”
The genuine concern in his voice disarmed her. “Yes. It’s a boy. ”
Something flickered across his face—pride, wonder, fear—before his business mask slipped back.
“I’m glad. And for the record, my engagement to Valerie ended months ago. It was never real. It was a business arrangement with her father—his condition for investing when the company was struggling.
I should have told you. I thought I could find another way out before the announcement went public. ”
She stared at him. “All those interviews, the public appearances—those were lies?
”
“Business theater. I secured alternative funding three months ago. The engagement ended immediately. ”
Her mind reeled.
“Even if that’s true, you still led me to believe we had a future while you were publicly committed to someone else. ”
“You’re right. I handled everything wrong. I was trying to save my company and have you, too.
It was selfish. ”
His admission surprised her. “So what happens now? ” she asked quietly.
“I never stopped looking for you. And now there’s our child. I want to be involved. I need to be involved.
”
The front door opened. Aunt Patricia walked in, stopping at the sight of Ryan. “Mr. Westbrook,” she acknowledged coolly.
“I see you’ve heard the news. ”
“Miss Bennett. Yes, I just learned about the baby. ”
Patricia set her purse down.
“What are your intentions toward my niece and her child? ”
“I intend to support them in whatever way Amelia will allow. Financially, and in every other way possible if she’ll let me. ”
Patricia nodded and excused herself to the kitchen.
Once alone, Ryan moved closer, kneeling before her chair. “I know I have no right to ask anything. But I’d like the chance to prove myself to you and our son. ”
“I need time.
”
He nodded, reaching for her hand but stopping short. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.
”
He placed a business card on the coffee table. “My personal cell is on the back. ”
As he moved toward the door, Amelia felt a kick from their son. “Ryan.
There’s something else you should know. Tomorrow morning, I have a doctor’s appointment at ten. They’re doing an ultrasound. You could come if you want to.
”
The smile that spread across his face transformed him. “I’ll be there. Thank you, Amelia. ”
After he left, Tessa and Patricia appeared.
“Well? ” Tessa prompted. Amelia touched her stomach. “He says the engagement was fake.
A business arrangement. ”
“And do you believe him? ” Patricia asked. “I want to,” Amelia admitted.
“But I’m not the same naive girl who left. ”
Her phone buzzed with a new text. An unknown number. A photograph attached: Ryan and Valerie Huntington having lunch together that very afternoon at The Harbor View.
The text below read: “He’s still lying to you. Be careful. ”
Amelia barely slept that night. By morning, dark circles shadowed her eyes as she prepared for the appointment, unsure if Ryan would show.
He was early. She spotted his Audi in the parking lot. He stood when she entered the waiting room, a small gift bag in his hands. “I wasn’t sure you’d come after that text.
”
She showed him the photograph. His jaw tightened. “I can explain. After the appointment.
”
A nurse called her name. Together, they followed to an examination room. When the technician applied gel to her belly and the image appeared on the screen, a strong heartbeat filling the room, Ryan reached for her hand. She didn’t pull away.
“There he is,” the technician said. “Good strong heartbeat. Everything looks perfect. ”
Tears welled in Amelia’s eyes.
When she glanced at Ryan, moisture glistened in his. “That’s our son,” he whispered. “He’s perfect. ”
Afterward, they sat in a quiet park.
Ryan explained the lunch meeting: “Valerie’s father is still a major investor. It was a business meeting. She’s been on the board since the engagement ended. The meeting was her suggestion to clear the air.
”
“And you believe her? ”
“I have to work with her. But what concerns me more is who took that photo and sent it to you. ”
He checked the number.
“This is Valerie’s number. ”
The revelation hit her like a blow. “Why would she…”
“I intend to find out,” Ryan said, pulling out his phone. She stopped him.
“Wait. If she sent it, she wanted to cause problems. Confronting her might be exactly what she wants. ”
He looked at her with new respect.
“That’s the kind of strategic thinking that made you invaluable as my assistant. ”
“What does she gain from this if your engagement is truly over? ”
“It is over. But Valerie never accepted it.
When I ended things, she threatened to have her father pull his investment. I called her bluff. She wasn’t pleased. ”
Before she could respond, her phone rang.
Unknown number. “Is this Amelia Bennett? This is Julia Parks from Pine Haven Community Hospital. Your aunt Patricia has been brought to the emergency room.
She collapsed at the library. ”
Amelia’s face went white. “I’ll be right there. ”
Ryan drove.
At the hospital, his name expedited access. They found Patricia looking pale but alert, hooked up to monitors. “Just a fainting spell,” Patricia said weakly. The doctor delivered worse news: a minor heart attack.
“We’ve stabilized her. Minimal damage. But we’ll keep her for observation. ”
The news struck Amelia like physical pain.
Ryan stayed by her side through the hours of consultations and paperwork, bringing food she barely touched, handling administrative details. When visiting hours ended, the staff let Amelia stay overnight. “You should go home,” she told Ryan. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?
