The Billionaire's Contract: Protecting My Secret Son

olstery, but the gilding was too uniform. Still, worth a fortune. Her fingers were white, wrapped around the strap of a handbag she had bought at a thrift store in Queen

y pressed a hand to her lower abdomen, a secret

her. He looked at the time. To him, this wasn't a marriage. It was a merger. It was

ference room was set to a temp

, slid a document toward her. It was heavy. It hit the table wit

The Prenupt

e one outlines the complete forfeiture of any claim to the Bartlett estate, stoc

t shake. She flipped the heavy st

ed. His mouth hu

ddie could feel his judgment. It radiated off him like heat. She's in

the money. She wanted this t

eyes scanned the fine print at the bottom, a boilerplate clause about appended schedules. She flipped back to the attached asset list. Her appraiser's eye caught it in

. It clattered loud

" she said, her voi

l's eyebrow shot up again, t

enry?" Council asked, hi

is a ghost. That auction never happened. This document is built on a lie, w

ask of indifference finally cracking. He wasn't lo

o deal," the la

his eyes locked on Addie. "We'll strike Schedu

ed document back across the table. "Send a r

City Hall no

ht as well have been asking

ned his suit jacket. One b

downstairs

n't expect him to. They walked to the elevator with a meter of empty

his pocket. He pulled it out. Addie saw the name on the screen: Mother

man standing next to her. She was thinking about Leo. She was thinking about his lunchbox. Di

and security guards. Outside, t

," Coun

Maybach wa

ncil typed on his phone the entire time. Addie looke

rvous sweat. Couples were everywhere. Some were cry

. He stood stiffly, his shoulders rigid. He looked a

he license bureau. She didn't look back to see if he was followi

. She looked at Council, then at Addie. Addie in her worn woo

ether?" the

ey said i

this union of yo

es

es

It was the most honest

n he

me down. Thu

the cle

Addi

at Council. He stared back, h

d. "By the power vested in me

three

been holding for six months. Her shoulders dropped. A small, genuine smile touched her lip

it. He saw

t, he thought. She thin

Mr. Bartlett," Addie said. She tu

at her hand. He

. "One word to the press, a

ed the rear doo

pointed toward the subwa

id. "I have to go

ze. His eye

id

son.

thought. The sob story she uses to get sympa

t," h

oward the subway stairs. She moved fast, her coat flapp

ground. He got into the car. The le

the assistant sitti

ir

erything abo

ozone. Addie sat on a plastic bench. She pulled the marri

tle

word. It was

at the screen. It was Mrs

ach dropped.

el

ice was sharp. "I'm