Tanis stood alone in the pristine bathroom of her penthouse, lights dimmed to a low golden glow that reflected off the marble walls and mirrored surfaces. The hum of her electric toothbrush echoed against the sink where it buzzed, long forgotten. Her eyes didn't waver from the mirror.
She wasn't looking at her hair or her lipstick or the designer robe that hung elegantly from her shoulders. She was staring at herself, at the woman beneath the perfection.
Her hands were resting on her abdomen, fingers splayed lightly over the soft silk fabric that covered the still-flat curve of her belly.
She had whispered it over and over last night, like a mantra, like a desperate prayer.
"It's real. It's real. It's his."
The ultrasound photo lay on the counter beside her makeup tray. The tiny flicker of a heartbeat captured in grayscale haunted her more than any headline ever had. That flutter of life had undone her in ways she hadn't expected. No more tricks. No more hormone manipulation. No more illusions crafted for control.
This baby was real. A living, growing piece of Andrew Millers.
Conceived in the foggy, fractured weeks after his accident, when he had no past, no identity, and no memory of Camilla Brentwood. In that strange in-between world, he had belonged to her. Not because he remembered her, but because she had written herself into his story.
And yet… even with everything, he had walked away.
Not because she wasn't enough. Not because she lacked charm, money, or influence. But because that woman, Camilla, had clawed her way back into his life. Into his heart. Into his bed.
Tanis clenched her jaw, eyes burning with unshed tears. She had fought too hard to end up forgotten. Lied too well. Risked too much. The Harper name might be tarnished, the press might be circling like vultures, but she still had one card left.
One unbeatable card.
The child.
And whether Drew wanted her or not, he wouldn't be able to ignore what was now growing inside her.
In the stark, modern boardroom of Millers Enterprises, the energy was heavy with tension. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the conference table.
Drew sat at the head, his shoulders stiff, one leg bouncing ever so slightly under the polished wood. Camilla was beside him, dressed in a tailored navy-blue dress that hugged the gentle swell of her belly. Her hand rested protectively over it as if drawing strength from the life they had created.
Leo stood by the projection screen, flipping through a folder with more force than necessary. "Two board members resigned this morning," he announced, voice clipped. "No warning. No press leaks. They just… vanished."
Drew's brow furrowed. "Connections?"
Leo's mouth was a hard line. "Both traced back to the Harpers through shell investments. Backdoor donations. It's classic chess. They're trying to gut you from the inside out."
Drew exhaled, jaw tense. "They want to isolate us. Break me down piece by piece."
Camilla glanced at him, her voice calm and sure. "But they're not succeeding. We're still here. Still standing."
Leo gave a nod. "Barely, but yes. And now, with Tanis making the pregnancy public, the press is circling again. Investors will be watching closely, how you respond, what narrative you allow to form."
Drew leaned back, his eyes drifting out the window. The city sprawled beneath them, unaware of the war being fought in quiet boardrooms and bloodlines. "I won't deny the child. If it's mine, I'll take care of it. Financially. Legally. But I'm not going to be blackmailed into playing house with her."
Camilla's fingers twitched slightly in her lap. "So what happens next?"
Before Drew could answer, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and sighed. "She's not done."
Camilla raised an eyebrow. "Tanis?"
He nodded and turned the screen for her to see.
A message. Plain and direct.
"Meet me. No press. No cameras. Just you."
Camilla looked up at him. "You're going?"
"I have to."
She swallowed. "Then don't go alone."
The meeting place was neutral territory: a private library wing in the historic district, typically reserved for elite donors and dignitaries. Quiet. Guarded. Controlled.
Tanis arrived first. She wore a soft beige dress, her hair pulled back into a sleek knot. Her makeup was minimal, a departure from her usual glamour. She sat at a long mahogany table in the reading hall, her expression unreadable, fingers folded neatly before her.
Drew entered moments later, flanked by Leo, who stood back as Drew approached the table.
"Tanis," he greeted coolly.
She didn't rise, but she gestured to the envelope beside her. "You wanted confirmation. There it is. Paternity results. You're the father."
Leo stepped forward and opened the envelope, scanning the documents with practiced eyes. After a beat, he gave a slight nod. Genuine. Verified. No signs of forgery.
Tanis leaned back in her chair. "I'm not asking for anything, Drew. No media stunts. No staged family portraits. No promises. I'm not after your name or your ring."
Drew narrowed his gaze. "Then why am I here?"
She looked down, then up again, her eyes softer than he'd seen them in months. "Because I want to say something. And this time, without the manipulation. Without the games."
He folded his arms but said nothing.
"I didn't lie about everything," she said quietly. "When you woke up in that hospital, scared, confused, lost, you you you I was there. I helped you remember how to walk, how to smile. And yes, I twisted the truth. I painted a version of us that didn't exist. But somewhere along the way… I started to believe it myself."
Her voice trembled. "I didn't just love what you represented. I loved you. The way you looked at me like I wasn't just a Harper. Like I was someone worth holding onto. Even if it wasn't real for you, it became real for me."
Drew's jaw ticked. "That man didn't know who he was. And you built your fantasy on top of his confusion."
She nodded. "I know. But this baby? He's not a scheme. He's not a trap. He's… ours. And one day, he'll ask who you were. I want to be able to tell him I gave you a chance. That I didn't let you walk away without trying."
For a moment, the façade dropped. She didn't look like the cunning heiress or the media darling. She looked like a woman lost between truth and consequences.
Leo stepped forward again, clearing his throat. "Are we done here?"
Tanis's eyes flicked to Drew one last time. "I'm not your enemy anymore," she said softly. "But don't pretend I never mattered."
She rose and walked away, the soft swish of her dress the only sound in the silent room.
6
That night, Drew and Camilla sat at the edge of their bed, the city glowing faintly through the open windows behind them.
"She's telling the truth," Drew murmured. "The child's mine."
Camilla nodded. "I could tell. There's a different kind of stillness when someone accepts the truth."
He reached over and took her hand. "Do you trust me?"
She looked at him. "With everything I am."
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, lingering there as if anchoring himself in her quiet strength.
But two blocks away, a black SUV idled with its lights off.
Inside, a Harper security agent stared at a live feed on his tablet. Tanis's movements. Drew's building.
He made a call.
"She's still a threat," he said.
The voice on the other end was crisp and cold. "Phase two. Make it look like an accident."
"Yes, sir."
The agent hung up and started the engine, the hum of danger moving silently through the night.