Page 48 of The Baby His Secretary Carries

“You know that my mom is a midwife,” she said with a tremor in her voice. “I’ve always been very aware of the difficulties some women face with pregnancy. I was moved by their situation and...” This was so hard to dance this close to the truth, yet tell him something she knew would be hard for him to accept. “You know how close I am to Libby. My dad helped with my college fund, but he’s not Libby’s father. Her future is all on Mom. I want to ensure Libby has every advantage I had.”

Libby already had more than Molly ever would. A trust had been set up through an intermediary that Libby would access when she was old enough, but only Molly and her mother knew about it.

“You’re doing this formoney?” Gio recoiled the way he had when his mother had tried to kiss him. “If you needed a raise, you should have said,” he growled.

“It’s not forme.” Her argument was futile. She could see Gio shutting down, closing every door and window to his soul against her.

“Along with taking time away from her career, Molly is putting her body through significant stress,” Rafael pointed out. “Professional athletes are paid to treat their body well and make every effort to produce a desired result. Why shouldn’t she be compensated for doing the same?”

Gio released a choked noise. “You’re going to carry this baby for nine months, then give it away to strangers?” He shook his head at her as though he didn’t recognize her.

Not strangers. Sasha wasfamily. But she couldn’t say that.

This was what she had dreaded, that he would think he was seeing her through clear eyes when he had a more distorted view of her than ever.

“Pull our deal. I don’t care,” Rafael said grimly. “Destroy me if your ego demands it, but leave my wife alone. She hasn’t done anything except try to give us a baby the only way she can.”

Fresh tears sprang into Molly’s eyes as she heard that. Poor Sasha. She’d been so piteous that day on the yacht. So ground down by the harsh realities of her life.

“Don’t make Molly a target, either,” Rafael continued in warning. “People like you, born to this kind of wealth—” He sent a disparaging look around the luxurious sitting room. “You don’t understand why some of us have to do whatever the hell we can to get ahead. And even if you have nothing but disgust for her—”

A sob of anguish caught in Molly’s throat at that thought. She instinctually covered the swell in her middle.

“She’s carrying an innocent baby. Exposing what she’s doing could impact that baby, and I promise you, if you do anything that causes harm to my child, my retribution will be swift and very final.”

Gio’s cheek ticked with insult.

Lethal tension was so thick in the air, Molly could hardly draw a breath.

“He wouldn’t,” she stated, feeling compelled to say it. “Gio would never hurt me or anyone’s baby. I don’t blame him for being angry, but he won’t retaliate against the baby. Iknowthat.”

“I don’t need you to defend me,” Gio said with a curl of his lip.

“Let’s not take chances,” Rafael said, still using that stark tone. “Get your things.”

Molly’s heart stopped. “But—”

“You’ll go to the villa with Alexandra. She needs time to get used to the idea she’s going to become a mother.”

“Are you saying she doesn’t want this baby anymore?” Molly asked numbly.

“Iwant it,” Rafael said fiercely, then scraped his hand over his face. “You need to give her a chance to...get used to the idea again.” Desperation edged into his tone.

Molly’s heart lurched. All she could think of was a teenaged Sasha, so determined to say goodbye to an infant she clearly loved. And later, Sasha refusing to hear about her daughter because leaving her had hurt too much for her to bear.

When Molly looked to Gio, she saw a man made of granite, but there were fissures running through him. Cracks of anger and resentment and disbelief. Beneath it all was an underpinning of acute pain.

I was taught not to attach to people. They always left.

“I told you I couldn’t marry you,” she said, pleading for his understanding. “Itoldyou I couldn’t stay. That this pregnancy made it impossible for us to be together. I told you...”I love you. “I told you as much of the truth as I could.”

It didn’t matter. He turned his face away in rejection.

She jammed her knuckle into the butter on the table and was finally able to work the ring off her finger. She had to pick up his hand to make him accept it.

“Where’s Molly?” It was Nonno’s first question when Gio returned.

“Gone,” Gio said flatly. “We’re not marrying.”

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