of responsibilities that came with being a billionaire, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Luca

e had always been in control. Always. But Lucas wasn't like anyone she had e

er more than sh

ucas was merely a means to an end, a tool to get what she needed. Once the baby was born, she would send him

it wasn't

e office was empty except for her. She had sent her staff home early, eager for some time to think, some space

of her reverie. She glanced down at the screen,

as

he phone for a moment bef

oice steady but betrayin

to check in. You haven't mentioned anything about when the pr

Her plan had been for him to keep his distance while she prepared ever

ice neutral. "I just wanted to make sure everything was

calm, almost too calm. "But I thought you'd wan

a second. "I haven't forgotten," she said, more force

ring directly in her ear. "Just remember, Madia. Once this starts, there's no tur

st. The chill spread through her body, and she quickly turned her face away from the

oice barely above a whisper, but sha

ed, that it only made the words more chilling. "The game we're playing

er fingers trembling slightly against the phone. She slammed it down on

man with a means to an end. She couldn't let his words, his

uld give her the child she needed, and then he would be gone. Just like that. She cou

-

t made sense. The doctors would come to her home for the procedure, and she needed to keep things close. But

er his opinion on anything, didn't try to talk to her beyond what was necessary. Yet, there was something in the way

waiting for, but she was sure

ding by the door, leaning casually against the wall. The dim lighting from the chand

him. She didn't stop, but she could feel his ey

's strange. I thought I'd be the one who felt trapped in this arr

rned to face him, her eyes narro

deliberate. "You're holding on so tightly to everything, to the deal, to your po

n making sure everything went according to plan, on controlling the outcome, Lucas wasn't just

voice rising slightly. "We made a deal. That's it.

"That's what you think, Madia. But remember, once the

e quicken. "You're

ng at the corner of his lips. "And you'd better prepar

here, her heart pounding in her chest. She was losing her grip

feel the walls she had so carefully