I turn to find Uncle Ace standing behind me, expression unreadable.
“There’s someone I want you to meet.”
I nod, letting him guide me through the crowd until we stop in front of a man I recognize from video calls but have never met in person.
“Daisy, this is Cam,” my uncle says. “The team analyst.”
Cam offers a hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“You too,” I say, shaking it.
We make small talk. Cam talks about how excited they are to read the final article and how he thinks it’ll be good for the team’s public image.
He seems genuine, which is a relief.
Then his phone rings, and he steps away to take the call, leaving me standing with my uncle.
A waiter stops by, offering champagne. My uncle grabs two glasses and hands one to me. “To your article,” he says, lifting his glass in a toast.
I hesitate, fingers curling around the stem.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, watching me.
I swallow. “I’m not drinking tonight.”
He raises a brow. “Why not?”
I can’t tell him the real reason, so I go for the next best excuse. “I need to stay sharp for the event.”
Ace studies me for a moment, then nods. “Fair enough.” He takes a sip of his drink, then exhales. “Listen… I know there have been differences between us.”
I blink, caught off guard by the shift in conversation.
“But I’m glad you’re here,” he continues. “Actually, I wanted to ask if you’d be available for a family dinner soon. Just the two of us. We should talk.”
My stomach twists. My uncle has never—never—suggested something like this before.
I nod. “I’d like that.”
“Good,” he says simply.
Before I can process it any further, the first course is being served. Something with fish.
The second the plate is set in front of me, the smell hits. Sharp, pungent. My stomach flips violently.
Shit.
I push back my chair so fast it scrapes against the floor. “Excuse me,” I mutter, already moving.
I barely make it to the women’s bathroom before I dry heave over the sink, gripping the counter as nausea rolls through me.
Fuck.
Keeping this pregnancy secret is going to kill me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kieran