Chapter 2

I exhaled slowly. "Marcus. She's pregnant."

Marcus froze. Pure terror flashed across his face.

"Do you know who the father is?" I asked, tilting my head.

"H-How would I know?!" he stammered. "She's just a young girl. I'm a married man, Natalie! Why would I know anything about her personal life?"

Marcus grabbed my hands desperately. "Babe, do you really not trust me? You know my only hobby after getting married has been fishing!"

I smirked. "Just kidding. Why are you sweating so much?"

He visibly exhaled in relief.

I smoothed my blazer. "Speaking of which, Mr. Harrison's deal has been dragging on for way too long. Why don't we invite him to dinner tonight and push for the contract?"

His shoulders tensed right back up. "No need!"

I stared at him.

Marcus quickly scrambled for an excuse: "I just talked to him while fishing. The contract is in the bag. If we take him out for dinner now, we’ll look way too desperate."

"Fine. Do whatever you want."

I stood up to leave. Just then, his assistant knocked and hurried in. "Mr. Vance, we just got word from Harrison Group. They’re meeting with Sterling Corporation right now!"

Marcus turned as white as a sheet.

I crossed my arms. "Mr. Harrison is meeting with our biggest competitor? Marcus, is this what you meant by 'in the bag'?"

"Get me their exact location right now," I ordered the assistant. "I'm heading over."

The assistant forwarded the restaurant address to my phone. I grabbed my designer bag and headed out, with Marcus scrambling after me like a lost dog.

When we pulled up to the upscale private club, Chloe was standing right outside the private dining room. Seeing us, she immediately walked over with a sweet smile.

"Natalie, you're here!"

I nodded coldly. "Is Mr. Harrison inside?"

"He is," Chloe said, stepping directly in front of me. "But Natalie, you don't have an appointment. I can't let you in."

Her posture seemed polite, but the smug satisfaction in her eyes was glaring.

"If you're here about the contract, I might be able to put in a good word for you," she added condescendingly. "Though, of course, it all depends on what Mr. Harrison decides."

Marcus quickly chimed in, "Thank God you're here, Chloe. Please, go talk to him. This deal is crucial for our firm. If this goes through, I’ll make sure you get a massive bonus!"

"Oh, Marcus, don't mention it. We're way too close for formalities," she cooed. Then she smiled at him. "By the way, Mr. Harrison said he had a wonderful time fishing with you. He’d love to go again whenever you're free. I've already cleared it with the fishery owner."

Listening to them openly flirt right in front of me, I let out a dry laugh.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Mrs. Harrison directly.

"Hi Evelyn, it’s Natalie. I’m on the ground floor. Perfect, I’ll head up right now."

I hung up and moved forward. Chloe reached out to block me, but I stepped back immediately.

"Careful now," I warned, staring at her midsection. "You're pregnant. The last thing you want is a little shove causing a tragic miscarriage."

Chloe’s expression froze. She bit her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes on cue. "Natalie, please don't make my job difficult. Mr. Harrison is meeting with an extremely important VIP!"

I scoffed. "No VIP books out the entire building. I have a meeting with an important guest of my own. Are you really going to stand in my way?"

Chloe gripped her lip tighter. As I brushed past her, she let out a dramatic gasp and deliberately threw herself backward.

Marcus caught her just in time, holding her against his chest.

Chloe trembled, clinging to his shirt with teary eyes. "Natalie, how could you..."

Marcus lost his temper completely. "Natalie! Have you lost your damn mind?! Take your anger out on me if you have to—she’s pregnant!"

I glanced at her with cold contempt, my glare sharp enough to make her flinch backward.

"In broad daylight, surrounded by people and security cameras, you think I'd touch a pregnant woman? Why don't we call the cops right now? Let's have the police check the footage to see if I pushed her, or if she threw herself down like a cheap actress."