Chapter 62 Tempting Offer
"Maddie," he said, voice low and venomous, pulling his phone from his pocket. The screen glowed blue in the dark, illuminating his features in a harsh light. "Don't play games. I know about the pregnancy."
He held up the phone, the photo of the test result stark on the screen, two pink lines, the hospital letterhead, my name in bold. My blood ran cold, colder than the night air, my breath catching in my throat like shards of ice. How? When? The room I'd left unlocked. Stupid. Careless.
"You went through my things," I whispered, voice shaking, the words tasting like ash on my tongue. Rage bubbled up, hot and fierce, but fear tempered it, keeping me rooted. The wind rustled the hedges, branches scratching like fingers on glass, and I wrapped my arms around myself, the coat's wool rough against my skin.
Ben's laugh was short, bitter, echoing off the fountain. "Your things? In my house? With my name on the marriage certificate? You have no privacy, Maddie. Not when you're fucking my stepfather behind my back."
I flinched at the word, the accusation landing like a slap. My mind raced, panic swirling, a storm of thoughts crashing together. The baby. The affair. The fake marriage. If he had proof... no, the photo was the test result, but it didn't name Alexander. It was just the pregnancy. But Ben knew. He suspected. And if he pushed...
"Admit it," he snarled, stepping closer, his breath hot on my face, the cologne overwhelming, making bile rise in my throat. "Admit you're sleeping with him. That the baby's his. End this fake marriage on my terms, walk away quietly, and I won't expose you. I'll even pay you more than the agreement. Double. Triple. Just confess, and it's done."
My heart hammered, a frantic beat that made my vision blur at the edges. The cold seeped deeper, numbing my fingers, but inside, fear burned, hot, suffocating. The baby. Alexander's baby. If I admitted, Ben would use it to destroy him, the company, the pack, everything. But if I didn't... the photo was leveraged. He could twist it, claim it was his, or expose the timing, the affair. The garden felt smaller, the hedges pressing in like walls, the wind whispering warnings through the leaves. Ben's eyes were wild, rage twisting his features into something ugly, unrecognizable. He was desperate, cornered, but dangerous, like a wounded animal lashing out.
"No," I said, voice steady despite the tremble in my knees. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ben's face darkened, the phone shaking in his hand. "Don't lie to me. Admit it, or I'll make sure everyone knows. The board. The press. Your family. Mom's hospital bills? Gone. Lily's school? Over. End it on my terms, Maddie. Admit it, and I'll let you walk with the money. We can say it's mutual. No scandal."
The wind picked up, rattling the fountain's ice, and I shivered, not from cold, but from the temptation in his words. Double the money. Triple. Enough to pay off everything, walk away clean. Raise the baby alone. No more fake marriage, no more lies. Ben's offer dangled like a lifeline in the dark, tempting. But then Alexander's face flashed, his smile, his touch, the bond pulsing warm in my chest. He deserved to know about the baby. Even if he rejected it, rejected me, he deserved the truth. And Tamara, perfect, beautiful Tamara, would be there to console him. The thought stung, sharp as a thorn, but it solidified something. I'd tell Alexander first. Then walk away. Let him have his life. His real family.
"No," I repeated, stronger. "I won't end it on your terms. If we end this, it's mine."
Ben's eyes bulged, rage exploding across his face. "You little…"
He stepped closer, breath hot and ragged, but I held my ground, the gravel shifting under my feet. The garden felt alive now, the wind howling through the hedges, branches scraping like claws.
"You think you can play me?" he shouted, voice cracking, echoing off the stone walls. "Admit it! The baby's his, isn't it? Say it!"
I shook my head, heart pounding. "No."
He ranted then, rambling, furious, words spilling like poison. "You're ruining everything! The board, the company, I'll destroy him! You'll regret this, Maddie! Naive little girl, thinking you can win against me!"
He spun on his heel, storming back toward the house, but paused halfway, turning with a final snarl. "Think about everything I said. Give me a response before the weekend. But don't forget what I told you when we got married, Alexander's not someone you can trust. He'll dispose of you when he's done using you, and find some older woman who's his equal. Mark my words."
Then he was gone, boots stomping across the gravel, the sound fading into the night.
I stood there, alone in the garden, the cold seeping deeper, the wind whispering secrets through the hedges. My hand pressed to my stomach, instinctive, protective. The baby. The affair. The marriage. It all crashed over me like a wave, leaving me drowning in confusion, fear, regret. Ben's words stung, naive, used, disposed. But the money... the offer... tempting. Walk away with enough to start over, raise the baby alone. No more lies.
But Alexander. The bond tugged, warm and insistent, reminding me of what we had. He deserved to know. Even if he ended everything. Even if Tamara was waiting in the wings.
I sank to the fountain's edge, the stone cold through my pants, and buried my face in my hands. The night closed in, dark and unforgiving.
What now?