Page 40 of The Baby Twist

Looking at the time on my phone, it was eleven fifty-five. Grabbing my purse, I headed down to the lobby, where Lincoln was already waiting. We climbed into the back of his limousine, where he spent the entire ride to The Capital Grille on a business call. We were immediately taken to our table when we stepped inside the restaurant.

“Good afternoon, I’m Clarissa, and I’ll be your server. May I start you off with something to drink?”

“I’ll just have water. Thank you.” I smiled at her.

“And I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, darling.” Lincoln gave her a wink.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having lunch with you today?” I asked as I picked up my menu.

“Maybe I just wanted to have lunch with a beautiful woman.”

“Perhaps. But not today, Lincoln. Especially with a pregnant woman.” I arched my brow at him.

He chuckled as Clarissa set our drinks down and took our lunch order.

“Down to business. I like that about you.” He took a sip of his scotch. “I know that child you’re carrying is my son’s.”

I inhaled a sharp breath and needed to play it cool.

“What makes you think that?” I cocked my head at him.

“I’m not stupid or ignorant, Jenna. I can put two and two together.”

“Then enlighten me, Lincoln.”

“My son was very nervous last night. He was afraid you would slip after he told you not to tell me. Then there’s thetiming of you coming into the company. I pulled your file, and you were hired after you fixed the coding for my son's project. The two of you had a one-night stand because that’s all Lucas is in for, and you either got pregnant on purpose because you saw an opportunity or my son was irresponsible. But in all fairness, I’m going with he was irresponsible because a woman like you and with your brain, you don’t need a man to take care of you.”

“You’re right. I don’t need a man to take care of me. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”

“Then there’s the fact that he put you up in his apartment, which I’m to assume was to keep you close. Lucas isn’t ready to be a father, Jenna, and he never will be.”

I picked up my glass and sipped my water just as Clarissa set our lunch down in front of us.

“The truth will come out. I just wanted to speak with you first,” he said.

He had me backed into a corner. This whole thing was stupid and a waste of my time. I wasn’t playing these games.

“You’re right, Lincoln. Lucas is this baby’s father and your grandchild. But we both agreed that he would have nothing to do with the baby, and I would raise it alone. I want nothing from your son.”

“But you’re working for our company and renting his apartment. It seems like you want something.”

“I was in a bind, and he helped me out. You know what?” I set down my fork in disgust. “I saved that project for your company, and this is how you treat me? You should be fucking grateful I did what I did. Lucas didn’t ask me to do it. I saw it in his office in the penthouse, and I took it upon myself to do something to repay him for letting me stay there after I broke my foot in his building.”

“I am grateful to you, Jenna. Don’t misinterpret that. But that’s over and done with. Now we have a new set of problems.”

“So, you’re saying my child is a problem?”

“I’m saying it’s a problem if Lucas were to be involved.”

“Why would that be a problem?” I cocked my head at him.

“Because when you feel, you stop thinking. And when you stop thinking clearly, everything goes to hell. Lucas has firsthand experience with that.”

“Is that some bullshit line you’ve been feeding him his whole life? And what about his mother?”

“She was a woman I met and had a few good times with. She meant nothing to me. When she told me she was pregnant, I sent her to get an abortion. She couldn’t go through with it, so I paid her off, and she left town. Before she gave birth, she filled out some paperwork at the hospital listing me as the father and the emergency contact. When the hospital called to tell me she had passed away during childbirth and to come and take Lucas home, I really didn’t have a choice. I didn’t plan on keeping him, but then I saw an opportunity to keep our family legacy going just like my father always wanted. But it stops with Lucas.”

“You’re a real piece of work, Lincoln. And I would never let my child be involved with your family in a million years. In fact, this baby won’t even have the Thorne name.”