Reject My Alpha President (Iris and Arthur) novel Chapter 3

#CHAPTER 3: Phone Call

Iris POV

“What?” I asked, though I wasn’t any more shocked than I had been before opening the door.

Life had lost its context. This was just something on top of what had already occurred.

“May I come in?” she asked even as she strode past me with a whip of blond hair and whiff of expensive perfume. I watched from behind as she walked to the sofa, her long legs impeccably cased in black velvet pants and her top covered in wispy layers of purple silk. She set herself down.

“Do you have any coffee?” she asked.

“You’re going to marry Arthur?” I asked as I pushed the front door closed.

“Yes, and soon.” She looked smug. “At first, of course, when I heard he had some human lover he adored, I said no way, but then the situation was explained to me, and well, being Luna isn’t something one just turns down, is it?”

She frowned and looked at the armchair that so perfectly matched the sofa. “Aren’t you going to sit down?”

I walked over to the chair and sat. My feet felt a little numb, and so did my fingers.

“So,” she said the second I was in the chair, “he’s told me you’re pregnant, so obviously we need to talk about that. Also, do you have some sort of career you’re pursuing?”

“I think I need to talk to Arthur before you and I talk further,” I said.

“Call him,” she said with a shrug.

It was difficult to retrieve my phone from my pocket and dial Arthur with my numb fingers, but I managed it. It went to voicemail.

“I need to wait for him to see my number and call back.”

Selina snorted, looked at me with pity, and then pulled out her phone, which I saw she put on speaker after dialing a number. It rang twice.

“Yes, Selina?” Arthur’s voice asked, and my stomach sank. It was clear which of us Arthur took seriously.

“Honey,” she said, smiling at me in triumph. “What time are we going to see the engagement dress and rings tomorrow?”

Arthur sounded a bit impatient but replied, “Ten-thirty.”

“I’ve already booked the seaside mansion for the engagement party.”

“Do whatever you want,” he said, and I could see the expression easily on his face. “I’m hanging up.”

She made a little-girl face and spoke in a slightly higher voice. “Haven’t you told your little lover about this yet?”

“Her name is Iris.”

Selina raised her eyebrows at me as if to say I should be happy he admitted it. I didn’t care.

“And I told you, she doesn’t need to know.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll leave you once she finds out?”

“She needs my money.” Arthur’s response was quick and certain. “With student loans and a child on the way, how could she leave?”

Ah, I thought, and I found myself nodding as some things started to make sense, not the least was his offer of a million dollars to meet my “need.” That was evidently how he really saw me: not a future artist he was helping to meet her goals but just some gold-digging parasite. Did he think our child was a parasite too?