The Billionaire's $500,000 baby

ra'

Xavie

rain and opened an umbrella that looked like it co

sound. Squish. Squish. It was annoyingly embarrassing. I tried to

thing I had left that wasn't ruined. I hoped the leather and few

I'd have nothin

massive slabs of glass that slid open before we e

marble and silver accents. It smell

de my eyes ache after

people..

s. Women in dresses that belonged in magazines, walking on heels so thin

n there

niform was soaked through, the fabric clinging to my stomach and thighs in all the wrong places. There

hattering, a loud, rhythmic click-click-click th

y water across the floor. A literal trail of

yebrows up. She didn't look away. She just stared. It wasn't a mean stare, which was worse. It was a look of pure

didn't even sound embarrassed, he

d to this. He

thick. I wanted to cry again, but I remembered what

elf. Think about the heart

e a person of steel.

o avoid me, pulling his briefcase close to his leg like I might infect him. I felt a surge of hot, messy anger. I wante

y anything. I j

le. "How much longer? The hospital alert.

n sixty seconds," he said. He didn't slow down. He was g

, his hand on his belt, but Xavier didn't even look at him. He just held up a s

cal weight. It opened doors. It stopped guard

These weren't like the others. They were tucked away behind

" or "

gle, gold-

nst a small pad on the wall.

i

h and a mirror. I looked in the mirror and immediately looked away. I couldn't stand to see myself

he air was cool and

I asked. "Th

ier said. "Darian do

was no stomach-dropping sensation. The only way I knew

0... 40

sweaty, even though I was freezing. I started to second-guess everything. Maybe I shou

re are no miracles

95..

sharp urge to vomit. I gripped the strap of

" Xavie

ked a

puddle...He's looking for a reas

really. I knew he was rich. I knew he was Sergei's son. I knew he was the

made a soft,

nto a hallway. They ope

ts outside the massive windows. The floor was dark wood, polished to a mirror shine. The air w

nt. Complet

serable slop sound on the wood. I felt the cold air of

as standing. Or rather, he was a silhouette. He was facing the window, his back to us. He was ta

ped behind his back. He didn't move. He didn't

y dog. I wanted to speak, to beg him to call the hospita

ds passed

lightning strike. I looked at Xavier, but he was just standing there, l

oved. He didn't turn around. He

late,"

cted. It wasn't loud, but it fil

Xavier said smoothly. "And we had to

ispered. The word

lkov turn

weapon...His eyes were the color of the North Sea in winter...grey, blue, and utterly heartless. His face was

Volkov

look at Xavier.

y shoes. He looked at me like I was a bug he was considering stepping on. There was not even

Xavier. I wanted to cover myself up. I felt so

like I was a disappointment...Like he'd orde

yes," Xav

He stopped a few feet away from me. He was so tall I had to crane my n

tle. I could see the fle

to fall over, Liora," he sai

ne," I lied. M

I thought he was going to touch me. I flinched. His ha

back and tucked i

said. He said it like he was commenting

ery," I managed to say. "T

I know everything. I know your father was a failure and I know you have twelve d

ink and looked at me ov

ou worth the trouble? Because righ

I was tired, I was wet, and my mother wa

voice was stronger this t

. It was the look of a man who had ju

n and he didn't even offer me a chair. He just picked up a t

," he co

edge of the desk

sign those papers, you don't belong to

er. I looked at the

ehind me had closed.

," he sa