Los Angeles, Sebastian

I sat in the conference room, surrounded by stakeholders, as they discussed important matters related to our company. The meeting was crucial, filled with discussions about the future of our business. However, my mind occasionally wandered, betraying my inability to focus on the topic at hand. Instead, it drifted somewhere else—or rather, to someone else.

Mia had been a fleeting but unforgettable presence in my life. The memories of our passionate night together still lingered in my mind, a tantalizing reminder of a desire that had ignited like a wildfire. Even now, in the midst of this meeting, I couldn’t help but think of her.

I glanced across the room, and there, sitting at her desk just outside the conference room, was my secretary. She wore an outfit that was eerily similar to the one Mia had worn that unforgettable night. The resemblance was uncanny, and it triggered a rush of memories that threatened to overwhelm me.

I couldn’t understand how my secretary had chosen to wear such an outfit to the office. It was inappropriate and unprofessional, given our workplace standards. But in my distracted state, I found it difficult to focus on anything else, especially not the meeting.

As I continued to lose myself in my thoughts, I missed out on the details of the discussions taking place in the room. My mind was preoccupied with the memories of that night with Mia, the way our bodies had come together in a feverish embrace, the passion that had consumed us both.

Just when I thought the meeting couldn’t get any more challenging to endure, someone entered the room, holding a confidential letter that required my immediate attention. The sudden interruption snapped me back to reality, and I blinked in confusion.

The person handed me the envelope, their expression grave. “Mr. Thornton, this just arrived, and it’s marked as urgent. You need to see it right away,” they said, their voice low and urgent.

Curiosity and a sense of unease washed over me as I accepted the envelope. With trembling hands, I tore it open and began to read the contents. My heart pounded in my chest as I took in the words on the page.

The letter demanded that I renounce any parental rights to Mia Anderson’s unborn child.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The shock of the demand left me speechless, my mind racing to make sense of it all. Mia’s name on the letter sent a jolt of recognition through me, and I couldn’t help but recall our passionate encounter.

As the implications of the letter sank in, I felt a rush of emotions. Confusion, anger, and a gnawing sense of guilt swirled within me. Why would Mia make such a request? And an unborn child? Was she pregnant with me? She said she was infertile!

The stakeholders in the room watched me closely, waiting for a response. But I was at a loss for words, unable to process the sudden turn of events. The meeting had taken an unexpected and bewildering twist, and I needed time to understand the gravity of the situation.

Finally, I managed to speak, my voice laced with uncertainty. “I need to cut this meeting short,” I said, looking up at the concerned faces around me. “I have important business to attend.” And with that I excused myself out of the conference room.

New York, Mia

“You did what?!” I looked at my brother Kieran and then back at my best friend Bella. “Well, in my defense, I didn’t know he would do that,” Bella said, glaring at my brother. “You’re such a dimwit, a psychopath.” “Well at least I’m on a path sweetheart,” Kieran shot back.

“Maybe if I knew you divorced Gavin, I wouldn’t have done it!” He said to me, I sighed, the weight of my marriage and subsequent divorce with Gavin pressing on me. “How come I didn’t know about the divorce?” He asked.

“I just didn’t want it to be a big deal. If the media catches a scent of this, do you know how disappointed everyone will be?” I explained. My parents had always been disappointed in my career choice. They wanted me to study business administration, but I pursued my dream of becoming a fashion consultant instead. That’s when they orchestrated my marriage to Gavin, a wealthy and respected business tycoon, hoping he would inspire me to follow in their footsteps. Little did they know, Gavin’s presence only made me feel inadequate.

My parents weren’t the only ones imposing their expectations. Gavin’s parents wanted me to stay home, something I didn’t enjoy but reluctantly agreed to. I felt like my wings were clipped when I was married to Gavin.

“I’m proud of you and everything you have accomplished so far,” my brother reassured me. I sighed again. “So you called Gavin when you saw the pregnancy result?” I inquired. My brother had discovered the pregnancy test result from the doctor on my nightstand while using my bathroom.

“Yeah,” Kieran replied. “I thought he was your baby daddy, and I immediately called him to congratulate him.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Didn’t you think it’s weird that I moved in with Bella?” I questioned.

Kieran shrugged. “You always sleep with Bella when you’re in New York. I thought you finally went back into the fashion world and decided to stay here. It’s your old apartment too,” he explained.

“What did Gavin say?” I asked, my heart pounding with anxiety.

Kieran hesitated for a moment before responding. “He was… shocked, to say the least. Apparently you were diagnosed infertile. He told me about his affair. And now he knows the baby with his mistress isn’t even his.”

I let out a bitter laugh. Karma is a bitch. “Good for him, but anyway how did you even know about Sebastian?!”

This time Bella looked at me guiltily. “Well, he kind of pressured me into telling him who the real baby father is.”

“I wasn’t pressuring you.” Kieran said.

“You pointed a knife at me!”

“I was slicing apples.”

“Liar!”

“Guys, guys, focus please!”

“So,” Bella continued, “Kieran was kind of forcing the truth out of me. And I told him about Sebastian.”

“And what exactly did you tell Sebastian?” I asked, looking at Kieran.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I furrowed my eyebrows and went to open it.

My jaw literally fell on the floor. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

In front of me stood no other than Sebastian Thornton.