Mr. Billionaire, We Have Two Secret Babies

It was the crack of dawn, barely half-past four in the morning.

The scenic woodland retreat, Lovestruck Haven, in the breathtaking hills of Barsay Mountains, lay sprawled with alluring tents, enticing couples seeking a romantic escapade.

'Ahh-'

The tranquillity of dawn was shattered by an unexpected scream.

Startled awake, Alessia bolted upright, her heart pounding. 'Who the heck's making all that noise?'

Outside, the sound of a heated argument was faintly audible, then quickly hushed.

Alessia cautiously got up, her head throbbing, and her body aching as if she had been in a wrestling match.

'That was something,' she thought, smiling with a tinge of satisfaction.

Last night, after the grand bonfire event organised by the charming hunk, Brayden Scott, Alessia had finally crossed the line into intimacy.

Brayden had been planning to confess his feelings to her, and her older sister, Connie, had congratulated them both with a knowing grin.

Alessia had downed a drink Connie handed her and then blissfully drifted into slumber.

But in her dreams, she had taken the initiative with Brayden.

The transformation from an innocent girl to a passionate woman had been a rollercoaster of sensations.

He was an absolute beast in bed, in the best way possible.

'I don't know-' Connie's distressed voice suddenly echoed from outside. 'Brayden, I honestly didn't mean for this to happen.'

'Shh! Lower your voice, Connie. We can't let Alessia hear this,' Brayden's voice sounded urgent.

Curiosity piqued, Alessia got up and, throwing on some clothes, stepped out to investigate.

Her heart sank when she saw Brayden in a dishevelled state, storming out of an adjacent tent-Connie's tent, with no shirt on and faint scratches on his muscular back.

'Brayden, what are you doing there?' Alessia asked as she approached him.

But the words got stuck in her throat when she saw through a gap in the tent's flaps, her sister Connie, also in a state of undress, bearing certain marks that could only mean one thing: she and Brayden had been intimate.

Alessia stood there, dumbstruck.

'I was drunk and thought it was you, but-' Brayden began to explain, but the guilt was evident in his eyes.

'So, you two slept together?' Alessia's voice trembled. 'You and my.sister?'

Brayden looked ashamed, and Connie was quick to defend herself, 'Alessia, it was an accident, I swear!'

Alessia's mind raced.

If Brayden and Connie slept together, then who had she been with?

Fear and confusion clouded her thoughts, and she rushed back to her own tent.

There, she found a wad of cash beside her sleeping bag and a bloodstained note on top of it: 'If the money isn't enough, you can find me at the Whispering Pines Estates.'

There was no signature, just a phone number, scrawled in a man's bold, assertive handwriting-handwriting she'd never seen before.

Clutching the money tightly, Alessia couldn't believe what had happened.

Did she somehow end up selling herself?

It was beyond mortifying.

When Alessia emerged from the tent on shaky legs, Brayden and Connie were waiting for her.

Connie approached, grabbing her hand apologetically, 'Lexy, I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.'

Still dazed, Alessia stood there in disbelief.

Connie's eyes fell on the hickeys on Alessia's neck, and she gasped. 'Lexy! These marks on your neck...'

Alessia stiffened, her dark eyes meeting her sister's shocked gaze.

Brayden rushed forward, his eyes wide, examining Alessia's neck as if searching for confirmation.

In an instant, his hands grabbed her shoulders with agitation. 'Tell me, who were you with last night? What happened?'

Alessia wanted to say, 'I thought it was you.'

But now, what good would an explanation do?

She said nothing.

Unable to bear her silence, Brayden growled, 'Tell me, who was it?'

'Does it really matter now?' Alessia replied nonchalantly, though her voice quivered. 'Brayden, we can't go back now. Not after you and my sister.Let's just forget it.'

She forced a smile. 'I wish you both happiness.'

***

Fifty days later.

The ultrasound room at St Catherine's Hospital was bustling with activity.

Alessia lay on the examination bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, while the ultrasound technician carefully glided the probe over her exposed belly.

After missing her period twice and, for the past month, experiencing relentless nausea, weakness, and an inexplicable need for sleep, Alessia had reluctantly dragged herself to the hospital.

