Page 169 of Modern Romance June 2025 1-4

‘So you’re telling me that you’re about ten weeks’ pregnant with my child,’ Emilio said emotionlessly. He was going to come at this as he did with all his business dealings—with cold logic. ‘That means we should be able to do a paternity test immediately.’

Jasmine exploded. ‘I’m sorry, what?’

‘You didn’t think I would just take your word for it, did you? I don’t know you and, more importantly, I don’t trust you.’

‘You seemed to know me, to trust me, enough to take me to a hotel room.’ A vein had begun to throb in Jasmine’s temple. That was fine. She could be angry if she wanted to be. Emilio had too much to protect to worry about manners right now.

‘Yes, and as I recall we both took great pleasure from that.’

‘I didn’t say otherwise. I’m merely pointing out that you claim you can know and trust me perfectly fine to have sex with me, but not enough to believe me when I come to you bearing the consequences.’

‘Good. You understand.’

Jasmine’s face flamed red. Her eyes looked more green than usual in her anger. Emilio didn’t take pleasure in this, but he never went into a negotiation blind or emotional. That was why he always came out on top.

Yes, the possibility existed that the baby was his. If it was, he would take care of it then. Step one was to determine whether Jasmine was lying. He lifted the receiver of his office phone and hit the direct extension for his PA. ‘Rachel, I want Dr Silver in my office asap.’

‘Yes, Emilio.’

‘You would task your PA with something as sensitive as this?’ Jasmine questioned with a cocked brow.

‘My employees are fairly compensated to ensure their compliance and discretion, I assure you. You will wait here for Dr Silver to arrive. He will draw blood for the paternity test.’ It was an instruction, and Emilio wouldn’t budge.

‘Who the hell do you think you are to order me around? I don’t work for you, Emilio. You can’t instruct someone to perform invasive tests on me without first securing my consent.’

‘True. And if you fight this,’ he said calmly, ‘I will know you’re lying and this supposed child is either not mine or non-existent.’

‘How dare you?’ Jasmine demanded, enraged.

‘I dare because I don’t know you. I haven’t seen you or heard from you in two months and now here you are with this grand announcement, no doubt after finding out my name.’

‘I don’t want anything from you,’ Jasmine said through gritted teeth.

‘Then why are you here?’

Jasmine dropped her head, letting out a humourless huff. ‘Why am I here?’ she said softly, as if to herself. Then she looked him in the eye. Her expression was defiant; she was utterly unfazed by who he was. ‘I don’t know. I guess because I thought it was the right thing to do. I don’t need anyone, or trust anyone. Certainly not aman. I’m fine doing this on my own.’

Certainly not a man?What was that about?

‘I came here to inform you,’ Jasmine said, slinging her handbag over her shoulder. ‘And now I have.’

She rose from her seat. Just as she did, the office door opened and in walked a middle-aged man in khakis carrying a black medical bag.

‘Dr Silver from our in-house health care; Jasmine…?’

‘Hall,’ she finished for him.

Jasmine Hall.The siren finally had a name. Despite how much he had wanted to look her up, he hadn’t, and he couldn’t name the feeling that was settling over him as the knowledge sunk in.

‘Well?’ he said. ‘Are you staying or are you leaving? It’s entirely up to you how this goes. If you’re not lying, what have you got to lose—a vial of blood? But, if you leave, I’ll have no choice but to assume—’

‘I’mnotlying, Emilio.’ She turned to face him. ‘You know what?’ She dropped her bag on the seat, shuffled out of her jacket and folded up the sleeve of her blouse. ‘Do it.’

Emilio watched the procedure. Jasmine wasn’t nearly as acrimonious with the good doctor as she was with him. Once the vial was filled, Dr Silver placed a sticker on the bottle and asked Emilio to take a seat, then he removed a long swab from a sterile tube.

‘Open.’

Emilio obeyed the doctor’s instruction and felt the textured tip rub along the inside of his cheek.

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