Chapter 7 Chapter 7

~SEVEN~

I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jake's angry face, felt the sting of his slap, or remembered the cold look in Declan's eyes when he told me what happened was a mistake.

By 6 AM, I gave up trying to sleep and got ready for work. The motel bathroom mirror showed the truth I was trying to hide—dark circles under my eyes, a slight redness on my cheek where Jake had hit me, and exhaustion written all over my face.

I covered the mark with makeup as best as I could, put on my most professional outfit, and headed to Norex.

The building was almost empty when I arrived at 7 AM. Only security and a few early birds were around. My hands shook as I rode the elevator to Mr. Harris's office.

When I reached his floor, I saw light coming from under his door. He was already there.

I knocked softly.

"Come in," his deep voice called out.

I pushed the door open to find him standing by the window, looking out at the city. He was dressed in a sharp navy suit, his hair perfectly styled. He didn't turn around when I entered.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Close the door," he said quietly.

I did as I was told, my heart hammering in my chest.

He finally turned to face me, and I saw something in his expression I hadn't seen before—concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking a step closer.

The question caught me off guard. "I'm fine, Sir."

His eyes narrowed as he studied my face. "You don't look fine. You look like you didn't sleep."

"I'm okay, really. Just first day nerves," I lied, forcing a smile.

He walked closer, and I instinctively took a step back. He stopped, a frown forming on his face.

"Miss Blake, I called you here because we need to discuss something important," he said, his tone becoming more serious. "Last night, after you left, I realized we didn't talk about the most important thing."

My stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

"Protection," he said bluntly. "We didn't use any."

The room started spinning. In all the chaos of yesterday, I hadn't even thought about that.

"I...I didn't think..." I stammered, feeling my face go pale.

"I need to know if there's any chance of..." he paused, clearly uncomfortable. "Complications."

Complications. He meant pregnancy.

"I don't know," I said honestly, my voice shaking. "I'm not on birth control. I never needed to be because Jake and I always..."

I stopped, realizing I was sharing too much.

His jaw tightened. "Jake. Your boyfriend?"

I nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

"Does he know?" Declan asked.

"He found out I was with someone. He doesn't know it was you," I said quietly. "He threw me out last night."

Declan's expression shifted, anger flashing in his eyes. "He what?"

"It's fine. I deserved it. I cheated on him," tears threatened to fall but I held them back.

"Did he hurt you?" His voice was dangerously low.

I touched my cheek unconsciously, and his eyes followed the movement.

Before I could answer, he was standing right in front of me. His hand gently tilted my face to the side, and I saw his eyes darken when he noticed the faint mark I'd tried to cover.

"He hit you," it wasn't a question.

"It's nothing—"

"It's not nothing," his voice was tight with barely controlled anger. "Where are you staying now?"

"A motel. It's temporary until I figure things out," I said, trying to pull away from his touch, but he held my face gently.

"That's not acceptable," he said firmly.

"It's all I can afford right now, Sir. My first paycheck isn't for another two weeks—"

"You're not staying in a motel," he interrupted. "I have a property downtown. It's furnished, empty. You can stay there until you sort things out."

I stared at him in shock. "I can't accept that."

"It's not a request, Miss Blake. Consider it a temporary solution provided by the company," he finally let go of my face. "I'll have Rick give you the keys after the meeting."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, confused by his sudden kindness.

He turned away, walking back to his desk. "Because despite what happened, you're still my employee. And I don't let my employees sleep in cheap motels when I have the means to help."

I wanted to argue, but the truth was I had nowhere else to go.

"Thank you, Sir," I said quietly.

"There's one more thing," he picked up a small box from his desk. "Take this test. Today. I need to know if we have a bigger problem on our hands."

He handed me a pregnancy test, and I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

"I don't think I could be—"

"Just take it," he said firmly. "And let me know the result. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."

A knock on the door interrupted us.

"Come in," Declan called out.

Rick entered, stopping short when he saw me. "Oh, sorry. Didn't know you had company."

"Miss Blake was just leaving," Declan said, his professional mask sliding back into place. "The meeting room is ready?"

"Yes, Laurence Group will be here in thirty minutes," Rick glanced between us curiously.

"Good. Miss Blake, you'll be taking notes during the meeting. Rick will brief you on what you need to know," Declan said dismissively.

I nodded and quickly left the office, clutching the small box in my hand.

As I walked to my desk, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was spiraling completely out of control.

~°~

The meeting with Laurence Group started exactly at 8 AM. I sat in the corner of the conference room, my notepad ready, trying to focus on the discussions.

Declan was impressive in the meeting—confident, articulate, commanding the room without effort. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had gently touched my face just an hour ago.

Representatives from Laurence Group included their CEO, Mr. James Laurence, a man in his fifties, and his daughter, Victoria Laurence, who served as their VP of Operations.

Victoria was beautiful—tall, elegant, with perfect blonde hair and striking blue eyes. And from the moment she walked in, her attention was completely focused on Declan.

"Mr. Harris, it's such a pleasure to finally meet you in person," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "I've heard so much about you."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Laurence," Declan responded professionally, but I noticed he didn't smile.

