SEDUCTIVE BILLIONAIRE

EMMA

The tenth shrill scream comes from my lips as I close my eyes, trying to control or have some sort of control over the pain I am feeling right now.

I close my eyes, biting my lips hard, not caring when I feel the burning and the taste of blood in my mouth.

All I want more than anything is for this absurd pain to end at once because I feel like I am about to pass out at any moment. That's when I think about how reckless I was nine months ago, after a drunken night out.

But I repeat for the second time that now is not the right time to try to feel any regret, and as hard as I try, I can't regret what that night brought me.

"Try to breathe; the baby will be here soon, Emma!", I hear my friend's voice from beside me as the nurses push the wheelchair. I am being wheeled into the delivery room.

A night of hot sex earned me an unexpected pregnancy from a stranger. It was my first time, and I gave my own body to someone I had never seen in my entire life.

To say it was good is an understatement, but here I am today, about to give birth to my first child, a single mother, and not knowing anything about my baby's father other than a single name.

Alex.

A new scream makes me bite my lips harder. Feeling the tears streaming down my face as I am carried down a long corridor of the maternity part of the hospital, I repeat a new sequence of breathing and sobbing with each new contraction.

I touch my belly, covered by the dress I am wearing, thinking that at some point tonight I will meet the little face of my beloved baby.

"Oh my god!", I grunted, squeezing my best friend's hand for some support.

"You can do it, Emma! Let's meet our, Benjamin."

I nod my head, almost screaming at the nurse who is pushing me in the wheelchair to go faster. I am out of patience and feeling extreme pain, but my heartbeat seems to stop when my eyes fixate on a person.

This can't be happening, God!

It's him!

The unbearable pain of feeling my child being born seems to fade for a second when I see none other than the man who is the father of my baby.

Time seems to freeze around me when I see him talking to the receptionist at the hospital counter. He looks exactly like the handsome man I met that night.

I don't blink when the nurse asks the people in front of us to excuse me; I grab Coral's hand, and just as I am about to say that finally the miracle has happened, my expectations are shattered in a few seconds when something unexpected happens.

He can't see me, but I see that when a woman in a long dress approaches holding a baby in her lap, he smiles broadly before taking the child from the woman's lap and holding the baby, visibly moved.

My eyes fill with tears again as I still watch the scene a few feet away from me. The pain of my heart breaking into a thousand pieces is greater than anything right now.

I sob, my vision clouded by the tears that run uncontrollably down my face.

He has a family...

We finally arrive in the delivery room, and I am in pieces because everything is piling up inside me, with so many emotions that it seems I won't be able to take anything else today.

"He is here...", I whisper to myself as the birthing procedures begin.

I can't go on with this alone, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Coral also enter the room after she sanitizes herself properly.

"He is here...", I whisper again when her hand holds mine.

"Who is?"

"Alex. He's here.", My words are interrupted when a new wave of pain sweeps through me completely.

I cry out more and more, feeling that I can't do it, that I'm not able to do it like I thought I was.

"Come on, your dilation is at the ideal size, and I can already see the baby, Emma!", I hear the doctor's voice somewhere in the room.

I closed my eyes, groaning in pain and feeling my heart break like never before. Somewhere inside of me, I knew that he would not come back to me and take on the baby as his son.

I always knew we wouldn't have a romantic tale when he found out he had a child in this world, but I wished every night that my baby could have the chance not to grow up without a father in his life.

He already has his own family, and I'm sure he doesn't need a woman showing up out of nowhere and saying that the baby is his.

"We need the pushing to start; go ahead, Emma!", Still crying, I nod my head, doing what they are instructing me to do.

I feel completely weak, but I need to do this; I need to finish this, so I can finally meet my darling son.

I don't know how much time has passed, and I don't even know if I have any strength left in my body. My vision is cloudy, and my eyes seem to want to close completely at any moment.

Furthermore, I have the thought in my head that I am dying, but a loud cry makes me open my eyes and try to focus on what is happening now.

"Congratulations! You are a beautiful, strong boy!", I lift my head, seeing the reason for my happiness in the nurse's arms.

I cry more now as she approaches with my son in her lap. I find strength from somewhere when he is finally placed in my arms.

