Page 26 of Secret Baby for a Damaged Billionaire

“Fine, fine,” he says, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Just remember, Lucas, my offer stands. Your fighters are always welcome at my gym.” He flashes a devious grin that makes my blood boil.

“Your gym?” I scoff. “You mean the place where you breed cheaters and addicts? No thanks. We have standards here.”

“Ouch.” He feigns hurt, placing a hand over his heart. “You really know how to hit where it hurts.”

“Speaking of hitting,” I retort, “maybe you should focus on teaching your fighters not to intentionally injure their opponents.”

“Low blow, Lucas,” Carlo snaps back, his eyes narrowing. “At least my fighters aren’t caught up in sexual assault scandals.”

“Those accusations were proven false,” I growl, clenching my fists.

Carlo smirks, clearly enjoying getting under my skin. “Well, if you’re so confident in your coaching, maybe you won’t mind a little competition for the Dubai showcase.”

“Bring it on,” I challenge, my eyes locking on to his. “But don’t be surprised when my fighters wipe the floor with yours.”

“Careful, Lucas,” he taunts as he backs toward the door. “Pride goes before a fall.”

“Get out,” I snarl, my patience wearing thin.

“Alright, alright,” he concedes, holding his hands up. “I’ll leave you to your… training.” He spits the last word like it’s an insult but makes no moves toward the exit.

Just as I’m about to physically remove this arrogant prick from my gym, the door flies open, and Chloe bursts in, her eyes wild with panic.

“Lucas! Thank God you’re here!” she exclaims, almost out of breath. “You have to help me! Mom’s gone off the deep end and is making the most irrational demands!”

“Chloe, now’s not a good time—” I snarl through my teeth, glancing back at Carlo, who’s smirking at the interruption, trying to listen in.

“Lucas, please, this is important! I need your help, or this wedding is going to be a disaster!”

“Fine,” I grit out, turning back to Carlo. “Leave. Now.”

“Alright, alright,” he says with a grin, sauntering toward the door. “Good luck with your personal drama. I’m sure Miss Emily will be interested to hear you have a sidepiece.” He watches Chloe’s reaction. “Aw, come on, Lucas,” Carlo taunts, a malicious grin spreading across his face. “I mean, it’s pretty ballsy to be fucking your contract negotiator while keeping a sweet little thing like this around.”

Carlo’s gloating grin fuels the fire in me, and I can’t take it any longer. I lunge toward him, fists clenched, ready to wipe that smug look off his face. But just as my punch is about to connect with his jaw, my fighters grab me by the arms, pulling me back with surprising strength.

“Lucas, man, he ain’t worth it!” one of them shouts, trying to reason with me even as I struggle against their hold.

“Get him out of here,” I growl through gritted teeth, and two of my fighters nod in agreement. With a mix of determination and assertiveness, they move Carlo to the door, tossing him out without a second thought.

“Stay away from our gym!” one of them yells after him. The door slams shut, finally putting an end to Carlo’s toxic presence—for now, at least.

My heart is pounding in my chest, and I force myself to take deep, slow breaths, using the techniques Emily taught me to regain control over my emotions. As much as I want to chase after Carlo and pound him into the ground, I know I need to get myself together. So, I quickly make my way to my office, hoping for a moment to clear my head.

But as I push open the door, I realize that privacy is too much to ask for right now. Chloe followed me into the office, her eyes still filled with hurt and disbelief from Carlo’s comment about Emily.

“Chloe, please,” I plead, my voice cracking, “just let me explain.”

“Explain?” she scoffs, crossing her arms defensively. “You really think there’s anything you can say that’ll make this okay?”

“Look, I know this isn’t what you wanted,” I admit, running a hand over my hair in frustration. “But what happened between Emily and me… it wasn’t planned. It just… happened.” I search her face for any sign of understanding, but she remains stoic.

“Lucas, you betrayed me,” she says quietly. “You knew how important it was to me to keep things professional between you two, especially with everything going on, and you chose to ignore that.”

“It’s not betrayal—” I start, but she cuts me off with a shake of her head.

“Save it, Lucas. Just… save it.” She drops down on my couch. “Especially when my wedding is right around the corner,” she adds, her voice quivering. “Now I don’t even know how to feel about Emily either.”

“Emily would never mean to hurt you,” I say, clenching my fists at my sides as I struggle to remain calm. “This isn’t about you.”

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