Page 34 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

I jerk back, snapping myself out of the insane daydream.

No. Absolutely not.

It’s one thing to pretend to be his girlfriend, it’s another thing entirely to daydream about it.

But the thought lingers.

Damn him.

The doorbell rings, pulling me from my thoughts.

I answer to find my mother holding Vincent in her arms.

“Hi, love,” she greets, her voice warm.

Vincent giggles tiredly, reaching for me.

“Hey, my little star.” I scoop him up, pressing kisses to his soft cheeks. “Thanks for watching him, Mom.”

She settles onto the couch. “Oh, please. How many times do I have to tell you? I’m his grandmother, I love spending time with him.”

Vincent crawls onto the carpet, and lays down, cuddling his elephant toy, as my mom watches me carefully.

“How’s the shop?”

I hesitate. “It’s… getting better. I found a way to fund the repairs.”

Her brow lifts slightly, but she doesn’t press for details.

Instead, she leans in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You won’t believe the gossip going around.”

I sigh. “Mom, you know I don’t do gossip.”

She ignores me, her eyes gleaming. “There’s big drama in town. A Marchetti relative is stirring up trouble.”

I still.

“Marchetti?” I try to sound casual, but my pulse quickens.

She nods. “Apparently, the land their vineyard is built on? It might’ve been bought fraudulently.”

I sit up straighter. “Fraudulently?”

She shrugs. “If it’s true, they could lose everything.”

My stomach drops.

If the Marchetti empire collapses, what happens to the Vineyard. It’s been key in keeping the town lively with hundreds of tourists a month wanting to catch a glimpse of its magic.

And what happens to my arrangement with Valentino? There won’t be anything left of his company to run and there will be nothing I can do to keep my shop alive.

I force my face into neutrality, but inside, I’m panicking.

After my mother leaves, Vincent seems to perk up a bit, and I decide to take him outside for fresh air, trying to clear my head.

I point to the stars, guiding Vincent’s gaze. “See that? That’s Orion’s Belt.”

His head is on my shoulder, as if it is too heavy for him to lift it up, but he looks up fascinated, even though he doesn’t understand.

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