Chapter 66 Cassie is pregnant
The words hit Greyson like a sledgehammer to the chest. The room seemed to tilt sideways, gravity shifting in ways that defied physics.
"What?"
"She took a test this morning. She was going to tell you tonight, after dinner. She's scared, Greyson. Happy but scared, because of everything that happened before, and she wanted it to be perfect, and now..."
Pregnant. Cassie was carrying his child.
The magnitude of it crashed over him in waves. After years of believing he'd never have that chance again, after losing so much, they were going to have a baby. A tiny person who would depend on them, trust them to keep the world at bay.
Jake Turner was out there, plotting revenge.
"How far along?" Greyson heard himself ask.
"Six weeks, maybe seven. She's going to the doctor tomorrow to confirm. What happened in Vegas mystery is giving clues."
Six weeks. Which meant conception had happened right around their wedding night, when they'd finally stopped fighting long enough to remember why they'd fallen in love in the first place.
"You have to protect her," Greyson said, gripping her hands across the table. "Jake doesn't know about the pregnancy yet, but when he finds out..."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Get her away from Johannesburg. Tonight. Tell my father it's an emergency, tell him to take her and Liam somewhere safe until I can get out of here."
Kelly nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Greyson. I'm so sorry this is happening."
"It's not your fault. Just promise me you'll keep her safe."
"I promise."
After she left, Greyson sat in the consultation room for several minutes, his head in his hands. A baby. Despite everything—the pain, the separation, the years of believing they'd never find their way back to each other—they were going to have a baby.
If Jake Turner didn't destroy them first.
Matteo finally arrived at 8:23 PM, looking every inch the high-powered attorney in his perfectly tailored suit and silver hair. But there were stress lines around his eyes that hadn't been there that morning.
"I've reviewed the charges," he said without preamble. "They're extensive and detailed. Someone put a lot of time and money into building this case."
"It's all fabricated."
"I know that. You know that. Proving it is going to take time we don't have." Matteo leaned back in his chair, studying Greyson with the calculating gaze that had made him legendary in courtrooms across the country. "Jake Turner has been planning this for months, maybe years. He's got financial experts willing to testify, documentation that's been carefully doctored, and a narrative that paints you as a spoiled rich kid who thought he could play fast and loose with other people's money."
"How long?"
"To get you out? Forty-eight hours, minimum. Maybe more."
"That's too long."
Matteo raised an eyebrow. "There's something else going on here, isn't there? Something you're not telling me."
Greyson met his gaze steadily. "Cassie's pregnant."
Understanding dawned in the older man's eyes. "Jake doesn't know."
"Not yet."
"When he finds out..."
"He'll see it as the ultimate way to hurt me. Hurt us both."
Matteo was quiet for a long moment, weighing options, calculating risks. He'd been the O'Malley family lawyer for over twenty years, had seen them through corporate battles, media scandals, and personal tragedies that would have destroyed lesser dynasties.
"I'll make some calls," he said finally. "Pull in some favors. Greyson, remember even if I get you out tonight, this isn't over. Jake's playing a long game, and we're already several moves behind."
"I know. Just get me out. The rest we'll deal with as it comes."
As Matteo left to work his legal magic, Greyson was returned to his cell. The businessman was gone, replaced by a man who smelled like he'd been living on the streets for weeks. The teenager was asleep in the corner, curled up like a child despite the harsh fluorescent lighting.
Greyson closed his eyes and tried to think of anything except Cassie, alone and unprotected, carrying their child.
At 11:17 PM, the guard returned.
"O'Malley. You're out."
Matteo was waiting in the hallway, looking grimmer than before.
"What did it cost?" Greyson asked as they walked toward the exit.
"More than money," Matteo replied cryptically. "I called in markers I was saving for something truly catastrophic. Apparently, this qualified."
They emerged into the Johannesburg night, the city lights blurring together in Greyson's exhaustion. His phone had seventeen missed calls, twelve voicemails, and thirty-four text messages.
None from Cassie.
"Something's wrong," he said, scrolling through the messages. "She would have called. She would have—"
His blood turned to ice as he read the last message, sent from Owen's phone ten minutes ago:
Just got home. Where are you guys? Cassie's not here.
Greyson looked up at Matteo, his face pale. "She's in danger drive to her penthouse please."