Mr Billionaires Secret Baby

Chapter 13

“| look forward to working with you, Miss Miller.” Mr. Levinson, an elderly man and CEO of Hatchys Imports, said as he exited the banquet hall.

“It is my pleasure.” | smiled agreeably and he nodded curtly before heading out.

| spent the next few minutes receiving the same comment or just a simple farewell before we dispersed from the meeting and up to the ball room where refreshment and an open bar was set up courtesy of Dante Crawford.

So, the meeting had gone on well enough and | was rather relieved by the end of it for two reasons. One, that this was finally over and two, it gave me a whole lot of confidence and reassurance that | needed.

The existing stakeholders were not willing to sell yet there were new faces present who were more than keen on becoming part of the company in the role of an investor. It was absolutely riveting to see the potential.

Despite Dante’s doubts and his condescending glances, | was happy to say that he was wrong. Reaching 15 percent will be a piece of cake and before he knew it, he’ll be coughing up a decent portion of his wealth to the company. It was a day | couldn't wait for.

“You did well, Sophia.” Adam joined me at the door smiling from ear to ear. “I never doubted you for even a second.” He pulled me in for a bear hug which he usually would not have done but there were still two remaining people in the room and the last of the crowd to leave.

“Tone it down a little bit. | don’t want any fights. Especially not here.” | whsipered close to his ear before he pulled back.

Dante and Pheobe were just a few steps away from us now. | noticed Pheobe eye Adam up and down and | knew that no amount of money was enough for this woman.

“| must thank you, Mr Crawford. His jaw clenched at my use of such a formal addressing but | didn’t care.

He opened his mouth to speak but Pheobe’s face contorted in to concern. “What for?” She asked sounding on edge that Dante might have done some thing for me behind her back.

“For setting the venue at this location. Although | don’t approve of it having being done with out any consultation with me prior to such and intrusive change-” The distate for his high handed action was thick on my words. “but it worked out well in my favour.” | said a bit lighter as | beamed but Dante was not amused at his plan that back fired.

“Nevertheless, it was a success. | hope you’re ready to accept your defeat soon enough.” | grinned and his nostril flared but | turned to Adam.

“Shall we join the rest of them in the ball room? | do believe that we should share a celebratory drink together.” Adam lead the way and walked with him close behind but not with out being ever aware of Dante’s watchful eyes follow us.

The mingling was full swing by the time we had gotten to the ball room. The men were more than happy to see themselves to a drink at the bar and the rest of them engaged in conversation that, by the jovial energy of the room, had not been business related.

“A glass of champagne to celebrate?” Adam appeared after a few minutes holding a delicate fluted glass in his hand filled mid way with bubbling, golden champagne.

| took it from him. “Don’t mind if | do.”

| took a sip then another feeling the cool liquid fizz on my tongue and cool my parched

throat.

“Some one is making use of the open bar, | see.” Adam whispered with a scandalous look in his eye as we both looked away to nod at a passerby.

“Us? we've only had one glass since we got here.” | pointed out but he quickly shook his head before nudging it to the left side of the room.

“Not us.” He said and my eyes followed the direction he slyly motioned in to find Dante drinking a glass of amber liquid in one go. “Not used to losing. It’s a shame but I’m not surprised.” Pheobe was next to him, of course, pretending like nothing was awry.

| always wondered why they hadn't settled down yet. | mean Dante seemed to sure that she was her every thing yet he hadn’t popped the question as quickly as | expected him to. Our divorce had gotten finalized within a month and these two were not even engaged. It was questionable and | refused to entertain any possibility as to why that

was.

“He is really irked by my presence especially when I’m around you.” Adam pointed out the obvious but | was glad that it hadn’t been just me who had noticed it.

“| did notice that but | can’t understand why.” | shrugged in bafflement but Adam just looked at me dumbfounded.

“You really don’t know? Come on, you can’t be that clueless, Sophia.” He took a sip of his drink while | frowned at him waiting for him to explain what it is that | was missing.

“The man is clearly jealous.” It was my turn to look at him dumbfounded. “What? I’m

being serious. Any one with a paid of eyes could see it.” | laughed at that.

“That’s rediculous, Adam. The man wanted nothing to do with me. He made his choice and | don’t think he regrets any of it. He may be irritated that | have you around as a guiding light but | don’t think it’s some thing as far fetched as jealousy.” For Dante to be jealous, he would have to care for me to a certain extent which | knew was not there.

Not after what he had done to me.

“Take it from a man, we never want to see what was once ours belong to some one else.” His eyes had tightened at their edges as he glared in Dante’s direction.

“But | was never truly his. | was a mere convenience to him and that was it.” A small lunp formed in my throat and | didn’t want to talk about this any more.

a few moments of silence had passed between Adam and | until he glanced at his wrist watch. “I better get going before I’m late for the follow-up meeting. if you need anything I’m just a phone call away. “he winked at me then placed a friendly k*ss on the side of my head.