The doctor, upon seeing her symptoms, wasted no time and directed her to the gynaecology department.

A positive result from the urine test left her anxious and apprehensive.

Now, lying in the examination room, Alessia tried to make sense of the technician's murmurs to her intern counterpart. 'Posterior positioning of the uterus, enlarged, regular shape, well-defined contours. Within the uterine cavity, two gestational sacs are observed, measuring approximately 26 by 20mm and 28 by 19mm. The sac walls are thick, and both contain visible embryonic buds and yolk sacs. Primitive cardiac pulsations observed.'

Alessia's head spun as she struggled to comprehend the technical jargon.

Before she knew it, the examination was over.

Leaving the ultrasound room with the report in her hand, Alessia made her way back to the gynaecologist's office.

The doctor, after reviewing the report, delivered the life-altering news with a bright smile. 'Congratulations, Miss Jansen. You're pregnant-with twins.'

'What?' Alessia's initial disbelief quickly transformed into a daunting reality.

She couldn't help but question herself-pregnant with babies whose father remained a mystery.

And.twins?

For real?

Feeling lost and bewildered, Alessia clutched the report tightly and left the doctor's office.

She had no idea how she got home.

As she pushed open the front door, her eyes fell upon Connie, who was ecstatically admiring a collection of dresses.

Hearing the noise, Connie glanced up from the sofa and locked eyes with Alessia.

In that moment, a sudden stiffness washed over Connie's face. 'Oh, Lexy, you are home early.'

Ever since that day, Connie had been awkward around her.

Every time Alessia approached, Connie's blissful smile as a newly betrothed woman would quickly fade.

Alessia couldn't help but notice the wedding dress Connie held in her hands.

It was a pristine gown-a masterpiece crafted by renowned designer Le Blanc, hailing all the way from the fashion capital of Venmont.

Connie and Brayden were getting married.

A pang of pain pierced through Alessia's heart at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered a smile and addressed Connie. 'Hey, sis. That wedding dress looks stunning.'

Connie faltered, her expression somewhat strained. 'Um, thank you.'

She wrung her hands. 'Listen, I'm.I'm sorry, Alessia. I didn't expect things to turn out this way.'

'It's all right.' Alessia shrugged. 'Honestly, I didn't feel that strongly about Brayden anyway. You two make a.good match. Don't beat yourself up.'

Connie pursed her lips, unable to find further words.

'I'll head upstairs,' Alessia declared, making her way to the second floor.

She needed to find that bloodstained note, to find the man who had left an indelible mark on her life.

She couldn't bear the thought of carrying two babies inside her without knowing the identity of the father.

Upon reaching her room, she found it meticulously arranged, everything in perfect order.

However, the piece of paper she sought, stained with traces of blood, was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated, Alessia hurried out of her room and shouted down into the living room. 'Connie, what happened to the note on my nightstand? The one that had blood on it?'

'Oh, that dirty piece of paper?' Connie looked up. 'I tossed it while cleaning today. It was too filthy.'

'You threw it away?' Alessia stood frozen in disbelief.

'Yeah. Um, I'm sorry.' Connie's face filled with remorse. 'Did I do something wrong?'

Alessia stared at her.

Without another word, she returned to her room and came out five minutes later.

She was almost at the front door when Connie called out, 'Alessia, Where are you going?'

'Whispering Pines Estates.' Alessia couldn't recall the phone number written on it, but at least she remembered the address.

Connie watched the door close, surprise flickering across her eyes.

***

Two months later, Alessia was back at St Catherine's.

The hospital was renowned for its luxurious amenities and state-of-the-art medical facilities.

But for her, it was a place of lost hopes and unanswered questions.

As she lay on the sterile blue surgical bedsheet, her emotions were a tangled mess.

Her once-bright eyes were now hollow and despairing.

After weeks of searching, she still couldn't find the mysterious man who had fathered her babies.

She had gone to the Whispering Pines Estates in the suburbs, but the gated community spanned over 10,000 acres of land and had six different gates, each one covered by CCTV cameras and manned by eagle-eyed security guards.

