Page 84 of Accidental Doctor Daddy

Her eyes went cold. “He’s my husband, but you’re my friend. Or at least, you were. What Seth does at work is Seth’s business. But you are my business. I don’t tell him about my business. You should have trusted me, Ella.”

I clenched my fists, frustration mingling with remorse. “It wasn’t about not trusting you. It was about not stirring the pot. Dom and I only reconnected after the twins came home. Before that, we were just…it was complicated.”

She scowled, pacing behind her desk. “So you haven’t been secretly seeing him all this time?”

“No. We only hooked up again months after I gave birth. We’re serious now, but it wasn’t always that way.”

She paused, arms dropping to her sides. “So you’re saying you didn’t know he was the father until later, or you did, but you just didn’t want to share that with me?”

“I knew. But I was scared, Carrie. He’s older, he’s my ex’s father?—”

Her lips parted in shock. “Ex’s father?”

I froze, realizing I’d let that slip. Dom’s confrontation with Leo was supposed to remain hush-hush, but now…fuck.“Yes,” I mumbled. “Leo, Dom’s son, was my last boyfriend before Dom. That’s a whole other fiasco. That’s why I’ve been terrified to tellanyone.”

Carrie stared, mind clearly blown. “I—holy shit, Ella.” Then she sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. “I had no idea.”

“I didn’t either, not when we got pregnant. Neither of us knew about our Leo connection when it happened. I only figured it out the morning after, and I bailed on him. We didn’t see each other again until I was wheeled into the emergency room.”

“Shit,” she muttered.

I fought the urge to cry. “You see now why I kept quiet? It’s not exactly easy to explain.”

She sank into her desk chair, face etched with conflict. “It’s huge, Ella. And I still feel…betrayed, I guess. I was your friend, your boss, and I had no clue. People asked me about you, and I had nothing to give them, other than you’re a wonderful mom. When this comes out, no one will believe me when I say I didn’t know, because they all know we’re close. That will break a little of their trust in me. You get that, right? Restaurants run on gossip and trust?—”

“Carrie,” I said softly, stepping closer. “I’m sorry. Truly. I never wanted to hurt or embarrass you. But this was something Dom and I had to figure out privately.”

“And now you’re officially together?”

“Yes. We decided we’re done hiding. That’s why we went to that restaurant.”

She pursed her lips, nodding. “I appreciate you finally telling me, even if it’s late. But Ella, this is going to be…complicated. With you two going public, Seth will find out, and he won’t be as understanding.”

A cold ball formed in my stomach. “Seth and Dom aren’t friends anyway. What else can he do?”

“He can try to sabotage the promotion, for one. Or feed rumors to the board about him and a patient hooking up. And if he finds out you’re the ex of Dom’s son? Jesus, it’s a scandal waiting to happen.”

“We can’t control that. Dom said we’re better off being honest.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dom might not care about the gossip, but Seth sure does. He’s petty, Ella. He might use this as leverage to paint Dom as unethical or a conflict of interest.”

A flush of anger lit my cheeks. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Agreed,” Carrie muttered. “But that won’t stop Seth if he sees an opportunity. He hates Dom with a passion.” She paused, exhaling. “Look, I’m still mad at you for lying, but…I get it. It’s a messy situation.”

“Thank you. I was scared of losing your friendship. And my job. I know how weird this is.”

She softened, leaning back in her chair. “I won’t fire you over your personal life, Ella. That’s not me. Just—no more secrets, okay? If I have to go to bat for you, I need the truth. Even if it’s ugly.” She paused, thinking. “Especiallywhen it’s ugly.”

“No more secrets,” I promised. “From now on, you’ll know everything.”

Carrie sighed, tapping her desk thoughtfully. “We’ll keep this quiet from the rest of the staff, though, okay? At least until you’re ready to tell them. I can’t handle Winner’s smug face if she realizes how juicy this gossip is.”

“Agreed. She’s a pain.”

“She is, but she’s hell in the kitchen, and I’ve needed that, so I let some of her shit slide. And she’s funny, in her own way.” Rubbing her temples, Carrie shot me a pointed look. “Just be careful. If Seth finds out Dom impregnated the ex of his own son…”

My gut twisted. “I know. It could destroy Dom’s career. But he’s prepared to fight for it.”

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