Page 44 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

For a moment, I just watch her, taking it all in.

She doesn’t notice me at first, too caught up in her world.

And then finally, her gaze lands on mine.

Her brows furrow slightly, as if she’s trying to figure out why the hell I’m just standing here like an idiot.

"Hey," I call out, walking toward her. "Take a break with me, boss."

Her lips twitch at the word boss, but she exhales, glancing around at her workers. The place is still a mess, but I can tell they’re making progress.

“Alright.” She brushes a stray strand of hair from her face.

I smirk. “Wow. Didn’t think you’d be the type to step away from ruling your kingdom.”

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue. “I guess I can give myself five minutes.”

“Generous of you. Must be exhausting being this bossy all the time.”

She shoots me a look. “I prefer the term ‘leader’.”

I chuckle. “Sure. That’s one way to spin it.”

Her lips curve slightly, and for the first time today, she looks lighter. Less stressed. I like seeing her like this.

And I like knowing I’m the one who pulled her away.

We end up at a park nearby, sitting on a bench as she takes a much-needed breather.

I reach into the small paper bag I brought along and pull out a pastry, placing it in her hand without a word.

She looks down at it, then back up at me, her brows knitting together. “What’s this?”

“Italian pastries.” I grab one for myself. “From a little shop in Milan my mother used to take me to when I was young.”

She studies it suspiciously, giving it a sniff. “You didn’t poison this, did you?”

I smirk. “You really think I’d waste a perfectly good pastry on poisoning you?”

She shrugs. “You could be playing the slow game. Lull me into a false sense of security, then—” She drags her thumb across her neck.

I chuckle, breaking a piece off mine and popping it into my mouth. “If I wanted to get rid of you, I wouldn’t have gone all the way to Milan for it.”

She laughs, finally taking a bite. Her eyes widen slightly as she chews. “Damn… This is good.”

“Told you.”

She points a finger at me. “For a snob, you’ve got great taste in food.”

I place a hand over my chest. “I’m deeply honored.”

She takes another bite before glancing at me. “So… your mom used to take you to this place?”

I nod, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “Yeah. It was our thing. Every Sunday morning, she’d take me and my brother, let us pick out whatever we wanted. But I always got the same thing.” I hold up my pastry. “This one. A sfogliatella.”

She watches me, her expression softening. “You don’t talk about her much.”

I shrug, my jaw tightening slightly. “Not many people ask.”

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