"Henry Worth?” Jeremiah repeated, then burst into laughter, a loud and ugly laugh that echoed through the backseat of the car like a hyena. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Andrew said nothing.

Jeremiah wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eye. “That’s goddamn hilarious. Nora? With Henry fucking Worth? The same stuck-up, snake-ass, backstabbing bastard who’s been trying to outbid me on every deal since college? That Henry?”

Andrew kept his eyes glued to the road. “Yes, sir.”

“No way. Absolutely not. If I know anything about Nora, and trust me, I do. It’s that she’s probably in her parents’ house crying her stupid little eyes out. Probably telling everyone about how I ruined her life. Maybe even watching one of those dumb romance movies she use to force me to watch with her.” He snorted. “There’s no way she’s with Henry Worth."

“My sources have never been wrong,” Andrew said calmly. “And there were photos. Not exactly public, but enough to verify it’s them.”

Jeremiah’s jaw clenched. “Photos?”

“Yes, sir.”

More silence. The car suddenly felt hot and uncomfortable, Still—Jeremiah laughed again. But this time, it was hollow.

“I still don’t believe it,” he said, waving a hand like it was nothing. “And honestly? I don’t care what Nora does with her life.”

But his leg wouldn’t stop shaking. His fingers kept flexing, twitching like they were itching to punch someone.

“She can be with whoever she wants,” he muttered, jaw tight. “Makes no damn difference to me.”

But it did.

And it was driving him insane.

They pulled into the circular driveway of his estate and Andrew put the car in park.

“Would you like me to walk you in, sir?”

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “I’m not a fucking child, Andrew. Go home.”

Andrew nodded. “Understood.”

Jeremiah stepped out, slamming the car door harder than necessary.

The second he stepped into the house, Kimberly appeared.

Dressed in something that couldn’t even be called lingerie. More like scraps of shiny fabric hanging on for dear life. Her heels clicked softly on the floor as she walked toward him.

“Welcome home, baby,” she purred, batting her lashes. “I’ve been waiting…”

Jeremiah sighed, completely unimpressed.

“What the hell are you wearing?” he snapped. “And why are you dressed like that in the goddamn living room? What if someone else walked in?”

Kimberly smiled like he’d just complimented her. “Relax. I told the staff to take the night off. I thought we could have the whole place to ourselves…”

She ran a finger down his chest, but every touch made him feel irritated.

“I’m not in the mood,” he muttered, stepping past her.

She followed him, heels clicking annoyingly loud. “Oh, come on, baby. You said you wanted a distraction…”

“I changed my mind.”

“You sure?” she whispered, pressing herself against his back. “Because I can make you forget all about...her…”

That was it.

Jeremiah turned around and pushed her off—not hard, just enough to get space. But she lost her balance, and crashed to the floor dramatically.

“Ow! Jeremiah!” she cried out, clutching her side.

Jeremiah swore under his breath. “Oh for fuck’s sake. Get up. I barely touched you.”

Kimberly whimpered, her face twisting in pain. “I—I think something’s wrong. My stomach. it hurts.”

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

“No, Jeremiah, I’m serious!” she shrieked, curling into a ball. “Please. It really fucking hurts. Take me to the hospital. Now!"

He stared at her for a long second, jaw ticking.

It was late. He was tired. He didn’t give a single damn about her stomach or her pain or any of this bullshit. But she wouldn’t shut the hell up, so...

“Fine,” he snapped. “Let’s go.”

---

The hospital was cold, and smelled like bleach and sadness.

Jeremiah sat in the waiting room for hours, and by this time his patience had evaporated with each tick of the clock.

When the doctor finally walked in, Jeremiah stood up abruptly.

“Well?” he barked. “Is she dying or just bored?”

The doctor raised a brow but stayed professional. “She’s stable. Nothing to worry about.”

“Then why the hell did you waste my time?”

The doctor glanced down at his clipboard, then looked up with a neutral face. “Because, Mr. Gold… she’s four weeks pregnant.”

Jeremiah blinked.

“Come again?”

“She’s pregnant,” the doctor repeated. “Roughly four weeks along. I’d suggest she gets some rest and avoids any stress or physical exertion.”

Jeremiah stared at him like he’d just spoken in another language. Pregnant..Pregnant?!

The word echoed in his skull like a gunshot.

He wanted to laugh. Or maybe scream. Or punch something. Preferably the doctor’s unbothered face.

But all he did was clench his fists and mutter, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Jeremiah didn’t wait for the doctor to say anything else. He stormed through the corridor, his shoes pounding on the polished floor.

He reached Kimberly’s room and shoved the door open with a force that made it slam against the wall. She jumped, sitting up weakly in bed, her hand resting protectively on her stomach.

“Jeremiah—”

“Is… it mine?!” he growled, eyes blazing as he took a step closer to her. “Huh? Tell me right now!”

Kimberly blinked in disbelief, her voice trembling with offense. “If by it, you mean the baby, then yes, it’s freaking yours. I haven’t been with anyone else for over a year, you asshole.”

He scoffed. Loudly. “Wow.” He threw his hands up in the air, pacing like a caged animal. “Just wow. You told me you were on the pill!”

“I was—!”

“Bullshit!” he snapped, cutting her off. “Don’t sit there and act all innocent. How dare you try to trap me with a baby? A baby, Kimberly. Do I look like I’m ready to be a fucking father?”

Kimberly’s eyes widened. “Nobody is trying to trap you! This wasn’t planned, Jeremiah, but it’s still your responsibility."

“Responsibility?” he laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "I don't even like you Kimberly. You were suppose to be a distraction."

Kimberly's eyes watered, but he wasn’t done.

“I was in love with Nora. Madly. Completely. And I still left her. So what makes you think I’d stick around for you just because you’re carrying some... accident?”