Page 15 of One Baddie for Three Daddies

Alex raises an eyebrow. “You expect us to just believe that?”

“Yes,” she says, looking directly at me. “I had no idea he was in San Diego until last night.” Her hands absently twirl in her braids as she shifts on her feet before us.

I want to believe her, but anger and confusion twist inside me. “So, you’re telling us it’s just a coincidence? You just magically bumped into James after all these years?”

She sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “It sounds ridiculous, but yes. That’s exactly what happened.”

Alex steps closer. “Bianca, we need more than that. We’ve been through too much to just accept coincidences.”

She meets his gaze, unwavering. “I get that. But it’s the truth.”

I uncross my arms and lean against the table, trying to process everything she’s saying. The way she looks at us—it’s hard not to notice the sincerity in her eyes.

Alex clears his throat and glances at me before turning back to her. "Look, Bianca, we have to be straight with you. If you're going to be sleeping with our ex-friend and competition while working for us, it's going to complicate things."

I nod in agreement, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Yeah, it doesn't exactly scream professionalism."

Bianca's eyes widen slightly, and she pauses before asking, "Are you going to fire me?"

I speak up before Alex can. “We’re not sure yet, Bianca. We need to think about it.”

Alex’s eyes flick towards me before he nods, his agreement evident. “Yeah, we need some time.”

Bianca looks between us, her eyes filled with questions she doesn’t ask. “Alright,” she says softly. “I understand.”

I keep my face hard and neutral. I can’t trust this situation, not after seeing her with James.

“We’ll let you know soon,” Alex adds, his tone final.

She nods, gathering her things slowly as if hoping we’ll say more. When it’s clear we won’t, she heads for the door.

“Thanks for understanding,” she murmurs before leaving.

Alex and I watch her go in silence. My gaze lingers on her retreating form longer than it should. The sway of her hips, the way her braids bounce with each step—it all pulls at something deep inside me, something I’ve tried to bury for years.

Once she’s out of sight, Alex turns to me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Firing her? Seriously, Liam? Since when was that even on the table?"

I shrug, leaning back against the table. "Maybe it's for the best. She complicates things."

"Come on," he says, shaking his head. "Firing Bianca wouldn't look good to the rest of our company and the investors. A lot of people have invested in this hotel, and switching designers now would be a fucking nightmare. We've already switched locations twice."

He’s got a point, but I’m not ready to concede yet. “So what? We keep her around and pretend everything’s fine?”

Alex steps closer, lowering his voice even though no one else is around. “Liam, think about it. We’ve got too much riding on this project to make rash decisions because of... feelings.”

“Feelings?” I scoff. “This isn’t about fucking feelings. It’s about trust.”

“Right,” Alex says, not buying it for a second. “And that’s why you’ve been glaring at her like she stole your favorite toy.”

“She did more than that,” I snap back,the sting of old wounds still as fresh as it was six years ago. “She left, just fucking disappeared without a word.”

Alex sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Look, if we fire her now, we’re the ones who’ll look unprofessional. The board will question our judgment, and investors will lose confidence in us.”

I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. I uncross my arms and rub the back of my neck, trying to loosen the tension there.

“We can’t let personal shit get in the way of business,” Alex continues. “We’ve worked too damn hard for this.”

“Alright, if we can’t fire her outright, what if we find a way to make it look like she’s not fit for the job? We could hire someone else from her company—say we needed a different skill set or some bullshit like that.”

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