Pregnant and Spoiled by the Billionaire – Episode 13
Leo closed the office door behind Amelia, shutting out the curious glances of his staff. She remained near the entrance instead of taking the chair he offered, her grip tight on the strap of her bag. Whatever had brought her back frightened her more than facing the man who had accused her of using him.
“Before you say anything, I need you to know I’m sorry,” Leo said. Apologies had never come naturally to him, but Amelia deserved one without conditions. “I let what happened at the bar poison what I knew about you. You never gave me a reason to think you wanted my money.”
Amelia looked at him for a long moment. “You gave me ten million dollars and told me to get lost.” Her voice did not rise, which made the reminder cut deeper. “Do you know what it felt like to realize you thought our night had a price?”
“Yes,” Leo answered, though both of them knew he could only imagine it. “And if I could take it back, I would.” He did not reach for her. Wanting her close did not give him the right to ask for comfort before she decided whether his apology meant anything.
Amelia drew the folded medical report from her bag. The clinic logo caught Leo’s attention, and concern replaced shame. He crossed the room before stopping himself. “Are you sick?”
“No.” Her hand trembled as she held out the paper. She had rehearsed the words downstairs, but now there was only one way to say them. “I’m pregnant, Leo. Eight weeks.”
Silence filled the office. Leo looked from the report to Amelia’s face, calculation moving behind his stunned expression. Eight weeks carried him back to the penthouse, the antidote, and the moment she had reached for him with clear eyes. No question remained about what night she meant.
“The baby is mine,” he said. It was not an accusation, but Amelia heard uncertainty and stiffened. “You’re the only man I’ve been with,” she replied. “I didn’t come here to ask for money. I came because you have a right to know.”
Leo unfolded the report and read the clinical lines twice. Something fierce and unfamiliar rose through his shock. He had spent years dismissing his mother’s obsession with the Preston heir, yet the knowledge that a child—his child—was growing inside Amelia made the future feel immediate and inescapably real.
“Have you seen a doctor? Are you both healthy?” The questions came too quickly, driven by the memory of the drug, the cold bath, and every risk Amelia had endured. She blinked at the concern in his voice. “The doctor says everything looks normal, but I need another appointment.”
“I’ll arrange the best specialist in the city.” Leo reached for his phone, already reorganizing her medical care with the force he brought to corporate crises. Amelia caught his wrist. “Stop. You don’t get to take over my life because I’m carrying your baby.”
Her touch halted him more effectively than any boardroom challenge. Leo lowered the phone. “Then tell me what you need,” he said. Amelia had expected denial, suspicion, or a demand for proof. She had not prepared for a man trying—however clumsily—to help.
“I need time,” she answered. “I need to finish school, find another place to live, and decide what kind of mother I can be.” Each problem sounded heavier aloud. “What I don’t need is another black card thrown at me.”
Pain crossed Leo’s expression. “That will never happen again.” He moved closer but left enough space for her to retreat. “Whatever you decide about us, you will not face this alone. Neither will our child.”
The office door opened before Amelia could respond. Leo’s mother entered without waiting for permission, carrying the momentum of someone accustomed to being welcomed everywhere her family name opened doors. She had come to discuss another carefully selected woman and stopped when she saw Amelia.
Her gaze moved from the young stranger to the clinic report in Leo’s hand. “I was told you canceled every meeting this afternoon,” she said. “Who is this?” Leo’s jaw tightened at the intrusion. “Mother, this is Amelia Gates.”
Recognition flickered. Mrs. Preston had read the article that earned Amelia attention and heard enough from Leo’s assistant to know her son had broken his own rules for the student. She studied Amelia’s inexpensive clothes and pale face, then noticed the protective way Leo had positioned himself beside her.
“What is going on?” she demanded. Leo could control investors and employees, but he could not undo the words she had already overheard through the opening door. Amelia lifted her chin, refusing to look ashamed of a child conceived before any of them had planned for it.
“Amelia is pregnant,” Leo said. His voice carried a warning against any cruelty. “The baby is mine.” For once, his mother had no immediate response. Her lifelong demand for an heir had arrived in the form of a college student she had never chosen.
Mrs. Preston’s shock hardened into scrutiny as she turned on Amelia. “Then before this family accepts a single word, there will be a paternity test.” The accusation struck Amelia with the same force as Leo’s former contempt, and the room tilted around her. Leo reached for her just as her knees buckled and the medical report slipped from his hand.
