The Beautiful Billionaire

ESTELLE “You’re gripping my hand too tight.” I chuckled. We were about to find out the gender of our baby, and here he was. The hardass I knew was nervous about his baby.

“Sorry. I’d never been nervous like this, even fighting bad guys.”

“I’m afraid you will pass out before hearing our baby’s first cry.”

“I will try not to, and I already promised to be with you, even during your labor.” He looked at me. He may feel nervous, but those eyes never lied- he was too eager to see and hear his child again.

Sometimes, all I wanted was to just stare at him and dream of our future life together.

Damn, I’m so madly in love with this man.

“You’ll be fine, big guy. And I already knew you’re not squeamish with blood.” I smiled. I couldn’t believe Linden could be this sweet because when I first saw him, he was like the toughest guy I’d ever met. He looked so hard and rough like he could snap my neck with his fingers.

“Are you guys ready?” Dr. Chesca just came in. She had other patients before us.

“Yup.”

“How about you, Gabe? Are you ready to find out your baby’s gender?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t filled up a list to protect my kid if she’s a girl.”

“That’s what I thought.” Dr. Chesca chuckled. “I talked to Adley last week, and she asked me if I have a patient named Estelle. So I figured you guys have met between our last appointment.”

“Yeah. Is London your patient, too?”

“Yes, she is. Playboys and bad boys are so protective of their kids. I understand why.” Dr. Chesca started her ultrasound.

“And good girls always fall for playboys and bad boys.” I looked at my husband. “Why is that?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m neither of those.”

“Really?” I raised a brow.

“I didn’t date women for seven years.”

“Just toyed with them, then,” Dr. Chesca declared.

“Exactly.” I laughed. Dr. Chesca joined me, too.

“Oh, boy.”

“Wait. Where having a boy?” Linden quickly asked.

“You’re having a girl,” she gushed. “Congratulations!”

My heart warmed as I looked at Linden. His gaze was still glued to the screen.

“That’s my girl?” His voice was low and soft, and he barely blinked as if afraid the image would disappear.

“Yes. She’s healthy, and she’s around fourteen weeks old.”

“Wow. That’s so fast. I haven’t fully grasped that I will be a father soon. It still feels like a dream. I should invest in her bodyguards and train them like G. I Joes.”

I slapped his arm playfully. “She will be a good girl.”

“Just like her, mom.” He kissed my forehead and touched my tummy. “Easy on your mommy, okay? Don’t give her a hard time.”

After our doctor’s appointment, I went to my car, but he didn’t let me go yet. He joined me in the backseat.

“Don’t you have work, my baby daddy?”

His smile was sweet, and he really looked happy. “I’m your husband. Thank you, baby.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a baby girl.”

“Do you wish it was a boy?”Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“No, baby. I love her whether she’s a boy, a girl, or any gender. That’s our own blood. But she’s not gonna have a boyfriend until thirty.”

I held his hand and looked at him in the eye. “Stop it. We’ll show her to be a good person like her dad and her aunt Willa. That’s all that matters.”

“I’m so happy,” he said as he hugged me. “I’m overjoyed.”

“But you have to let me go. I have work waiting for me.”

“Yeah.” He blinked when his emotions just overwhelmed him. “I’m still working on the case. Don’t work too hard, okay?”

Before he got out of the car, I cupped his face and kissed him. “Take care. See you later at home.”

“You’re meeting Skyla later?”

“Yup.”

“See you later, baby.”

He was already outside the car. I rolled the window down. “Call Sax again.”

“I will.”

I was about to begin reading the files on my desk at the office when Micah came in. “What is it?”

“The legal team and your mom are here.”

My heart hammered. “Let them in.”

I fixed my dress before they walked in. Mom looked as confident as ever.

“How much we lost?”

“Nothing can’t be fixed. The sales dropped to forty-five percent compared to the previous launch, but it was not as bad as it looked. We still have consumers that believe in Star and didn’t get the same reaction.”

“Thanks, Mom. We’ll have a shareholder meeting in three weeks.” I turned to my attorneys. “What did they ask?” I heard the complaint reach Mom’s office, but it was not official, and I didn’t waste my time. I knew what she wanted the first time I saw her videos.

“We can sit down and settle against them under undisclosed terms,” Attorney. Milus suggested.

“We’re paying her, and then what? What about the rep she damaged? Because I don’t believe the product is faulty. We’ve tested them because I didn’t want things like this to happen.”

“There’s a possibility of 1 to 1000 consumers will get the reaction,” Atty. Anders said.

“That’s true. She posted a video online. A live feed using my product, that’s why I was conducting an investigation, but she didn’t cooperate. I want to bring this complaint to court since she posted another video telling everyone that my products are low quality, humiliating me and the company to thousands, even millions of people. I don’t care how much money I lost. I will fight for my company.”

They shared a look.