They threatened to call the cops after Alessia showed up for the tenth time without an appointment.

She couldn't produce the name of the resident she wanted to visit, nor give his exact address.

There was no way she could have staked out the place and waited for the man to show; she had no idea what he looked like.

And her sister had thrown away the only means of contact she had with him.

Alessia sighed heavily.

'No worries, luv, it's gonna be quick and painless. It'll just take a few minutes,' the nurse said, a hint of kindness in her eyes as she prepared for the procedure.

Taking a deep breath, Alessia hesitated as she stared at the ultrasound report clutched in her hand.

These two embryos inside her were her flesh and blood.

The kindly gynaecologist, Dr Grant, warned her that once she went through with this, her chances of having twins in the future would be slim to none.

Not to mention, as with any surgical procedure, there were risks involved, such as infection, bleeding, damage to the uterus or cervix, and anaesthesia-related complications.

Dr Grant also said that the emotional response to an abortion could vary from person to person.

Some women might experience a range of emotions, including sadness, guilt, relief, or a mix of conflicting feelings.

Alessia had no idea how she was going to feel after this procedure.

But then, she had no idea how she was feeling right now, either.

One moment, she was feeling relieved that she would be soon rid of a heavy burden-she was still in college and couldn't afford to take time out for pregnancy, not to mention childcare duties.

But the next, she looked at the ultrasound scan and couldn't tear her eyes away from the two blueberry-sized blobs-they were her babies.

She would be taking away two lives; it sounded like such a cruel thing to do.

But if she went through with the pregnancy, was she ready for the overwhelming responsibility?

The nurse seemed to sense her hesitation. 'You know, sweetheart, keeping these twins can be a beautiful thing. You should speak up if you are having second thoughts. I know it's a tough decision. You'll have to think about it carefully. By the way, just so you know, once they're gone, they become medical waste.'

'Waste?' Alessia whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

The word conjured up images of used needles, old syringes, and blood-stained dressings, tossed into bins and taken away to be incinerated.

Would her babies be among the pile of.waste?

In that moment, she knew she couldn't go through with it.

Alessia jumped up from the bed. 'No, I can't do it. I'll keep them. They are my babies.'

The nurse smiled warmly, nodding approvingly. 'That's the spirit, dear. You can do it, and you'll do just fine.'

Leaving the abortion ward, Alessia was at a loss for what to do next.

As she stepped out, she heard a commotion ahead.

Several men in black were hurrying along with a nurse pushing a wheelchair.

Alessia moved aside to make way.

In front of her, a little boy stumbled and fell, then started wailing at the top of his lungs.

'Go help him up,' a man's deep voice commanded.

'But sir, we need to get you into surgery ASAP,' one of the men in black said.

'Just do it.'

The black-clad men parted, revealing the occupant of the wheelchair.

Alessia was immediately drawn to the man's deep, dark eyes.

They were hooded by impossibly long eyelashes, which gave him an almost feminine grace.

But the rest of him was all man-chiselled jawline, perfectly sculpted cheekbones, a strong nose, and thin lips set in a determined line.

His once impeccable tailored suit was stained by blood.

The man must be exceptionally tall, as his long legs stretched out before him, making the wheelchair seem almost inadequate.

Absentmindedly, Alessia wondered what her babies would look like.

She forgot to ask if they were boys or girls or one of each.

If she was having a boy, she hoped he'd grow up to be as tall as this man.

As if sensing he was being watched, the man looked up, his eyes locking onto hers.

Alessia felt a bolt of electricity coursing through her veins.

Strangely, she was both put on guard and feeling weak at the knees at the same time.

She forced herself to look away, heart pounding.

Though their eye contact lasted barely a second, she felt as if the man had seen right through her soul.

Meanwhile, the boy, who'd been helped up by one of the black-clad bodyguards, was still crying.

'Here, let me try,' Alessia offered.

'Thank you,' the bodyguard said gratefully.

As Alessia crouched down in front of the little boy and patted his tiny head, she heard the wheelchair move past her.

Then hurried footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

'Hey there, are you okay?' Alessia asked.