Throughout the meeting, Victoria found ways to touch Declan's arm, lean close to him when reviewing documents, laugh at things that weren't particularly funny.

I tried to focus on my notes, but I couldn't ignore the strange feeling in my chest every time she touched him.

Was this jealousy? I had no right to be jealous.

"So, Mr. Harris, I was thinking we could discuss the finer details over dinner," Victoria suggested as the meeting wrapped up. "Tonight, perhaps?"

Declan glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid I have prior commitments tonight."

"Tomorrow then?" she persisted, smiling sweetly.

"I'll have my assistant check my schedule and get back to you," he said diplomatically.

As everyone stood to leave, Victoria's eyes landed on me for the first time.

"And who is this?" she asked, her tone suggesting I was completely insignificant.

"This is Miss Blake, my assistant operations coordinator," Declan said without looking at me.

"How nice," Victoria's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Make sure you send me those notes, sweetheart."

I nodded, biting my tongue to keep from responding to her condescending tone.

After they left, Rick turned to me. "You okay? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired."

"Well, you did great taking notes. Very thorough," he smiled encouragingly. "Oh, before I forget, Declan asked me to give you these."

He handed me a set of keys and an address written on a piece of paper.

"The apartment is fully furnished. Utilities are paid. Just settle in and let us know if you need anything," Rick said kindly.

"Thank you," I took the keys, feeling overwhelmed by Declan's generosity.

As I went back to my desk to type up the meeting notes, my phone buzzed.

It was Jake: I threw your remaining stuff out. Don't contact me again.

Attached was a photo of my belongings—books, photos, personal items—sitting in garbage bags on the curb.

I felt tears sting my eyes. Two years of my life, reduced to trash bags.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" Sarah appeared beside my desk, concern written all over her face.

I quickly wiped my eyes. "Yeah, just dealing with some personal stuff."

She sat down on the edge of my desk. "Boy trouble?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "You could say that."

"Want to talk about it over lunch?"

I nodded gratefully. Having someone to talk to might help, even if I couldn't tell her the whole truth.

~°~

Lunch with Sarah was exactly what I needed. She was funny, warm, and didn't push when I said I wasn't ready to talk about certain things.

After lunch, I went to the restroom and stared at the small box Declan had given me.

I couldn't be pregnant. It was just one night. The odds were so low.

But I had to know.

With shaking hands, I took the test.

The longest three minutes of my life followed.

When I finally looked at the result, my whole world stopped.

Two pink lines.

Positive.

I stared at it in disbelief, my hands trembling so badly I almost dropped it.

This couldn't be happening. This had to be a mistake.

I took out my phone, my finger hovering over Declan's contact.

But I couldn't bring myself to text him. Not yet. I needed to process this first.

I needed to be absolutely sure.

I decided I would get a proper test from a doctor before telling anyone.

As I walked back to my desk in a daze, I nearly bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going," Victoria Laurence's sharp voice cut through my fog.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"You're Declan's new assistant, right?" she asked, looking me up and down with barely concealed disdain.

"Assistant operations coordinator," I corrected quietly.

"Right. Well, make sure you're more careful. I'd hate for you to ruin that outfit. Though I suppose at your salary level, this is probably expensive for you," she smiled cruelly.

Before I could respond, Declan's voice came from behind me.

"Miss Laurence, is there something I can help you with?"

Victoria's demeanor changed instantly, her smile becoming warm and inviting.

"Declan! I was just heading to your office. I thought we could discuss some of the project details privately," she emphasized the last word.

"I'm actually quite busy this afternoon. Perhaps we can schedule a proper meeting next week," Declan said, his tone professional but firm.

Victoria's smile faltered slightly. "Of course. I'll have my assistant contact yours."

As she walked away, Declan turned to me. His eyes searched my face, and I knew he was looking for the answer to the question he'd asked this morning.

"My office. Now," he said quietly.

I followed him, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

Once inside with the door closed, he turned to me.

"Well?" he asked, his voice tense.

I opened my mouth to tell him, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Miss Blake, did you take the test?" he asked more firmly.

I nodded.

"And?"

I looked down at my hands, unable to meet his eyes as I whispered the words that would change both our lives forever.

"It's positive."

The silence that followed was deafening. When I finally gathered the courage to look up at him, I saw his face had gone completely pale.

"You're pregnant," he said slowly, as if testing how the words sounded.

"I think so. But I want to see a doctor to be sure. Sometimes these tests can be wrong—"

"Make an appointment. Today. I'll go with you," he said, his voice oddly calm.

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do," he interrupted. "If you're carrying my child, I need to know for certain."

My child. Our child. The reality of it was starting to sink in.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, my voice breaking.

Before Declan could answer, his office door burst open.

Rick stood there, his face urgent.

"Declan, we have a problem. Your father's lawyer is here. He says it's about your inheritance clause. Something about needing an

heir within the year or you lose controlling shares of the company."

Declan's eyes widened, then slowly moved to me.

And in that moment, I saw something flash across his face—something that made my blood run cold.

He wasn't seeing me as a person anymore.

He was seeing me as a solution.