Page 66 of The Revenge Plan

I stared back at the ballroom. I rushed back in. Only she was no longer there.

41

After Caiden left, I thought about what I was doing. Telling him I’m about to have his child wouldn’t probably go down well. He could deny it. That was the best outcome. Worse, he could try to take the baby away from me. Claim full custody. He had more than enough on me to accomplish it. He had more money too. I would be dumb to give him that much ammunition to hurt me. I looked down at the empty seat that he had occupied, then up at the ceremony. It was about to end. There was not much that was required of me now. I decided to leave before he came back. If he asked me what I wanted to tell him and I failed to give him a convincing lie, he could think that there was something up.

That left only one option. Run. I glanced in the direction he had gone. I could see him through the sliver of the semi closed doors. He was standing outside the door talking on the phone. I got up, bade farewell to my table mates and rushed out through the opposite exit.

I only felt relief when I reached my apartment. I got out of my dress and went into the shower. It was cold, but I didn’t care. It was when I was changing into my comfy home clothes that I heard a banging on the door. No one came to my apartment except the landlord and she had a small soft knock. This was a different person. The knock came again. This time it was so harsh I thought it would break down the door.

“Open up, Hailey.”

Fuck. How did he get my address? I could have chosen any other option, but I went to the door. I opened it. It was him. He was standing with his bow tie hanging over his neck and a few buttons of his shirt untied. Except for the harsh scowl on his face, he looked the way he had the night we had stolen the deed.

“You’re waking up my neighbors.”

He looked around at the corridor with all the doors closed, “They don’t seem to mind,” he said, striding past me.

“I didn’t give you permission to come in. And how did you get my address?”

“Technically, I had it the day you moved in?”

What in the hell did that mean? “Are you following me?”

He strolled around, taking stock of the apartment. Of the wide open suitcase on the floor, the unmade bed, and the one couch in the middle of the room. “I’m not following you, Hailey, I’m investigating you.”

“I hope you don’t have people following me. That’s stalking. I can file a restraining order.”

“Don’t bother,” he took a seat on the couch and stared up at me. I was standing right in front of him, “you won’t be followed anymore.”

“Unbelievable! You’re just like my father.”

“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found out what you were hiding from me,” his gaze lowered to my belly. My hand instinctively went to it, simultaneously betraying me.

“Ah. So it’s true.” His voice was like a deep rumble that reverberated through the small apartment. “Were you going to tell me?”

I went for the truth, “I wanted to.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know, Caiden. Why would I want to tell the person who hates me most in this world who is also intent on destroying me, that I have his child? What would you do if you were in my place?”

Guilt flickered over his face before it disappeared. He rose. “Are you going to keep it?”

I nodded.

“Then I should be involved.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. You don’t have to take responsibility or whatever you feel you have to do. I’ll do fine on my own.”

“Will you?” he glanced around, “you don’t seem to be doing great at the moment.” Fuck This. I had had enough of him. I went over to the door and opened it. “Get out.”

“Oh, come on! I have a right to a say on how I want my child to be raised. Your father cut you off. Your job pays you peanuts. I, on the other hand, happen to have lots of money. What have you been doing with my allowance, by the way? Because I’m pretty sure that much is enough to rent rooms at the Ritz.”

“I have been giving it away,” I muttered.

“What?” he frowned.

“I have been giving it away in your name okay. I didn’t want to be beholden to you whenever I wanted my freedom. Like now. When I want you out of my apartment.” He walked over to where I was standing. I thought I had gotten through to him, eventually. Instead, he removed my hand from the handle of the door and closed it.

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