The boy sniffled and nodded, his wide eyes brimming with tears.

His bottom lip quivered as he struggled to regain composure.

Alessia instinctively reached out and gently wiped away his tears with her sleeve.

'It's all right, sweetheart. Sometimes we all have tough moments,' Alessia reassured him, her voice soothing and warm. 'What's your name?'

The boy hesitated for a moment, then whispered softly, 'Tommy.'

'Well, Tommy, it's nice to meet you,' Alessia replied, offering a warm smile. 'I'm Alessia.'

Tommy's tiny hand reached out and grasped Alessia's.

Alessia felt a flutter in her heart the moment the boy's hand touched hers.

Her other hand subconsciously moved to her stomach, where her unborn twins were growing.

Thoughts of her recent diagnosis and the uncertainty that had consumed her mind flooded back, but now a newfound determination replaced the anxiety.

As she looked into Tommy's teary eyes, Alessia realised that she wanted to embrace the possibilities that lay ahead.

She no longer felt the need to dwell on the misgivings or fear of raising her babies alone.

Instead, she felt a surge of love and strength, knowing that she could provide a nurturing and supportive home for her children.

So what if her babies might have to grow up in a single-parent family?

She herself grew up in one, and she turned out just fine, didn't she?

With a renewed sense of purpose, Alessia smiled down at Tommy. 'You know what, Tommy? Sometimes we all need someone to lean on. How about we find your parents together?'

Tommy's tears transformed into a hesitant smile, and he nodded in agreement.

Hand in hand, Alessia and Tommy walked down the hospital hallway.

After Tommy was reunited with his parents, Alessia went home.

There was a lot of work to do.

In less than six months, there would be two new members of the family.

***

Five years later.

The ballroom at The Grand Opulence Hotel buzzed with the sound of chatter and clinking glasses as guests mingled and enjoyed the lavish surroundings.

After making the obligatory small talk, Logan Wilde excused himself and went upstairs to the lounge, seeking a moment of respite from the crowd.

The lights were dim; the lounge was empty except for himself.

Yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.

He scanned the room, his jaw clenching slightly as he tried to pinpoint the source of his unease.

Before his investigation was complete, however, someone else entered the lounge. 'Hi, there.'

Without turning around, Logan recognised the A-list actress by her famous sultry voice.

Olivia Anderson struck a pose in the open doorway, her long, flowing brunette hair cascading down her back, complementing her form-fitting black cocktail dress dotted with sparkling sequins.

Her captivating smile hinted at both confidence and mischief.

With calculated steps, Olivia approached Logan, her eyes gleaming with desire.

She reached out to gently touch his arm, her voice laced with seduction. 'Logan, darling, I thought I might find you here. Care to join me for some... private entertainment?'

Logan's expression remained cool and unaffected.

He stepped back, subtly avoiding Olivia's touch. 'Not interested, Olivia. I'm here to relax, not indulge in your games.'

Undeterred, Olivia closed the distance between them, flirtatiously swaying her hips.

She reached out again, this time aiming for his belt.

Sensing her intentions, Logan's patience wore thin, and he firmly shoved her back, his voice filled with icy resolve. 'I said no, Olivia. Respect my boundaries.'

Humiliation flashed across Olivia's face, her eyes welling up with tears.

She lashed out, her words dripping with sarcasm. 'Oh, Logan, can't get it up for the sexiest of women? Maybe there's something wrong with you.'

Maintaining his composure, Logan met her gaze with steely resolve. 'Save your theatrics, Olivia. It won't change my mind.'

He watched as she hastily adjusted her attire and makeup, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.

Before leaving the lounge, Olivia attempted one last salvage of pride. 'I was just playing with you, Logan. No hard feelings.'

She turned on her heels, making her way towards the exit, her shoulders tense with the sting of rejection.

As the lounge door closed behind her, Logan's attention shifted to the thick curtain that concealed the hidden observer.

He spoke with authority, his voice carrying a warning. 'Come out now.'

No movement.

Standing stiffly behind the curtain, with her back pressed against the French window, Alessia prayed that the man was just bluffing.

He couldn't know she was in the room, could he?