The Billionaires's Temptation (Book 1)

39. Emotions (1)

Olivia

The content displayed on the desk was none other than the photo scan from the hospital. It felt as if the air had been knocked out of my body. My temperature seemed to rise rapidly. "What's this, Sarah?" Mr. Nero asked, his tone mixed with curiosity and suspicion.

Sarah and I shared a look, her expression accusing. An expression that demanded answers. "It's a baby photo scan, as you can see. Amelia is a doctor, so she can confirm," she said, her tone laced with something I couldn't quite place.

"Why do you have a baby's photo scan in your room, Olivia?" she questioned, her eyes drilling into me. I knew that the image laid out before everyone was enough to arouse suspicion. All eyes turned toward me, the only sympathetic one being Amelia's. After all, this wasn't news to her.

"Are you pregnant?" Logan's stepmother asked, her question hanging in the air like a weight. My body felt weak, my insides pounding as I tried to absorb everything. The secret was finally out, the secret that Logan had been avoiding revealing. Part of me was relieved, as I no longer had to hide my pregnancy. Another part of me was anxious, wondering how they would react.

"Weren't you paying attention to the question? Why is there a baby's photo scan in your room? What connection do you have to it?" Mr. Nero's questions were fired at me with an edge of anger. He had been upset with me from the start, and now, with this revelation, I doubted he'd be any happier.

I glanced at Logan, who looked like he was in a daze. He clearly hadn't expected the truth to come out so soon. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. It was time to take matters into my own hands, just as I had promised myself the other day. "Yes, I'm pregnant," I declared, my voice rushed in my nervousness.

A heavy silence hung in the air. The stares fixed on me didn't waver. "This is unbelievable!" Mr. Nero exclaimed, his frustration evident.

"Did I hear correctly? Pregnant? Logan, what is going on?" He turned to Logan, his finger pointing accusatorily. "An illegitimate child in my house!"

My stomach churned with anxiety. I hadn't expected them to accept the truth readily. I had anticipated Mr. Nero's reaction to my baby, but his words still stung. Despite my emotions welling up, I managed to maintain a calm exterior. I had to face this challenge, no matter how difficult it seemed. "It is not an illegitimate child," I confessed, my voice stronger this time.

I felt the tension emanating from Logan's body. I could even see his jaw clench in my peripheral vision. "What?" Sarah exclaimed again, this time with even more force.

"Who is responsible for the baby? Because we won't-" Logan's stepmother began, but her sentence was cut off by Logan's admission.

"I am," Logan's voice rang out, shocking everyone into a stunned silence. I shot him a surprised look. I hadn't expected him to come clean so readily. I had assumed he would leave me to bear the weight of the situation alone.

"Olivia is pregnant, and I am the father of the baby," he stated again, his gaze fixed on his father. The man's eyes seemed to cloud with what I could only interpret as anger.

"Oh my god! What... How did..." Sarah's words trailed off, her finger pointing back and forth between me and Logan. The expressions on Amelia's and Logan's stepmother's faces remained ones of shock, similar to the expressions on the other brothers' faces.

"You must be joking, right?"

"No, father. Olivia and I had an agreement. I couldn't bring myself to reveal the truth initially because of the pressure at work," Logan explained, his voice steady.

"And you still didn't intend to disclose it now. We had to find out through other means. Do you know the consequences of your actions? Do you dare to tarnish the family's reputation?"

I disliked the unfolding situation. I didn't want the family to argue because of me. I wished the ground would swallow me whole – it seemed like that would bring me peace, perhaps lessen the ache in my chest. "It doesn't matter. I'm taking responsibility for my actions. She's here with us. She's part of the family."

"No, she's not! You can't simply mess around and think I will clean up after your mistakes!"

The argument continued, Logan maintaining a calm demeanor throughout. But I was anything but calm. My body trembled as the accusatory glances from Sarah and Logan's stepmother bore into me. "As I said before, father, I haven't done anything to compromise the family's reputation. No one outside knows about my relationship with Olivia. And I won't shirk my responsibilities just to keep the family peace."

"What are you implying? We are not fools, Logan! This is the same kind of scandal that occurred on your wedding day. If anything, this is even worse! You're acting foolishly!" I gasped at the harshness in his father's tone. I understood his anger, but he shouldn't have been so insulting to his own son.

Logan was clearly holding himself back. He was skilled at maintaining a brave face, something I had come to know so much about him. "Sir..." I began, taking a step forward, only for him to slam his fist onto the table, the loud noise jolting everyone present.

"Just get lost!" He snapped, and like a lightning bolt, I rushed out of the living room. I didn't stop until I found myself on the bed, where I let out all the tears and emotions I had been holding in for the past two days. My chest heaved with pain, and in my frustration, I began hitting it, as if hoping to alleviate the ache.

"Olivia." His voice, like a soothing balm, cut through my sobs. I didn't know it at the time, but I was also angry – at him. I wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn't come into my life. We wouldn't have ended up sleeping together if he hadn't approached me that other night. If I had stayed back home and not attended Alex's wedding, perhaps Logan and I would never have crossed paths and succumbed to our desires.

"Please go away," I managed to utter, frustration evident as I raked my hands through my hair. The last thing I wanted was to see him. I was angry at him for leaving without telling me. Now that the truth was out, my anger had multiplied. He was the reason for my turmoil. He was the source of my pain.

"Don't test my patience, Olivia," he warned, I thought he'd leave after my plea. Yet, he didn't.

"What will you do? Your family knows the truth now. You should go and rejoice. You don't have to hide away anymore!" I spat, wiping my nose on the hem of my dress.

"Just open the door, and we'll talk," he insisted, his hand on the doorknob. However, I had locked the door behind me. He could either wait until he got tired and left me alone, or he could do whatever he pleased.

"I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone! Just go!" My voice turned aggressive as I shouted at the top of my lungs. In the span of a few seconds, something happened that left me gasping for breath. Logan stood right in front of me, having unlocked the door.

"I told you to leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you. I've had enough from your father. You should be—" I didn't care about my disheveled appearance; my emotions were all over the place.

"You caused this pain," I choked out, my voice breaking as bile rose in my throat. Tears flowed uncontrollably. Logan fixed his dark gaze on me, further complicating my emotions. "It's..." I trailed off, feeling a sharp pain in my chest.

Logan pulled me closer, and I ended up pressed against his chest. His scent enveloped me, momentarily occupying my senses. "You don't know how much I missed you," he husked, his voice low and sharp.

"I nearly lost my mind in Santorini," he said again, his arms tightening around my body. At that exact moment, I let my guard down. I pulled away and started throwing punches at him.

"You left me!"

"You didn't bother to check my messages or even make a single call. You made me worried. I couldn't focus on work. I couldn't pull myself together!" I continued hitting his chest repeatedly. He didn't resist; he knew I needed to vent my anger. He understood his mistake, and I know my complex emotions. It wasn't just pain, and it wasn't just anger. I had missed him so much, with a sense of irrational longing. I was hopelessly in love with Logan.

He gently held the hand I was using to punch his chest, his gaze locked onto mine. I was sure he could read me like an open book. I didn't mind losing myself in the depth of his eyes. I wanted him – to be with him, to claim him as mine. "I've missed you like crazy," I confessed, a solitary tear sliding down my cheek.