Page 19 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she’s waiting. She knows I have something on my mind.

I settle onto the couch with Vincent still wrapped in my arms, his little fingers playing absently with my necklace.

He looks tired and feels just a bit warmer than usual.

Then again, that might just be me being paranoid. Or trying to get out of this conversation.

Giana finally speaks. “So… are you going to tell me what’s got you looking like you just walked through a hurricane?”

I hesitate, my fingers tightening slightly around Vincent’s small body. “I ran into someone today.”

Her brows lift in interest. “Someone as in…?”

I take a breath. “Valentino Marchetti.”

Her jaw drops. “No way.”

I shift Vincent slightly as he nestles closer against me, already starting to doze off. His warm, even breaths against my neck ground me, keeping me from spiraling. I guess he really was tired.

“Yep. And he offered me a deal.”

Giana’s eyes widen. “What kind of deal?”

I hesitate before answering, being careful not to disclose everything. “He heard about the shop and wants to be a silent investor. He’s offering me fifty thousand dollars.”

Giana sucks in a sharp breath, her mouth opening and closing like she doesn’t know whether to be shocked or excited. “You’re kidding.”

I shake my head.

She blinks. “So, let me get this straight. Valentino Marchetti,theValentino, wants to invest in the shop? No strings attached?”

“Well, we still have to go through the details. I guess he saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.”

Giana exhales, leaning back onto the couch as if she’s processing. “Well, damn.”

I bite my lip, looking down at Vincent as he sleeps soundly in my arms. His peaceful face, the slight pout of his lips, he has no idea how much I worry about keeping our world intact.

Ever since I found out I was pregnant three years ago, it had been just the two of us. And in those three years, I have fought like hell to give him a good life. But now? My boutique is falling apart. My finances are a mess. And my options? Limited.

Fifty thousand dollars.

That money could save my business. It could buy us security, something I desperately need for Vincent’s future.

It’s crazy. Reckless, even.

But could I really afford to say no?

Giana studies me for a long moment before sighing. “There must be some catch, I’d be double careful.”

I let out a long, tired breath, pressing my lips to Vincent’s warm forehead as I whisper, “I know, Giana. But I have to think about what’s best for him.”

Because for Vincent, I would do anything. Even make a deal with the devil.

6

LAYLA

Layla

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