”
“I’ll be fine. ”
He hesitated at the door. “My security team investigated the text. It wasn’t sent from Valerie’s phone.
Someone spoofed her number. We’re trying to trace the actual sender. ”
The revelation sent a chill down her spine. As he left, Amelia settled into the uncomfortable chair beside her aunt’s bed.
Just as she drifted off, her phone buzzed with another message. “Stay away from Ryan Westbrook if you want to keep your baby safe. This is not a game. ”
She showed her aunt in the morning.
Patricia’s expression hardened. “You need to tell Ryan. And the police. ”
“I already sent him a screenshot.
He’s meeting with his security team. ”
Ryan appeared in the doorway, carrying a duffel bag and takeout from Daisy’s. “Brought you a change of clothes,” he said, handing her the bag. “Tessa helped me pack it.
And breakfast. ”
The thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes. “Any news about the message? ” she asked.
His expression turned grim. “My team traced it to an IP address within Westbrook Innovations. ”
“Someone at your company is threatening me? ”
“Yes.
I suspect Daniel Powell. I fired him last month for embezzlement. He’s under investigation and blames me for ruining his life. ”
“Why target me?
”
“Because hurting you would hurt me,” Ryan said simply. “I’ve hired security to watch your aunt’s house and follow you discreetly. ”
“I don’t need babysitters. ”
“Please, Amelia.
For our son’s safety. ”
She conceded. Later that evening, after settling her aunt with visiting relatives, Ryan drove her home. Security was already in position.
Inside the quiet house, she checked the locks twice. Her phone chimed with a text from Ryan: “Security reports all clear. Sleep well. ”
She was settling into bed when the landline rang.
Cautiously, she answered. “Amelia Bennett? ” A male voice, slightly slurred. “Someone who knows what Ryan Westbrook is really capable of.
You think he’ll play happy families with you and that baby? You’re just another asset to manage. ”
“Daniel Powell, I presume. ”
A harsh laugh.
“Smart girl. That’s why Ryan kept you around. ”
“What do you want? ”
“Justice.
Westbrook destroyed my career. Now I’m going to take what matters to him. ”
“By threatening a pregnant woman? ”
“He’ll pay whatever it takes to keep you quiet.
Ten million in untraceable cryptocurrency, and you disappear. ”
While keeping him talking, Amelia frantically texted Ryan. The security team rushed up the porch steps. Ryan appeared in the hallway.
“He’s on the phone right now,” she mouthed. Ryan nodded, speaking quietly into his own phone. “You’re lying about the other women too,” Amelia said into the receiver. “Sophia Martinez, Chloe Wilson—those names are fabrications.
”
“Such touching family values. ”
“This conversation is over. ” She hung up. Ryan unplugged the landline.
“My team traced the call. He’s at the Harbor Inn. Police are on their way. ”
Relief flooded through her, followed by exhaustion.
Ryan guided her to sit on the stairs. “Stay,” she said softly. “Not like that. But I don’t want to be alone tonight.
”
“I’ll sleep on the couch. ”
Three hours later, she woke to find Ryan in her doorway, his expression victorious. “They’ve got him. Powell’s in custody.
” He hesitated. “Valerie is being questioned. She didn’t know about the threats, but she did admit to trying to sabotage any reconciliation between us. ”
“So it’s really over?
”
“Yes. Well, this part of the story anyway. ”
She patted the edge of her bed. He sat beside her.
She reached for his hand. “I’ve seen who you really are these past days. Not the billionaire CEO. The man who stayed by my side through a hospital vigil.
Who remembers my childhood love of elephants. Who drops everything to protect me and our child. ”
“I made mistakes, Amelia. Terrible ones.
But losing you taught me what really matters. It’s not the company or the money. It’s family. Love.
Trust. ”
“I’m not ready to jump back into a relationship,” she cautioned. He nodded. “But I am ready to start over.
Slowly. For our son. ”
Six months later, on a perfect spring day, Amelia sat on a blanket in Patricia’s backyard, watching Ryan gently rock their six-week-old son, Benjamin Thomas Westbrook. The baby had his father’s blue eyes and his mother’s dark curls.
“He’s finally asleep,” Ryan whispered, placing him in the bassinet. “Until the next feeding,” Amelia smiled. So much had changed. Aunt Patricia had recovered.
Aunt Jean had moved in permanently. Tessa’s bakery expanded. Powell was serving time. Valerie was in Europe.
Ryan had bought the house next door. He came over every morning and evening, helping with feedings, earning not just her forgiveness but gradually, cautiously, her trust. “Would you and Benjamin like to come to dinner at my place tomorrow? ” he asked.
“I’ve been practicing my cooking skills. ”
She raised an eyebrow. “The man who once burned microwave popcorn? ”
“I’ve been taking classes.
”
The playful flirtation between them had been growing. She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, their first since she’d left town a year ago. When she pulled back, the wonder in his eyes reflected her own. “What was that for?
” he asked softly. “New beginnings,” she said. “And the courage to trust again.
”