me–unless he tells you to.”

He stepped forward, but she didn’t move.

“How dare ba /blowly orphan look down on me? You think you’re above me now?” he asked.

“I don’t think it. I know it.”

Roni’s bjaw /bclenched, but he didn’t say anything else.

Emery stared at him onest time. “Tell Samuel thisb–/bnext time he wants something, he can get his hands dirty himself. Don’t send someone so disgusting. It ruins my mood.”

“You-”

“Now move, stop barking like a damn dog in front of me!.”

b3/3 /b