Page 53 of Twin Babies for the Pucking Billionaires

I wait, giving her the space to gather her thoughts.

“It’s about Ryan,” she starts, looking down at her coffee. “I ran into him yesterday.”

“What?” I say, my jaw clenching. “What did he want?”

“He was...aggressive,” she says, her voice shaking a bit. “He accused me of ignoring him because I’m with someone else.”

I feel a surge of anger. “Did he hurt you?”

“No,” she says quickly. “Declan was there. He stepped in and...Well, it didn’t escalate too far.”

“Thank God,” I mutter, rubbing my temples. “But why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes. “And I was scared.”

I reach across the table and take her hand. “You can always tell me anything. I’m here for you, okay?”

She nods, squeezing my hand. “I know. I just...it all happened so fast.”

“Next time, tell me right away,” I say firmly. “I don’t care what time it is.”

“Okay,” she whispers, looking relieved.

We sit in silence for a moment, just holding hands. I can see the weight lifting off her shoulders.

“So, what now?” she asks, looking up at me.

“Now, we take it one step at a time,” I say. “And we deal with Ryan if he tries to cause more trouble.”

“Thank you,” she says, her voice soft.

“Always,” I reply, leaning across the table to kiss her forehead.

She smiles, the worry lines on her forehead easing. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out,” I say, smiling back at her.

We spend the rest of the morning talking about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other’s company. Peanut curls up at our feet, content and happy.

By the time the sun is fully up, I feel like we’ve turned a corner.

She tells me she’s going to work and that we can have dinner together. I nod, saying okay and we finish our breakfast. I cantell there’s something else she wants to tell me, but I’m not pushing her. I want her to open up when she’s ready.

It’s been three days since we last slept together and I miss her so damn much. I’m waiting for her to come to me, especially after what she told me about Ryan. She’s clearly upset by their conversation and I’m doing my best not to find him and beat him to a pulp.

I kiss her softly. “Have a good day.”

“Thanks,” she whispers, giving me a small smile before heading out.

I get ready for work, feeling a mix of frustration and worry. When I arrive at the clinic, Victoria greets me with her usual cheerful smile.

“Morning, Chase.”

“Morning, Victoria,” I reply, forcing a smile. “Who’s first on the schedule?”

“We’ve got Mrs. Thompson with her cat,” she says, handing me the file. “He’s due for his annual check-up.”

“Great,” I mutter, flipping through the file. “Let’s get started.”

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