The Ruthless Lawyer's Secret Baby Girl

Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure the security guards could hear it. She held a manil

, but the woman had called in sick at the last minute. She had frantically called Jazmine, her parents, and even the neighbor she barely knew

tine's nose. The sunglasses were ridiculous, shaped like hearts, but they covered half of the li

e said, her voice muffle

was perfectly groomed, her blonde hair pulled back in a sle

I hel

radford," Annemarie said, sliding the en

y glanced at it. "Do y

said. "But he's

ot accept hand-delivered documents at the front desk. You'll ne

dropped. "Can't yo

aid, turning back to her computer s

ouldn't draw attention to herself. She took the envelope and

rie pushed the button for the executive floor. The car began to ascend. Clementine

i

rward, her eyes fixed on the plush carpet of the h

d by two men in expensive suits. He was dressed in a navy pinstripe today, looking every inch th

d down to the small figure beside her. Annemarie instinctively

rying to sound professional.

owed, focusing on the small hand cl

her voice tight. "She's sick.

ble. He didn't move out of the elevator doorway.

the envelope toward him. "It's a termination of represen

then back at her face. A slow, mocking smile spread

said, lifting h

on, had dropped her ball. It bounced once, twice, and then rolled out from behind Annemarie's

ng to ice in her veins. Carlisle looked down at the bright red ball restin

ll, his large hands dwarfing the small toy. He turn

ut from behind her mother. She reached up and pulled of

itely, looking up at Carlisle. "

mber eyes, he felt a strange, unsettling jolt of familiarity, a fleeting echo he couldn't quite place.

inst her ribs as Carlisle stared at her daughter. The little girl

eling aside. He stood up slowly, holding the ball out to her. His ga

he said softly,

giving him a wide smile that

go," she gasped, pushing past Carlisle into the hallway. She practically ran

ar to see the look of dawning realiza