He left and my gaze, by chance, fixed with a pair of stormy, furious ones that roared with anger. Dante downed another glass of alcohol and Pheobe looked at him in disgust. She muttered something beneath the stiff smile she tried to maintain and Dante didn’t even acknowledge a word she had said.

| brought my own glass to my I*ps and took sip then mustered up the social energy to make my rounds about the room and engage in lighter less business oriented conversation. | met a lot of new people who knew my grand father personally and were eager to work with me. Having said that, | also met a few people who conveyed the opposite.

An hour later, guests began leaving and | was thankful for that. | was exhausted and | also wanted to take Hayley out for a little bit. | scanned the room quickly taking of who had been left and it were just a handful of people enjoying the last of their drinks, | knew that Pheobe had left a while ago looking rather annoyed and Dante was some where around but this was his property so it didn’t bug me too much.

| headed to my car shielding my eyes from the sun as | did so. | unlocked it the reached for the handle but | heard shuffling behind me causing me swing around.

There stood Dante Crawford with a sombre look on his face and a bitter setting to hist I*ps. His eyes were pained yet angry and | couldn’t understand what the hell was going with him.

“Mr Crawford.” | muttered and he scoffed narrowing his eyes at me.

He swayed a little but then propped his arm out to steady himself. “Do you call Adam

by his formal name or is that reserved just for me?” | groaned not in the mood for this pettiness right now.

| crossed my arms over my chest. “It is none of your concern what | call-”

“You must call out to him with familiarity. He’s employed you in his company when you had no one, serves as your shoulder of support, and he has staked his claim.” | stared at him, flabbergasted at what he was saying.

Adam was right. Dante was jealous of him being around me but this still shocked me because it did not make any sense.

“If you have followed me to my car to utter nonsense then please do not waste my time.” | warned him but he swayed forward. He was not outright drunk, just a little out of sorts.

“Nonesense? On the contrary, Sophie.” No one had called me Sophie but him. Ever. Hearing it after all this time sent a weird feeling through my chest.

“You were seen frequenting a doctor in the early months that you ran off to Canada. | thought it was illness but turns out-”

My eyes widened and a gasp escaped my I*ps. “Have you been stalking me?!” | snapped at him. His lack of boundaries and carelessness for others privacy was infuriating.

He ignored me and went on. “You were pregnant when you left America. It makes me wonder who had wronged who to begin with.” His words were like a slap in the face.

| felt my anger bubble like a hot wave of fire washing over me. The utter nerve of this man! He was the one who had thrown me out of his life with out sparing a second thought yet here he was trying to assign blame on me insinuating that | had been the one who had stooped to a low level.

“What is it to you? We were never a love couple to begin with. A point you made abundantly clear before making your decision. If | chose to carry out my own endeavours on the side then why would that bother you?” His I*ps pressed in to a thin line.

Perhaps it was better for him to think otherwise. | owed him no explanation after what he had done. If he wanted to think that | carried a child that was someone else’s then so be it. It would save me a lot of complications.

“So, Huxley was in the picture when we parted ways. That was why it was so easy for you to just sign those papers.” His words placed a lot of blame on me and took it off him.

“What did you want me to do? Beg you for your favour, insist that you pick me whenNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Chapter la

you've made your choice.” His expression turned regretful but | didn’t care. “I’m sorry but you have no right to stand here and pass the blame that may feel too heavy for you to carry.” | yanked the car door but his hand reached and pushed it shut again. “You could have at least told me you were pregnant.” He said angrily and | resisted the urge with every ounce of me not to slap him.

“Why would | inform you of me carrying some one else’s child?” | asked sarcastically.

His face grew hard and he took a step forward causing my back to press against the car with his large figure towering over me, locking me in. | shrunk in to the side of the car. to ensure that even his blazer didn’t touch me but it was of no use because with easy breath | had taken, my chest rubbed against his clothes.

The familiar heady smell of his cologne mixed with his natural scent filled my and sent my pulse racing.

nostrils

“You have done me wrong, Sophie.” He whispered a pained whisper close to my I*ps.

“No, Dante, you were the one who did me wrong but there is no use for us to go digging in to the past.” My words were breathy and his eyes lowered themselves to my I*ps.

Lust and desire swirled through his orbs chasing the pain away. | swallowed in anticipation despite my better judgement telling me to end this charged situation that had suddenly enveloped us but my b*dy was frozen to the spot.

His I*ps hovered over mine just a hair width away from mine. “The past, you say?” He moved a tiny bit closer and my head moved back to brush against his ever so lightly.

“Y-Yes.” | quivered.

Dante lowered his mouth to mine but just to torture me with a lingering peck. When he moved away, a protesting groan escaped me causing him to grin..

“| don’t quite agree with you on that.” He growled before his mouth devoured mine.

There was nothing calm about the way he k*ssed me. His I*ps moved against mine hungrily until his teeth bit against my lower I*p causing me to gasp. He took advantage of that and delved his tongue in to find mine where we both fought for dominance. My heart slammed against my chest and the blood rushed to my nether region. His b*dy pressed against me further, his groin pressing against my thigh showing me just how desperately he wanted me.

Acar approaching snapped me out of the trance Dante had me trapped in. | broke the k*ss and nudged him away roughly but he barely even moved.

“| have to go.” My voice sounded foreign to my own ears.

| didn’t wait for him to say anything before getting in to my car and driving off.