Page 20 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

I wake up the next morning with an unbearable weight pressing on my chest.

Not a physical one, no, this is the kind that lingers in your thoughts, a heavy knot of anxiety that refuses to untangle itself.

My business is on the verge of collapse.

I’ve just agreed to fake-date Valentino Marchetti.

And worst of all, I’ve kept secrets from him. Life-changing secrets.

I roll onto my side, staring blankly at the ceiling.

When I left Valentino three years ago, I had no idea what the future would bring me.

By the time I found out I was pregnant, all I could think about was that night and what I had heard. What made me leave. Which was the same thing that kept me from going to him.

That and the fact that I could never fit into his world.

So, from that day forward, that baby growing inside me was mine alone, and it was us two against the world.

I stopped thinking about love, stopped thinking about myself, and started living for him.

Every choice I’ve made since I found out I was having Vincent has been for his happiness and security.

But now… Valentino is back. And whether I like it or not, I have to face him.

A small noise crackles through the baby monitor.

I glance at the screen, instantly softening when I see Vincent still asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. He has been cranky lately. Tired. Not really feverish, but like something is not quite right with him.

Maybe he is coming down with the flu.

God, I would do anything to protect him.

Even if it means keeping him a secret from his own father.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand.

I snatch it up, heart pounding when I see William’s name flashing on the screen.

I answer it and grip the phone tightly. “Any news?”

William exhales heavily. “Nothing good, I’m afraid. I tried with multiple banks, but every single one rejected the request. I even reached out to a few private lenders, but it’s just not looking good.”

A lump forms in my throat.

“There’s no other way? No exceptions?”

“I’m sorry. Your debt-to-income ratio is too high. Without collateral, there’s no lender willing to take the risk.”

I shut my eyes, frustration bubbling inside me. “Well… thanks for trying.”

“I’ll keep looking. But for now, I’d suggest preparing for the worst.”

I hang up before he can say anything else, tossing my phone onto the bed.

The worst.

My entire life is already crumbling, how much worse could it possibly get?

---