Chapter 121 Chapter One hundred and twenty
ARA
It was obvious now that Thayne had strong doubts about the pregnancy.
The realization sat heavy in my chest, equal parts hurtful and absurd. The facts were there, laid out plainly enough for anyone willing to connect them. Anyone not looking for an excuse to doubt me.
Gabe, on the other hand, was playing a dangerous game. That bastard. What was he hoping to achieve by filing a lawsuit against a billionaire?
Publicity? Sympathy? A shot at relevance? Was Emily no longer doing the magic for him?
Whatever it was, he was trying to ruin my life for the second time, and I wasn't going to let it happen.
Sleep barely touched me that night. When morning came, I felt hollowed out, moving through the penthouse like a ghost.
I was finishing breakfast when the elevator chimed softly.
Thayne was back.
I braced myself for the silence, for the clipped nod or mumbled acknowledgment he’d perfected lately. I greeted him anyway.
“We need to talk,” he said.
So much for small mercies.
“I was going to say the same thing,” I replied coolly, leaning against the table for support. My stomach felt heavier now, insistent. Standing without something to brace myself against had become an effort.
His eyes flicked to the movement. Then away.
“Did you agree to our initial arrangement,” he asked flatly, “because you wanted to get back at Gabe for cheating on you with your best friend?”
The coldness in his tone knocked the air out of me.
I stared at him, the chill in his tone cutting deeper than the accusation itself.
So I’d been right. This… this was the reason for the distance. The coldness. The way he’d been looking at me lately, like I was a puzzle he no longer trusted.
And for the first time since the warehouse, I wondered whether the real explosion hadn’t happened there at all, but right here, between us.
I straightened as much as my body would allow, one hand pressing instinctively to my stomach. “Is that what you think?”
Thayne’s jaw tightened. “Answer the question.”
I chuckled dryly. “You think I agreed out of spite? Don't forget that you kidnapped me as collateral for my stepfather's debt. What do you think? That I had a choice?”
“I think,” he said carefully, “that Gabe filing a lawsuit didn’t come out of nowhere. And I think timing matters.”
Something ugly twisted in my chest. “Yes, Gabe betrayed me,” I said slowly. “Yes, he humiliated me. And no, I didn’t crawl into your life to get revenge.” I met his eyes. “If I wanted revenge, I wouldn’t have chosen a man who scares half the city just by breathing.”
His expression didn’t soften.
“I agreed to the arrangement because I was cornered by you,” I continued. “And don't forget that you dangled my sisters' safety as the prize if I complied with the contract I signed.”
Thayne’s gaze flicked briefly to my stomach.
“And the pregnancy?” he asked.
There it was. Now it was ‘the pregnancy.’ Perfect.
I inhaled shakily. “Don’t do that. Don’t look at me like that.”
“You won’t answer,” he pressed.
“I won’t let you reduce my entire life to a revenge plot,” I snapped. “This pregnancy isn’t a pawn. I didn’t plan it, I didn’t fake it, and I sure as hell didn’t use it. The babies are yours, Thayne. I wasn't pregnant until after the arrangement.”
Silence stretched between us like an elastic band. “You think Gabe filing a lawsuit means something?” I went on, my voice trembling now. “Ask yourself what kind of man sues a billionaire while hiding behind tabloids and lawyers. He’s not after justice, Thayne. He’s desperate.”
“And desperation makes people lie,” Thayne said quietly.
“Yes,” I agreed. “It does.”
I stepped closer despite the ache in my back. “So tell me, are you doubting me because of evidence… or because you’re afraid?”
“I want to know if I've been fighting for the wrong prize all along.” He answered without missing a beat.
I took a step back, then another. The wrong prize.
Had every look, every touch, every moment he’d made me feel like the center of his world all been an act? A strategy? Something expendable if the math stopped adding up?
“I can’t believe you,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to keep it steady.
I turned away before he could see what his words had done and headed for the bedroom, the only place that still felt remotely safe.
When I reached the door, my hand froze on the panel button.
What if I didn’t wait for answers anymore?
What if I stopped letting everyone else control the narrative?
Thayne had phones everywhere. Burners. Spares. Plus devices he rotated through like chess pieces. If anyone could reach Gabe without being traced immediately, it would be one of his.
My pulse quickened, not from fear, but resolve.
If Gabe was brave enough to file a lawsuit against a billionaire, then he could be brave enough to tell the truth.
And if Thayne needed proof, I would get it myself.
I turned and headed for the guest room.
It was reckless and borderline stupid with Thayne still around, but hesitation had already cost me too much. I needed to move now.
I yanked open drawers, my heart beating loudly, my fingers skimming over chargers, watches, and empty cases.
I didn’t find any sleek burner phone. Or any encrypted slab of metal straight out of a spy film.
Just an old Android phone, scuffed at the edges, forgotten in the back of the drawer.
Damn it. It was that or nothing. The soft whoosh of the elevator doors sliding open made my blood turn cold.
I grabbed the phone and bolted. I slipped out of the guest room quickly like a startled squirrel, my pulse roaring in my ears, praying Thayne wouldn’t notice one of his precious gadgets had gone missing, or worse, which one.
I made it into our bedroom and shut the door quietly, pressing my back against it as I sucked in air.
That was when the phone vibrated. Then it started ringing.
I stared down at the screen, dread curling in my stomach.
Unknown caller.
My grip tightened.
Wait, had he noticed already? Had one of his people flagged the device? Or was this just the universe laughing at me for thinking I could do anything quietly?
I was supposed to be resting like the doctors had said back in the hospital, but here I was, running around like a squirrel and stealing.
The ringing continued, loud in the sudden silence of the room.
I swallowed hard, took a deep breath and answered.