Page 88 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

For Luke.

Keep calm.

“I’m sure I can cut the timeframe. Anyway, we can discuss the details over the phone or email, including the designs you want. Whichever you prefer.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it. I brace for him to offer his hand for a handshake and am relieved when he only takes a deep breath.

Please let this be over?—

“There’s more.”

Keep. Calm.

“Yes?”

“I want to ask for your hand in marriage.”

I’m looking at his moving hand. It’s the only reason why it takes longer for his words to register. Then his words punch me, and I’m looking at his hand at the same time, now held out with a gold ring and a sparkling diamond at the center.

And his eyes—they’re no longer no-nonsense. They’re boring into mine with an intensity that can compete with the sun.

“What?”

“I want you as my wife. I want the honor of being your husband. I want to be with you and Riley because my life is white and sterile, too, and you…you provide it color. You make it lively and welcoming—you give it heart, Liv. You make my heart beat, and I’ve been so miserable without you.”

Oh. Oh.

Oh, God.

I wish I could be strong against this, but it’s impossible. It’s too much. My heart caves in like a fragile house of cards with just one tap, but horror follows it when I remember the things I did.

This man loves me. He loves me, clear as day, and I have to tell him the truth. I owe it to him.

“Luke, there’s something I have to tell you…”

To my shock, he shakes his head. “I already know everything. James confessed to coercing you to resign, and Mark confessed to taking those pictures.”

“They…what?” My brain stutters at the information overload before it latches on to one thing. “Mark?”

“Yes. Mr. Asshole himself. Who your friends Wanda and Maria dumped hot water on, by the way. But I took care of the rest myself.”

Oh, yeah, my brain is still stuttering. I take a deep, calming breath.

“Please explain from the beginning.”

And he does, no questions asked.

“I talked to James. I told him he was unfair for making you resign when I should have been held responsible, and he gave me heaps of excuses, from the lawsuit to my reputation in tatters if everyone found out.” A pause. “So, I returned the favor and told him I’d be pulling my products from the hospital if he didn’t tell HR what he did and continued covering up for what Mark did. Oh, and before all that, I told HR we have a kid—we were already connected way before you were hired and did our jobs with no lapses. They were shocked, to say the least, but they saw all the records and agreed that our jobs weren’t affected by our relationship.”

“Oh.” Again, I latch on to one thing, my curiosity getting the better of me. “What did Mark do?”

“It turns out you’re not the only one he tried to get to sleep with him. He’s just good at hiding it. And James is just good at turning a blind eye because apparently, Mark is such a good doctor and they don’t want to lose him.” Amusement glitters in his features. Or maybe it’s smugness. “I’m just better, so now he gets what he deserves..”

I don’t know what this means for Mark. Was he fired? To be honest, I don’t care—I’m just relieved he got exposed and will no longer prey on other unwilling women like me.

“Luke…”

“Anyway, you’ve been cleared and you can return anytime if you want the job. James is very sorry and will be very welcoming if you do. Either way, your working there will no longer be an issue since I’ve resigned.”

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