EMMA

"Welcome to the world, Benjamin...", I whisper, crying, feeling my friend hug me.

I close my eyes, hugging my baby, who is still crying in my arms, and I am fully aware that it will be just him and me against the world.

After a few hours already in the room and nursing my son for the first time, I tell her what I saw earlier, and she stares as she hears everything.

I know perfectly well that it was not my mind's imagination, and I was able to verify this when my friend went to the reception seeking more information and said that she was related to the couple with the baby.

She found out that I had become pregnant by none other than Alex Laurent, one of the most important CEOs of the financial world in all of America.

I have had a baby who is the son of one of the richest men I could have ever imagined. My baby is the son of the heir of a very well-known subsidiary company, and this shakes me up even more.

"From now on, it will be just you and me against this world, son.", I say this with tears in my eyes, caressing the few strands of golden hair of my baby, who is looking at me with his big blue eyes.

Just like Alex's.

"Nothing will happen to you because Mommy will protect you always and forever," I whisper with my eyes closed, kissing the baby's soft skin.

I will be a young single mother raising a child completely alone, and only with the help of my friend will I risk getting in Alex Laurent's way ever again.

Furthermore, I would rather have a job that pays me poorly and support my child with the little I will earn than run after a married billionaire who will surely humiliate me with the excuse of the belly button.

It will be just him and me against everything.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Please let today be my lucky day, God.

I finish my prayer by opening my eyes and finding Benjamin looking at me with his fingers in his mouth, lying in his crib.

I crack a smile as I approach, and taking my son in my lap, who perks up quickly, I pull my top down before starting to breastfeed the baby.

Furthermore, I sit down on a chair in the small room of a rented house that I share with Coral and begin to rock my body in a slow rhythm as I watch Benjamin suck the milk from my breasts with a sleepy expression.

"Mom is going to try to get a new job today, my love; it's a nanny position for a child I found on the internet...", I whisper as if he is listening and paying attention to what I am telling him now.

"Wish your mommy luck; we need this money to keep living; the diapers are running out and so is the money..."

I am interrupted when I see Coral enter the room with a cute face pointing at Benjamin, who grows more and more every day.

After his birth, I got a temporary job as a night waitress at one of the bars in the area. It was at a dangerous time, but we needed a small salary, but it didn't last long, and the bar closed two weeks ago.

So, I have been trying to find any available job positions. I managed to finish school, but did not have the opportunity to attend university because of my pregnancy.

Yes, I am a mother at 19, and it seemed scary when I found out that I was pregnant with Benjamin after meeting Alex at a club where we were celebrating Coral's birthday.

"You have to go, or you'll be late, Emma.", I nod and kiss the baby once more with my eyes closed before putting him to sleep in his crib.

"Be well, my love...", I whisper, caressing his little cheek as I turn to Coral.

"You'll manage, my friend, and don't worry because I'll be here to take care of him.", She smiles, touching my shoulder, and at that moment I hug my best friend.

I found the nanny position on one of the job sites; I don't know if it is temporary, but the selection process opened, and I managed to be one of those chosen for today's interview.

"Do you think this outfit is okay?", I asked, pointing to my sweater and jeans.

"You are naturally beautiful; good luck!"

I crack a confident smile, warning that I've taken out breast milk in case Benjamin feels hungry while I'm away.

It is the United States, but here it is a place like any other, where not all the people who reside here are well-off.

I don't have a car, so I walk to the center, where I catch the subway that will take me to the other center of the city, where the place I was sent by phone is.

Since Benjamin's birth four months ago, I have been trying to do the best for him, but sometimes I cry at night before going to sleep thinking about the possibility of my son growing up in better circumstances, and in the end, I always remember him.

Alex Laurent.

I swear I try my best not to think about him, but sometimes I waste my time googling his name and finding several articles and news stories that claim that the success of his company is growing more and more.

While he has everything, I have nothing but my beloved son.

Inside the subway, I try not to think about it because I know perfectly well that I will cry at some point, and now is not the right time for it.

I would ask my family for help, but my parents died a few years ago, and the remains of my remaining family members are in Brazil.

EMMA

My mother was Brazilian and married an American, but I was born and raised here, far away from everyone and other family members.

