CHAPTER 2: pregnant

Chloe stared at the two pink lines on the plastic stick sitting on Damian’s desk like it might bite her.

The doctor had just left the room after the ultrasound, his face tight as he muttered about needing more scans.

“Twins,” Damian said, voice flat as he picked up the test and set it down again. He didn’t smile, He didn’t even blink much. “One looks smaller. They mentioned possible complications at eight weeks.”

Chloe pressed her palms flat against her thighs, fingers digging into the fabric of her jeans. The news should have made her jump up and down, Instead her stomach knotted so hard she had to swallow twice before she could speak.

“So what now?” she asked. “They said the smaller one has a weak heartbeat or something, We need to decide on monitoring.”

Damian’s phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen, Vanessa’s name, then silenced it without answering. “My team will handle extra appointments, You’ll come here twice a week. No arguments.”

“Twice a week?” Chloe leaned forward, her chair creaking under her. “I have a bakery to run. I can’t drop everything because you snap your fingers, This is my body carrying them, I get a say in how we do this.”

He folded his arms across his chest, the expensive watch catching the light. “The contract gives me input on medical decisions, This isn’t up for debate. The smaller twin could mean risks, "We manage it properly or we don’t.”

“Properly according to you,” she shot back. Her voice rose despite herself, She gripped the edge of the desk to keep her hands from shaking.

“You’re acting like I’m some employee who might mess up your investment. These are going to be my kids too. I’m not letting you turn this into another boardroom takeover.”

Damian’s jaw tightened. For a second he looked like he might argue harder, but he exhaled through his nose and leaned back. “Vanessa agrees with more monitoring. She’s still part of this.”

As if on cue, his phone lit up again. He read the incoming text, thumb scrolling once, then set the device face down. Whatever it said made his shoulders shift, but his face stayed the same blank mask.

Chloe watched him closely. “She’s texting you right now, isn’t she? While we’re sitting here talking about our babies. Does she even care, or is this just another thing she wants handled?”

“She cares enough to have suggested the surrogacy,” he replied evenly. “Focus on what matters. The doctor will be back in a minute with the full report.”

The door opened and the same doctor stepped in, tablet in hand. He was younger than Chloe expected, with kind eyes that kept flicking between them like he sensed the tension.

“Ms. Bennett, Mr. King,” he started, pulling up a chair. “The ultrasound confirms twins. Twin A looks strong. Twin B is measuring a bit behind with some irregular activity. At this stage it could resolve on its own, but we need to watch closely.

Bed rest isn’t necessary yet, but reduced stress and frequent checks are.”

Chloe’s fingers curled tighter against her legs. She wanted to ask a hundred questions, but the words stuck. Instead she nodded and forced out, “What are the chances the smaller one doesn’t make it?”

The doctor hesitated. “Too early to say for sure, We’ll do another scan in four days, I recommend you limit physical work at the bakery, No heavy lifting.”

Chloe's hand drifted to the gentle curve of her stomach, the movement instinctive. She had spent most of her life listening to people insist a woman with her body would struggle to conceive, that motherhood might never happen for someone her size. Now she was carrying twins, and all she could think about was the terrifying possibility of losing one before she had even allowed herself to believe they were real.

Damian cut in before she could respond. “She’ll follow that. I’ll arrange for help at her business and daily check-ins with you directly.”

“Wait a second,” Chloe interrupted, turning sharply toward him. “You don’t get to decide my schedule. I built that bakery from nothing. I’m not handing it over to strangers just because…”

“Because your children might be at risk?” Damian finished, his tone sharpening. He looked at her then, really looked, gray eyes steady but something harder underneath. “This isn’t about control, Chloe. It’s about making sure they’re safe, Or do you want to argue until something goes wrong?”

She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. Part of her knew he had a point, The other part hated how easily he assumed he could rearrange her entire life. She thought, He’s already trying to run everything and we’re barely started.

The doctor cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you two to discuss. Call my office to set the next appointment.” He slipped out quickly.

Silence filled the office. Chloe rubbed her hands over her face, then dropped them. “I’m not saying no to extra checks. But you have to stop steamrolling me. I signed up to carry the baby,babies, not to become your project.”

Damian’s phone buzzed again. He picked it up this time, read the message, and his lips pressed into a thin line, Vanessa again. He typed a short reply and put it down.

“Fine,” he said. “We compromise on the schedule. But you move into the guest suite at the penthouse by next week for closer monitoring. Vanessa thinks it’s best.”

Chloe’s head snapped up. “I’m not moving in with you and your fiancée. That wasn’t part of any deal I saw.”

Before he could answer, the doctor poked his head back in, expression grim. “I just reviewed the latest bloodwork. The risks for Twin B are higher than I initially thought, We should consider hospital-based monitoring starting sooner rather than later.”

Damian stood immediately. “She’ll start tomorrow. I’ll make the arrangements.”

Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but Damian was already turning his phone toward her so she could see the string of texts from Vanessa lighting up the screen. The latest one read.

This better not fall apart, Handle it.

Chloe looked down at the ultrasound print still clutched in her hand. Two tiny lives. One already struggling before it had even entered the world.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and met Damian's eyes.

"I'll come tomorrow," she said quietly. "Not because you told me to. Because I'm not taking chances with them."

Damian held her gaze for a long second before giving a single nod.