DAMARIS' POV

Two months later...

It has been exactly two months since I walked into Mont Enterprises and sat across from Vince Montclair with trembling hands and a voice full of nerves. Two months since I accepted a job I was warned to stay far at bay from, two months since I gave up my body to a stranger in the dark for the price of my mom’s freedom.

And somehow, I was still here, surviving through all the struggles.

I’d grown used to the rhythm of the office, the hum of quiet printers, the click of heels against the marble floor, and the scent of strong coffee mingling with Vince's expensive cologne. Vince liked things done a certain way, and by now, I can confidently say I knew all of them. I knew which blend of roast he preferred in the morning, how he liked his reports summarized in bullet points instead of paragraphs, and the precise temperature he liked his office set too.

But the man himself? Still remains an enigma.

Some days, he is calm and serene, almost beguiling. He would ask if I have eaten, offer to walk me to the elevator, even compliment my work but on other days, he was cold, commanding, sharp enough to cut glass with his words. I never knew which version of him I had met when I entered his office.

Luckily for me, today had been one of his quieter days. He is focused, aloof, barely said more than ten words to me.

The office was hollow now, I had stayed late to finish up a presentation for the following week’s investor meeting, my fingers are sore from typing so much and my eyes dry from staring at the screen for too long.

I didn’t even realize he was still here until I heard the creak of a door and looked up from my computer screen.

Vince, there he was standing at the entrance to my office with his jacket draped over his shoulder, expression unreadable as usual.

"You’re still here." He said.

I stopped slouching a little in my seat. "Just finishing the last few slides."

He glanced at his watch. "It’s almost seven, Damaris."

I offered a small, tired smile. "I know, I just wanted to make sure it’s perfect."

There was a bit of silence before he stepped inside and dropped his jacket on the chair across from mine. "Then I guess I’m staying, too."

My brows lifted slightly. "You don’t have to."

"I know." He said, already pulling out his tablet. "But if you’re going to work yourself to death, the least I can do is offer my company." For a man who claimed not to care, he had a funny way of showing otherwise.

We worked in a deafening silence for a while, except for the occasional rustle of paper or the low hum of his voice dictating notes into his device. I couldn’t stop glancing at him, the way the light hit his jawline, the shadow in his eyes as he scrolled through documents. He looked exhausted, but... human, not the untouchable CEO everyone feared.

"Can I ask you something?" He said abruptly, with his eyes still on the screen.

"Of course."

"Have we met before?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

He finally looked up, gaze sharp. "Before the interview, have we met?"

I swallowed hard. "No, I don’t think so."

He perused me for a second too long before nodding slowly. "Hmm, you just seem... familiar."

My stomach twisted as I planned to lie to him again. "I get that a lot." I lied shamelessly before returning my eyes to the screen even though I couldn’t focus anymore.

But it didn’t matter because a few minutes later, something shifted in me, like the ground inside my body tilted. My vision blurred, my stomach churned, and heat rose up my neck. I barely made it to the bathroom before I dropped to my knees and pucked.

The nausea had been visiting me like an uninvited guest for days now, but I had blamed it on stress, poor eating, maybe exhaustion. Anything but what it might really be... I was rinsing my mouth when Vince knocked on the bathroom door. "Damaris?"

I opened it slowly, hand braced on the frame. "What the hell happened?" His eyes scanned my face, with concern replacing his usual guarded expression.

"I’m... not sure." I whispered, while feeling dizzy. "I have been feeling a little off lately."

"That’s not just ‘a little off.’ You are pale as hell and shaking."

"It’ll pass, maybe it's because I skipped lunch."

"Get your stuff."

I scowled, staring at him, flustered. "What?"

"I’m taking you to the hospital."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he didn’t wait. He already made his way to the door and held it open for me.

...

Vince sat beside me in the waiting room, jaw tight, legs bouncing as if the muteness made him itch. "Do you need to call someone?" He asked, while glancing at his watch.

"No." I mumbled. "Just my mom but she’s already asleep." He looked at me but didn’t say anything else.

When they finally called me in, he stood as if to follow, but the nurse gently stopped him. "She’s fine on her own for now, Mr. Montclair."

I smiled at him briefly before walking into the examination room, heart racing with every step. I wasn’t ready to hear what I already feared.

The doctor was kind, soft-voiced, and efficient. She asked a few questions, did a quick exam, and then she returned with a file and a smile on her face.

"Congratulations Miss Rowe." She said. "You’re pregnant." My breath left my body like I had been punched, like I was dealt a hard blow.

"No..." I whispered. "That’s not... I mean... I haven’t... not since..." She gave me a moment to collect my words.

My fingers shook. "Please... please don’t tell him." I pleaded when I remembered that Vince was waiting outside.

She frowned gently. "I assume you mean Mr. Montclair."

I nodded quickly, shame flooding my chest like a tide. “I won’t say anything. Doctor-patient confidentiality." She said. "But you’ll need to schedule a proper prenatal check-up soon. You’re about seven weeks along."

seven weeks, the timeline made sense... Too much sense.

I left the room with trembling hands, my heart palpitating beneath the weight of everything I couldn’t say. Vince stood up as I approached, eyes scanning my face.

"Well?"

"They said it’s probably a stomach bug." I said, forcing a smile that burned on my lips. "Nothing serious, I just need to rest."

He studied me like he didn’t believe a word, but he nodded anyway.

"I’ll drive you home."

I shook my head quickly. "I am fine, I will take a cab from here. I need to pick up something for my mom on the way."

He frowned. "I can take you."

"It’s really out of your way and you’ve done enough already."

For a moment, I thought he’d insist. But luckily for me, he exhaled and gave a short nod. "Fine, text me when you get home."

I nodded, already backing up. As soon as I was alone in the cab, I took a shaky breath and pressed a hand to my stomach.

This couldn’t happen if Vince found out... if Alice and her mother found out... They would destroy me.

Right then and there, I made a decision... I was going to disappear, run far away before the truth annihilates everything, I had tried so hard to protect.

And this time, I wasn’t just protecting myself, I was protecting the life growing inside me.