Page 53 of Marrying a Billionaire

“You’re pregnant,” he said and the mentally slapped himself. Of course, she was. Why did he have to state the obvious?

She chewed her lip and nodded. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” she whispered.

His heart squeezed. How scared she must have been this entire time. Hiding this secret like it was something terrible. It hurt that she felt as if she couldn’t tell him. How terrible of a person was he to make her feel as if this was something she needed to hide.

“You could have told me,” he said as he smiled at her. He wanted to tell her that everything was okay.

She chewed her lip as she studied him. “Thanks.”

Joshua cleared his throat. “Well, isn’t that nice. I’m happy that the two of you could talk.” He stood and walked over, extending his hand toward the bear. “It was nice of you to bring this by.” He shot Reed a triumphant smile. “Anything else you want to say to Lillian?”

Reed cleared his throat as he ran his gaze over Joshua. Man, he did not like this guy, but he was right. If Lillian was going to be happy, the best thing he could do was step aside. If all she had ever wanted was a family, then he wasn’t going to stand in the way of it.

“I’ve decided to come clean to my grandfather and tell him about the contract. If he uses this as a reason for me not to be CEO, so be it. I’ve been contemplating the idea of starting my own company.” It hurt to speak those words out loud, but he couldn’t work for Mason if his grandfather decided to allow him to inherit. Besides, he was done with contractually binding a woman to him. The next time he fell in love, it would be for that alone.

When he met Lillian’s gaze, his stomach sank. She looked so small and fragile. She was blinking as she nodded. “I understand.” Then her lip quivered. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

Reed took a step toward her, but Joshua beat him to it. He sat down on the bed next to Lillian and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I think you should go now,” he said, narrowing his eyes at Reed.

Not wanting to stand there and break Lillian’s heart anymore, he nodded and made his way out of her room and into the hall. He paused, leaning his back against the wall. He was fighting the tug that he felt to go back into the room and confess everything to her.

He wanted her to know that he loved her. That he didn’t care about the contract. She was the person he was meant to be with. And her having a baby was just the whipped cream on top.

But it wasn’t what she wanted. When she looked at him, all she would see was the contract she had to sign to be with him. If she could make a family with the baby’s father, then Reed wasn’t going to stand in the way.

He pushed off the wall and made his way down the hall. When he stopped in front of the elevator, he heard someone call his name. For a moment, he allowed the hope that it was Lillian. But he groaned when he saw Joshua running to catch up to him.

When he stopped in front of Reed, he clasped his hands together. “This is a bit awkward, but Lillian wanted me to check with you to make sure you were still going to compensate her for her efforts.” He shrugged. “After all, you’re the one calling this all off.”

Reed raised his eyebrows. Lillian wanted this? Of course. That was all women saw him as. A bank account. For some reason, it didn’t quite feel right, but what did Reed know. He was beginning to think that he might not ever understand women.

“She will get what the contract said.” He would be true to his word even if she couldn’t.

Joshua smiled. “Wonderful.”

The elevator doors opened, and Reed stepped onto the car. As the door closed, Reed blew out his breath. He couldn’t believe that his relationship with Lillian was ending. It was done. Over. Well, he felt with one heartache, he was a pro by now.

Chapter Nineteen

Lillian sat on the hospital bed the two days later. She was dressed and ready to get the heck out of this place. She was tired of the constant nurses and doctors. And if she were honest with herself, she was tired of Joshua’s insistence that he stay. She was ready for some space from him.

Plus, she was having a hard time forgetting Reed. Every time someone knocked on the door, her heart skipped a beat that it was Reed coming back to tell her that he was sorry, and he couldn’t live without her. Which was something she had realized that she couldn’t do. She couldn’t live without him.

But, he’d pulled away when he found out she was pregnant, just as she feared. She’d broken his trust and she doubted that he would ever be able to forgive her. It was all her fault.

Joshua walked into the room and smiled at her. “Doc says you’re good to go,” he said, grabbing her overnight bag the Tamara had brought her and slung it over his shoulder.

She nodded and stood. The last thing she wanted to do was go anywhere with Joshua, but she couldn’t go back to Reed’s place and her old apartment was already rented out. She needed a place to stay while she figured out just what she was going to do before the baby got here. Which could happen in the next month or so.

Her fingers found their way down to her stomach. She’d gotten attached to this little girl from all the ultrasounds they’d done on her. Lillian had been able to see her tiny toes and fingers and watch her heart beat. She was very much alive, and Lillian had fallen in love with her.

Joshua lead the way out of the room and down the hall. They boarded the elevator and rode it to the lobby. When they got to the front doors, Joshua held up his hand.

“I’ll grab the car,” he said, walking through the automatic doors and out to the parking lot.

Lillian nodded and sat on the bench just inside the doors. Her phone chimed, and she pulled it from her purse. It was a text from Persephanine, Reed’s assistant.

Lillian’s heart picked up speed as she clicked on it.

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