After arriving in the other city, I feel my legs hurt from walking so fast, and on the way, I ask some people about the location of the house, and I am surprised when I stop in front of a very luxurious residential condominium.

I straighten my tied-up hair before identifying myself to the security guards, who let me through, advising me that the place is two streets away.

I am even more surprised when I see the huge mansion in front of me. Furthermore, I take my cell phone out of my purse and check the address and the house number one more time, but I am in the right place.

I take a deep breath before walking towards the huge entrance door of the mansion, but before I have a chance to press the button available next to it, I see someone opening the door.

A lady with gray hair and clothes that are part of some kind of work uniform appears in front of me.

"Good morning, my name is Emma, and I came...", I open a gentle smile, but she interrupts me when she opens the door completely, giving me room to enter the house.

I find myself in an extremely luxurious entrance hall; no doubt this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life. I walk a few steps, following the lady, to a room that looks like some kind of office.

"Have a seat.", I sit down in one of the comfortable chairs facing the lady, who takes out some kind of paper before reading aloud:

"Emma Cooper, my name is Bethany, and I am the housekeeper of this house."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bethany.", I smile as she nods her head.

"I saw in your resume that you have no professional qualifications, you finished school, and you have no experience with children.", She looks at me with an arched eyebrow.

"No, but I am a fast learner and good with children."

"You are still very young; do you have children?"

"Yes, a four-month-old baby, but I can assure you that this will not interfere with the work.", She nods before asking a few more essential questions, and I try to answer all of them briefly.

I need this job, God.

I am about to answer one more of her questions when I hear a baby cry coming from a baby monitor on the office desk.

Bethany sighs tiredly before standing up and picking up the device that monitors the crying baby.

"I am sorry; this is why we urgently need someone to take care of her; she is a very active baby, and it drives me crazy.", She flashes an embarrassed smile for the first time.

Bethany is about to leave the room when we hear someone open the door, and I am surprised to see a little boy in pajamas and black hair enter the office, rubbing his eyes with a still sleepy expression on his face.

"Liza is crying again.", he tells the housekeeper, who strokes the messy hair of the little boy, who starts to look at me curiously.

I open my mouth with a smile, and the little boy also returns the compliment by waving his little hand in my direction, so the job opening for drooling will be to take care of two children and not just one, as I thought before.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back!", Bethany announces as she leaves the room, leaving me alone with the little boy who approaches me.

"She cries a lot...", he says, pointing to the outside of the room, and I smile at his expression.

"Is that your little sister?", I ask, and he nods.

"Who are you?", he asks curiously.

"I'm Emma, and you are?", I hold up one hand, and he wastes no time in shaking my hand in greeting.

"Enzo."

I'm about to get to know the nice little boy better, but the office door opens, revealing Bethany holding a small baby on her lap.

"So you've met the little man of the house...", Bethany points to Enzo, who smiles.

"Yes, a very handsome man!", I joke, drawing a laugh from him.

"Liza!", Enzo points with his finger to the little girl sucking a pacifier on the housekeeper's lap.

"The position is to take care of these two little ones. Enzo is a good and obedient boy, but this little girl is the opposite."

I can see that this is not Bethany's job and that she is visibly tired. Before I can break the silence, Liza starts crying again, and I see that the housekeeper tries to do everything to make the baby stop crying.

"Can I try?", I stand up without thinking and see Bethany hesitate a bit, but she also stands up and hands me the baby in my arms.

"Hey, pretty girl!", I murmur, rocking her gently on my lap to try to calm her down.

"Why is such a pretty girl crying like that?", I whisper, touching the golden strands of her hair and watching her look at me intently, as if trying to figure out who I am.

I take the pacifier from Bethany's hands and place it over her mouth. She accepts the object and stops crying little by little while I keep moving my body around the office.

"She liked you...", I hear Enzo's voice and smile at the little boy, realizing that Liza has stopped crying completely.

"Incredible!", I turn around to see Bethany looking at me with an expression of surprise and disbelief at the same time.

"No one can almost ever get her to stop crying in a few seconds; you have been the only one since she was born."

"I told you I'm good with children...", I murmur, smiling.