His Secret Baby: Six Months After Divorce (Mia and Ethan) novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mia’s chest tightened, but she refused to back down.

“Even a stray dog wouldn t leave its home just for a bigger bone,” she shot back, her voice trembling slightly. “My child doesn’t need your blood money. Wh

you the right to judge what’s best?”

Ethan knew her well. She had always been stubborn. When she was his secretary, she was the only one who dared to argue with him over business evaluations.

The only place he’d ever made her surrender… was in his bed.

But tonight, he wasn’t backing down either.

He took a slow step forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over her. The intoxicating scent of cedar and mint invaded her senses.

“Mia,” he murmured, his voice a lethal whisper. “Do you really think you can fight me?”

The threat felt like a hand closing around her throat. She had no power. No leverage. No way to win against the head of Bayview Holdings.

Mia forced herself to look him dead in the eye and smirked.

“You’re mistaken, Mr. Hale. That baby belongs to Nina, my best friend. I just got back from the maternity ward. I literally just walked in the door.”

Ethan froze. His piercing gaze dropped from her face, scanning slowly downward.

She was wearing a tight pencil skirt that hugged every curve. Her waist was snatched. Her stomach was completely, undeniably flat.

No sign of pregnancy. And definitely no sign she had just given birth.

He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his thin lips.

Click.

The silver lighter sparked. He turned toward the window, taking a slow, deep drag. He needed a moment to process the fact that he had become a father for exactly one hour, only to lose the title.

Mia stepped over and slid the window open. Freezing winter air rushed in, sucking the toxic smoke outside.

“Since we’re being honest,” she said softly, the words slipping out before she could stop them. “If I actually had your baby… and you had to choose between the child and Chloe. Who would you pick?”

She already knew the answer. She had never even been on his list.

“Life doesn’t have ‘what ifs,” Ethan replied coldly.

He crushed the cigarette out, leaving the butt on the sill, and walked toward the door. He wasn’t the type to stand around chatting with an ex–wife at three in the morning.

Mia leaned her forehead against the freezing glass, watching his tall, dark figure step into the Bugatti parked at the curb.

A car like that didn’t belong in this slum. Just like Ethan. He had never belonged to her.

As the taillights disappeared into the snowy night, Mia’s shaking hand instinctively dropped to her lower belly.

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