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I laugh. “Can you please relax?”
“I’ve never seen you go apartment hunting,” he says. “You’re way too comfortable living off of me.”
“Gosh, you’re the worst big brother ever,” I yell as he jogs up the stairs. He stops and flips me off before disappearing from my sight. Shaking my head, I continue to watch my show. Riley and I may roast and make dry jokes all the time, but we love each other to death. I don’t want to incur his wrath by telling him about Alec, but now that there’s a baby, it’s become inevitable. I am genuinely confused, too.
I cannot wait for Sunday so Alec and I can talk about the next step in our relationship. After our hospital visit yesterday, Ana advised me to keep the baby, and it’s honestly one of the best pieces of advice the idiot has given me. As if on cue, my phone rings beside me, and it’s Ana calling.
“Hey, Ana. What’s up?”
“Jas?” Her voice rings with urgency, and I sit up worriedly. “Are you at home? Where are you?”
“I’m at home. What’s going on?”
“Get to the television now!” She yells. “Channel 143. Do that now.”
“Okay. Okay.” I pick up the remote when she hangs up and changes the channel to 143.
I see Alec on my screen dressed luxuriously in a black ensemble. For a moment, I’m so shocked to see him on TV looking impeccably handsome and wealthy that I notice the woman beside him a little too late. He’s on a date with this gorgeous woman in France!
Of course, this is the family emergency this bastard must go for!
“After years out of the spotlight, we are excited to share these newly released photos of Alec Ace, heir to the French billionaire conglomerate, Ace Corps, and the only son of David and Lillian Ace!”
Ace Corps? Ace Corps!
“What the fuck?” I scream, and seconds later, I hear footsteps pounding on the stairs. “Are you okay, Jas?” Riley appears before me, and I silently point toward the TV, where the news reporter is still talking.
“…he was seen with his fiancée, Eve Sicily, the daughter of French billionaire Lugard Sicily. These two lovebirds are seen enjoying a private lunch in the heart of Lyon, France…”
“What the fuck?” Riley cusses, turning to me with disbelief. “I cannot believe he never told me this.”
My heart is beating wildly in my chest as I realize that I’ve spent time with Alec, but I don’t know who he is at all. Ace Corps may be headquartered in France, but they’re a global business, constantly featuring in reputable publications as one of the most successful business chains in the world. David and Lillian are billionaires and usually appear on TV to give speeches or publicly donate large sums of money to charities.
Who knew that Alec was their son? The heir to the Ace Corps empire? This is unbelievable.
I rub my eyes, but when I open them, the news reporter is still talking on TV, with a picture of Alec and Eve Sicily superimposed behind her. I’m numb, and my body is tingling with a sensation that I cannot fathom. It hurts but raised to several powers and notches.
“Fuck!” Riley runs a hand through his hair. “Alec is heir to the Ace Corps conglomerate?”
“You didn’t know?”
“How the fuck was I supposed to know?” He asks. “He was so secretive about it. Why would anyone want to hide this? It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Wow.” The news reporter has moved on to something else, but in my mind’s eye, I can still see Alec on the screen with the brunette beauty.
“I’ve always known he was wealthy; I mean, he never hid that,” Riley continues to talk to himself. “But Ace Corps? I don’t know whether to be angry or impressed! That bastard! How did he keep this away from me all these years.”
Riley paces the room while I stew in my thoughts. My eyes are surprisingly dry, but there’s a volcano slowly erupting inside me. Not only am I just finding out that Alec is the heir to one of the biggest business empires in the world, but I’m also finding out that he has a fiancée. This gorgeous French beauty is also the daughter of another billionaire. I never stood a chance. Foolish me. And I went ahead and got pregnant by him.
I don’t want pity; I need mockery. I must be laughed at and ridiculed for thinking I could be happy with a man like Alec. I should have run away from him after that two-week hiatus, but what did I do instead? I went back to him.
I’m pregnant! Five weeks pregnant to this lying, cheating bastard!
“Wow.” Riley stops pacing and stares at the television like Alec’s picture is still there. I guess it has also been imprinted in his mind’s eye, so no matter what is on the screen, he can still see Alec.
“This is why he’s always traveling,” Riley murmurs. “Alec is a fucking billionaire, and the idiot makes me buy us food and drinks sometimes.”
Riley is disappointed in his best friend, but I can tell he’s also equal parts awed.