“Very well. We will file a countersue.”

***

“So, what are you having?”

“I can’t tell you right now, but I want you to be there at our gender reveal party.”

The weather was good, so I asked Skyla if she could take an hour and meet me for a coffee, and later we could go to the park. She also picked up Emery earlier so he could come with us.

“Do you like your chocolate drink, Emery?”

The boy was a little shy, but he nodded. “Yes, Estelle.”

“Glad you like it.” We took a seat on the bench, facing the kids playing.

Emery watched the kids play. I could see he wanted to go and play with them as well. “Mommy, can I go and play?”

“Of course. Just don’t go far.”

“Linden is already working on your case.”

“He hasn’t contacted me.” Her gaze never left Emery. Maybe Linden and I would be like her, protective of our child.

“I know, but the plan is in motion. Have you seen Sax lately?”

“Yeah. This morning. I saw his car parked outside my apartment, so I invited him for breakfast.” She watched Emery play alone with his ball.

“That’s good. He was watching your apartment.”

“Do you think Jake will find us?” Skyla was careful. I would be more paranoid if I were in her shoes. I understood her, considering she had a kid.

“I hope not.” I sipped my decaf. “Don’t worry. You’re safe, but always trust your gut if you feel something troubling you. Call us anytime. We will take you and Emery to a safer place.”

She touched my hand. “Thanks for doing this and for not being a jealous wife.”

I chuckled. “I know where I stand, and I trust Gabriel.”

“He’s a good man. Always is.” She suddenly rose to her feet, scanning the surroundings. “Where’s Emery?”

I scanned, too. His ball might go far. I saw him picking his ball behind us. “He’s there. He might kick the ball hard.” I wasn’t finished talking. Skyla ran toward her son.

I looked at them. Skyla just grabbed Emery and gripped his little arm a little harder. She was under a lot of stress. I got that. She was a little harsh, but I still admired her. I didn’t know how she handled her trauma while raising a boy on her own.

She came back. This time, with Emery. She blew a breath before she talked, “I’m sorry. I don’t know. I’m just worried, you know. We’ve been running for years. I changed places when I suddenly felt like someone was following us. He also had to change schools, and I had to find another job. That’s why when I couldn’t take it anymore, I went to Gabe for help. I couldn’t keep running. And this is not good for Emery.”

“I’m so sorry you have to go through all that. It will be over soon. I promise.”

She smiled tightly. “Thank you, Estelle. You’re so kind.”

“Mrs. Linden?”

I lifted my gaze to Qamar. He looked alert. “Yeah? Something wrong?”

“It’s your husband, ma’am.” That was all he said, but I felt like there was something more, something terrifying he was about to drop on me.

“What about my husband? Is he okay?”

“I’m sorry to cut your break, ma’am, but you have to come with me.”

With my chest tightening, I stood up and glared at him. “Tell me if he’s okay?”

“He’s-”

“What? Talk!” I was already raising my voice, but I felt like he was listening to someone in his comm.

“He has shortness of breath and chest pain.”

“I-I.” I didn’t know what to say as I looked at Qamar and Skyla.

“Go,” she said. “We’ll be fine.”

“I’m so sorry. I have to go.” I grabbed my bag and was ready to leave.

“Don’t worry about us. Go, see your husband.”

Even if I wasn’t done talking, Qamar already had his hand around my arm.

“I’ll call you.” I watched Skyla hold her son, but my mind was on Linden.

Qamar quickly unlocked the car and opened the backseat door for me without even a word.

Once I was in the backseat, he went to the driver’s seat and drove fast to the main street like a lunatic.

Everything happened so fast that I even forgot to put my seatbelt on until he informed me. “Where’s Gabriel now, Qamar? What really happened?”

“Take your call, ma’am.”

“Oh, God. He must be calling. I silenced my phone when I met Skyla.” I fished out my phone, and Linden was calling me. My heart was in my throat as I answered the call.

“Baby? Gabriel, are you okay?”

“Where are you now?” He sounded okay, not wishing he was sick, but I was glad to hear his voice.

“I’m with Qamar on the way to you. I thought you were not feeling well. What’s going on, Gabriel?”

“We’ll talk at Sax’s house. Qamar is driving you here.”

“You’re with Sax? Is he okay? Why are we meeting there? Are you okay? What’s going on? You’re making me nervous, Gabriel.”

“I’m fine, baby. Everything is gonna be okay. Just relax. I will tell you everything once you’re here.”

“Oh, thank God. You made me worried. I had to leave Skyla at the park.”

“That’s the most fantastic news I’ve heard today.”

“Don’t do something like that again. I swear I’m getting a heart attack at thirty.”

“I’m sorry, my love, but I want you to get away from her as soon as possible.”

“Why? What the hell is going on?”

“She’s not what I thought she was, baby. I should have just trusted my gut.”