SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE

chapter 26

“How could you announce a pregnancy without telling me first?” Duke was pacing back and forth in his office, his other hand rubbing his forehead as he could feel a headache coming.
“well you broke up with me, we’re done remember? Why would I call you?” Connie tried to frustrate him with her sassy tone. When she planned the pregnancy, she didn’t think it would be after the breakup when she would find out but a win is a win right?
“that’s no excuse,” he said through a clenched jaw “we should have talked about this before you went blubbing to anyone who would listen.”
“why do you care? It’s not like I mentioned your name anywhere… I am more than capable of being a single mother” she said in a harsh tone and he flinched a bit.
Connie knew there was no way Duke would just continue on with his life as if he didn’t have a kid out there.
“we need to talk about this,” he sighed and finally sat down, feeling drained “just because we’re not sleeping together anymore doesn’t mean you can just decide to keep a child from me.”
“well what’s there to talk about?” she asked, a small smile appearing on her lips.
“first things first, do you wanna keep it?”
He knew raising a child was no easy job, every aspect of their lives would change as they try to accommodate the child.
“of course am keeping it, why would I announce it if I don’t wanna keep it?” she questioned in a snappy tone, annoyed that he would even ask her that.
“okay, okay… I had to make sure” a tiny part of him did wish perhaps she wouldn’t want to keep it because this was a lifelong drama waiting to happen, he couldn’t help feeling guilty about not wanting his child to exist “we’ll need a meeting to discuss and agree on how this whole co-parenting thing will work,” he immediately switched to business deal negotiation mode “do you have a lawyer ready to table this?”
When signing the NDA she hadn’t brought a lawyer.
“I don’t need a lawyer, I am capable of negotiating on my own” she told him, she knew exactly what she wanted. Having that baby in her womb was a great negotiating tool and she knew it, she would make sure she utilized it to the fullest.
“alright, if that’s what you want… I will bring this to Jerome’s attention and once we’re ready we’ll get in touch” he told her.
“whatever… in the meantime I need some money for a check-up”
“don’t you have health insurance?”
Duke was no idiot, he knew she would use that baby to continue milking him. That was why he wanted to have a legal agreement in place.
“I haven’t been paying premiums for the last three months so it was terminated” she lied, and he knew she was lying but he was in no mood for the back and forth, but he didn’t want to let her think she could just make demands and he would pay up no questions asked.
“Go to All Saints hospital and have them send the medical bill to my office, they’ll call me to confirm and I’ll give the go-ahead” he told her and Connie was quiet for a minute, gnashing her teeth.
“can’t you at least buy me some fruits?” she questioned
“you’re not broke Connie, you can afford to buy fruits” he called her out “I’ll get in touch once Jerome has drafted up something for us to sign.”
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.
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“what’s this?” Audrey asked when Clement sent her a link to an app.
“it’s the local shopping app I use, I can order groceries and they get delivered to my house… and it’s not just groceries, even clothes.” He explained.
“okayyy, but why have you sent it to me?”
Audrey definitely didn’t need the app, they already had people who brought groceries to the house.
“well like I said, it’s not just groceries… you said he’s cut you off so I thought you could be using my account, at the end of the month just put whatever you need in the basket, I’ll pay for it and it’ll be delivered. If you don’t want it delivered there it can be brought here to my house, then you can pick up.”
Audrey could not believe it, was he really offering to add her to his budget? She had thought he would perhaps just ask her to send her CV so that he could help her find a job, which he had already done and she had sent it, but now he was even offering to be buying her necessities.
Audrey was really touched but she felt a little guilty for lying to him.
She was making more money in a day than he made in a month and yet he was willing to share and take care of her, what would he do if he found out that she was lying about her financial status? Would he even still want her? She knew that some men were threatened by women who made more money than them and would feel insecure about it.
“you really don’t have to do this, I’ll be okay” she responded to him
“yes I have to, you’re my woman and I wanna take care of you”
That message had her blushing, him saying “my woman” had her feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
“I really appreciate that honey, but I don’t want you to strain yourself.”
“it’s sweet that you’re worried about me, but you don’t have to, I can afford to do this,” he assured her “… and I will be hurt if you refuse” he added.
While Audrey was still chatting with Clement, seated in the lounge with a cocktail and the TV on playing a random show she wasn’t even following, Duke walked in looking a bit disheveled.
“Hey, do you have a minute to talk?” he asked, ever since she rejected him and he vowed to continue trying to win her trust, they had been on civil terms.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” she asked as she was installing the shopping app Clement had sent. She figured she would let him take care of her but would only be putting a few things in the basket.
“come with me please” he requested and led her down to his whiskey cellar, getting one bottle and opening it.
“Everything okay?” Audrey eyed him as he took a gulp of the drink.
“Something happened…” another gulp “but before I tell you I just want to assure you that it does not change anything about us or the way I feel about you”
“if this is about Connie being pregnant I already saw her post” she figured that was what he wanted to talk about.
Seeing that post had weirdly been a confirmation that indeed they were never meant to be, she could not see herself co-existing with Connie in Duke’s life forever.

“you did?” he swallowed hard

“yes… and you’re right, it doesn’t change anything” she gave him a small smile.

“congratulations”

Duke stared at her wide eyed as he did not know how to interpret that. Was it good or bad?