Page 13 of Secret Baby for a Damaged Billionaire

I roll my eyes and shake my head, and we arrive back at the gym, still talking about Charlie’s happy wiggle. As he pulls into his space, I see Chloe pacing impatiently near the entrance. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she taps her foot in irritation.

“Emily! Where have you been?” she calls as soon as we’re within earshot. “I’ve been waiting for an hour!”

“Sorry, Chloe,” I apologize sheepishly. “I didn’t expect you so soon. We lost track of time at the shelter.” I feel bad knowing she wanted to go dress shopping.

Her gaze shifts between Lucas and me, her eyes narrowing. “The dog shelter?” She looks at Lucas in confusion. “You don’t even like dogs.”

“It was actually amazing, Chloe. My eyes have been opened.” And he looks at me with a smile.

Her expression turns to a frown as she sees the comfortable energy between us. “I see. Leave it to Emily to open your eyes.” Her tone stung with sarcasm. “Well, I’m glad you two had a nice time together, but maybe you should focus on your contacts instead of frolicking with dogs.”

My chin pulls in from her unexpected negativity.

“Chloe, he needed the break,” I protest, feeling a rush of heat to my cheeks. “Lucas and I have been working all morning, and I needed a ride to the shelter.” I notice my defensive stance and soften it. “And the dogs are a perfect distraction.”

“Really, Emily? Defending him?” she says skeptically, her eyes flickering to Lucas. “And what’s in it for you?”

“Nothing,” he replies coolly. “Just helping out a friend.”

“Right,” Chloe snorts, clearly not buying it. She turns to me, her voice nearly a whisper, saying, “Emily, I just don’t want you to get hurt again. Dom has left fresh wounds. You need time.”

My jaw clenches at the sound of Dom’s name, and from her attempt at using him against me. She’d already made herself perfectly clear that she was shocked to see Lucas and me together outside of our work with the gym. But it was not her place to be so bold about her opinions. I’d have to talk with her more about where this was all coming from, privately.

Chapter Six (Lucas)

I try to keep my cool with Chloe, but her sudden ambush as Emily and I returned from the dog shelter was unexpected, triggering my pulse to rise almost instantly. My clenched jaw helped to hold back any emotional response, but as soon as she turned on Emily, bringing up her ex as a weapon, I feel myself losing emotional control.

“Lucas!” Chloe’s voice cuts like a knife, sharp and unexpected. She storms toward us, fury written all over her usually bubbly face. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You need to calm down,” I say, my body tensing as she approaches like a tornado. The suddenness of her assault triggers something deep within me, sending my heart rate skyrocketing. Sweat beads on my forehead, and I find it difficult to breathe. It’s as if I’m back on the battlefield, facing an enemy attack.

“Chloe, what’s going on?” Emily asks, her tone confused. “Did something happen? You seem more upset about this than you should be.” She steps between us like a shield. Her protective instinct only heightens my tension, proving there’s a threat upon us.

“I know what’s happening here. It’s not hard to see,” she snaps at Emily, then turns her glare on me. “You guys need to keep this strictly professional. I should never have suggested this partnership in the first place.” She shakes her head, lips pressed together.

“Chloe, we’re all adults here. You have nothing to worry about,” Emily retorts, but her words barely register as my fight response claws at my insides. My emotions spiral out of control, and my temper flares like wildfire.

“You need to back off,” I growl at Chloe, my fists clenching involuntarily. “I don’t need you telling me how to spend my time.”

All I can focus on is the rapid thud of my heart in my chest, the way it feels like I’m suffocating under the weight of my past. And then the betrayal, the last person I ever expected to send me into such a spiral was Chloe.

“So back the fuck off,” I snarl through gritted teeth, barely recognizing my own voice. “You’ve crossed a line with your controlling bullshit, and I need you to stay far away from me now, out of my life.” I step closer, chest out, creating an intimidating stance to push her away. The scowl on my face leaves no question that she’s in danger if she continues to push.

A wave of hurt and disbelief flashes across her face, but she doesn’t say another word. Instead, she storms away, leaving Emily and me standing in the parking lot in silence.

My body is tensed like a tightly wound spring. I tremble uncontrollably, my heart rate soaring through the roof as I struggle to draw in much-needed breaths. Emily stares at me as we stand in the parking lot, Chloe storming away from us. Chloe’s ambush has us both rattled, but I know my response has already hit levels that I can’t control.

“Lucas, are you okay?” Emily studies my face as I try to hide my fight instincts. “Your pupils are really dilated.”

“I’m fine,” I manage to choke out, the words barely escaping my lips. My vision blurs as I try to focus on her worried expression.

“Lucas, please, let me help you,” she says, her voice trembling just as much as my body. I can see the concern etched on her face, but all I can think about is how I don’t want to drag her into this mess—into my chaos.

“Emily, I…” My words trail off, the torrent of emotions inside me threatening to overwhelm me completely. It’s a struggle just to breathe, let alone speak.

“Come on,” her voice is gentle but firm as she leads me into the gym. “Let’s get you to your office.”

I follow her, my legs feeling like rubber beneath me. My eyes dart around nervously, taking in the gym that I once knew like the back of my hand. Now, it feels foreign and unfamiliar—every shadow a potential threat, every sound making me flinch.

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