Page 77 of Secret Baby for Dr. Billionaire

“Because he left her in New York,” Maggie mumbled under her breath, but her mother heard it.

“What? That’s not how I raised you.”

“We’re good now, Mother. We’ve made our peace with everything and are ready to move forward.”

“Are you going to marry Chloe?” Billy Anne appeared behind her grandmother, the side of her lips stained with what looked like maple syrup.

“Billy Anne, the grown-ups are talking,” Ben called.

“Well, are you?” Janice asked, still bouncing a laughing Sofi.

“We’re taking things slowly right now.”

“I can’t believe I have another grandchild. You are the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen.”

“What about me, Grammy?”

“You’re not a baby anymore, Billy Anne. You’re a young lady.”

“Does that mean I get to have a boyfriend?”

“Not for a long time, missy,” Ben said to his child, and we walked toward the dining hall for brunch.

Chapter twenty-six

Ben

“DoctorHayes?There’saphone call for you.”

Thankfully, I had decided against inviting the residents and the interns into the gallery to watch my surgery today. I was doing a gastrectomy, removing a part of my patient’s stomach because of a stomach ulcer. A phone call shouldn’t interrupt me. My secretary knew this.

“Gracie, I’m in the middle of surgery,” I looked up at the petite blonde who had now scrubbed in just like I had taught her. She was holding my personal phone with her gloved hand by her ear. “Tell them to call me again later.”

“Doctor Hayes, it’s an emergency.” I could hear the muffled sound of the caller from the speaker, but I couldn’t understand it. Gracie looked like she was torn between following my orders or the orders of the person on the other end. “Is someone dying?”

“I don’t know. But they said they need to talk to you ASAP.” The nurses and other doctors around me waited for my response. I raised an eyebrow at one of the attending surgeons who had accompanied me today in the OR.

“Who is it?”

“A Chloe Kennedy.” Now, that caught my attention. Chloe never called me when I was at work. My gut told me that if she had managed to convince Gracie to come get me, then it really must be an emergency. My first thought was Franklin, and my stomach twisted at what the asshole could have done this time. “Should I put it on speaker?”

“No. Could you please hold it close to my ear for just a moment?” Gracie nodded and walked toward my side, careful not to stumble over any wires and machines along the way. When she positioned the phone by my ear, I stood straight and let my hands hang in the air as I halted my surgery, blood dripping from my gloved hands.

“Babe?” I asked behind my mask, hearing her distraught tone.

“Ben! Oh, thank God! I’ve been calling you.”

“I’m doing surgery right now. What’s the matter?”

“Someone took Sofi, Ben!”

Chills went down my body at Chloe’s words. That can’t be right. Things like these weren’t supposed to happen to us. And Sofi, of all people. Little helpless Sofi.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been kidnapped from daycare. Oh, my God!” My gut wrenched just hearing Chloe’s desperate cry. And then suddenly, the surgery wasn’t important anymore. I knew my patient should always come first, but family was family. I could give this all up in a heartbeat if that meant I was ensuring my child’s safety.

“What? Aren’t the staff supposed to watch over the children?”

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