Chapter 64 The Reveal
I walked into the sitting room, the door swinging shut behind me with a soft thud. Ben sat on the leather couch, legs crossed, phone in hand, the screen's blue light illuminating his smug face. He didn’t look up at first, fingers scrolling lazily.
"Ben," I said, voice low and even. "Come with me. We need to talk."
He glanced up then, eyes narrowing, but a smug smile crept across his lips. He leaned back, pocketing the phone without haste. "Talk? Here is fine. What's on your mind, stepdad?"
I stared at him, the tension coiling in the air like smoke. His expression was mocking, triumphant, the smirk deepening the lines around his mouth. I stepped closer, towering over him. "What do you really want from me? You can get a seat on the board without spreading rumors or whatever games you're playing. You know you can't have the CEO position, even if I'm dead, there are others who can take over. Back off. Next time we talk about this, it won't be like this."
Ben's eyes gleamed, the smirk widening into a grin that didn't reach his eyes. He set his phone on the table with a deliberate clink, standing slowly, unfolding like a predator sensing weakness. His face was flushed, veins visible in his neck, but his voice came out steady, laced with venom. "You have the guts to talk to me that way? After sleeping with my wife?"
I froze, the words hitting like a punch to the gut. My expression stayed neutral, jaw set, eyes cold, but inside, rage simmered. How did he know? The investigator I'd handled? Or something else?
Ben laughed, humorless, bitter, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "You didn't just sleep with her. You had the guts to impregnate her with your deformed dick."
Shock slammed into me, cold, stunning, leaving me rooted. Pregnant? Maddie was pregnant? The bond flared, a sudden warmth blooming in my chest, but I masked it fast, keeping my face blank, my breathing even. But it was too late. Ben's eyes widened, catching the flicker, the stunned widening of my eyes, the slight part of my lips. He barked a laugh, triumphant and cruel.
"So you had no idea?" he crowed, stepping closer, his face twisting with glee. "Your little girlfriend is pregnant? Or maybe it's not for you. Might be for some lowlife. Or could she be possibly not sleeping with only you? Now she's confused about who the father is. That's why she hasn't told you till the baby is 6 weeks, if not more."
Rage exploded, hot, blinding. I closed the distance in a step, our faces inches apart, my breath hot against his skin. His eyes widened slightly, fear flashing behind the smugness, but he held his ground. "You don't know what you're talking about," I growled, voice low and lethal. "And you shouldn't talk about Maddie in such a derogatory way."
Ben's smirk returned, though his voice shook slightly. He pulled out his phone, fingers trembling as he swiped the screen. "Oh, I know. Look."
He held it up, the photo of the pregnancy report, clear as day: six weeks, hospital letterhead, Maddie's name. My stomach dropped, the bond confirming what my eyes saw. Pregnant. Our child. Joy flickered, brief, fierce, but rage drowned it. How did he get this?
"You have the balls to sleep with my wife and get her pregnant," Ben raised his voice, face contorting with fury, veins bulging. "The press will love this story. Or the board members. Your perfect image, shattered."
I opened my mouth to respond, rage boiling, words forming like thunder, when movement caught my eye. Maddie. Standing not far from the stairs, just in the doorway, her face pale as snow, eyes wide with shock and horror. She'd just come down.
Ben followed my gaze, turning slowly. His face split into a malicious grin, laughter bubbling up, cruel, victorious. "So you haven't told the baby daddy yet? I'm sorry I broke the news to him." He laughed smugly, the sound grating like nails on glass. "Ooh, you said both of you had nothing going on, so I guess he is not the baby daddy."
"Shut up," I shouted, voice booming through the room, the chandelier crystals tinkling faintly from the vibration.
Ben laughed harder, raising his hands in mock surrender, backing up a step but still smirking. "Fine, fine."
Maddie started walking toward me, her steps hesitant, face a mask of confusion and fear. But I couldn't face her, not yet. Hurt crashed through me, why hadn't she told me? Pregnant. Our child. And she'd kept it secret. The bond pulsed with her panic, but mine overwhelmed it. I passed her, our shoulders brushing, the scent of her lavender soap hitting me like a punch. I didn't stop, striding toward my wing, the hallway blurring in my vision.
The door to my room slammed behind me, the sound echoing like a final blow