Page 28 of Secret Baby for a Damaged Billionaire

“This won’t interfere with your wedding, Chloe. At all.”

“It would have been so much easier if you were still with Dom,” she mutters.

Her words cut me, and I don’t know why she would bring him up. Ever.

“Please,” I beg, reminded of my disastrous relationship with Dom, who cheated on me multiple times, manipulated me, and gaslighted me at every turn. “I don’t even want to think about him.”

“Still, at least he wasn’t my brother,” she says, her tone holding finality as she finishes the wine in her glass with a big gulp.

I look down, taking my lumps, wondering if I really deserve them.

She looks at me and her judgmental glare softens slightly. “I’m just protective of my brother,” she admits, her voice lightening. “And I worry about what might happen if things between you two go south. You’re both very important to me and I don’t want everything to get all fucked up.”

I nod, understanding a little better.

“Emily,” she says, almost hesitantly, as the waiter fills our glasses again. Her eyes are serious, and I can tell this isn’t going to be a lighthearted request. “I want you to make a pact with me.”

“Okayyy?” I say cautiously, feeling my guard go up.

“Promise me that you won’t let things go any further with Lucas,” she begs, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Just… put things on hold until after the wedding, at least.”

My heart clenches in my chest at her words, and I struggle to find the right response. I know how much she cares about her brother, but it’s clear she’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that he’s moving forward with his life now, without her.

And although I understand her concerns, I’m not sure I can bring myself to agree to her request. Lucas and I have something special, and I don’t want to let it slip away because of some misguided notion of family loyalty.

“Chloe, I—” I begin, but am interrupted by my phone buzzing loudly on the table. I glance down to see a text from an unknown number, and my brow furrows in confusion.

“Who is it?” Chloe asks, tone laced with annoyance from the distraction.

“I don’t know,” I admit, swiping my finger across the screen to read the message.

Meet me for drinks Emmy.

The hairs on the back of my neck raise, as a chill runs through me. Only one person calls me by that name. How did they even get my number?

“Let me see,” Chloe says, reaching for my phone. As she reads the message, a curious smirk crosses her face. “Oh, shit. It’s Dom.”

“Dom,” I repeat, my pulse quickening. “What the hell does he want? Why does he keep stalking me?”

“Maybe he wants to apologize,” she suggests, the smirk still playing at the corners of her mouth. “Or maybe he’s finally realized what a huge mistake he made when he let you go.”

“Chloe.” I shake my head, trying to suppress the annoyance bubbling up inside me. “You know how toxic things were between me and Dom. Why would you even suggest that?”

“Maybe you should hear him out,” she suggests, a little too casually for my liking. The fact that she’s not more outraged on my behalf is disheartening.

“Really?” I ask, my voice betraying my disappointment. “After everything he put me through, you think I should just give him the time of day?”

She shrugs nonchalantly, her eyes focused on her own phone. “I don’t know, Em. Maybe he’s changed.”

“Or maybe he hasn’t,” I counter, feeling a flare of anger. “You saw what happened between us. You were there when he cheated, when he lied, when he tried to control me. And now you’re acting like none of it even happened.”

“Fine,” she huffs. “Do whatever you want. I’m just saying that talking to him might give you some closure or something.”

“Thanks for the support,” I mutter sarcastically, my heart aching at the thought that my best friend isn’t standing by my side.

“Fine, fine,” she relents, raising her hands in surrender. “It was just a thought. But you should at least text him back.”

“Fine,” I agree, quickly tapping out a message. “There. Now can we please drop this whole Dom thing and get back to what matters?” I look at her with a worried gaze. “Can we just be friends again? I don’t want this weird tension between us.”

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