"Someone had to be there for her," I say, unable to keep the edge from my voice. "You weren't exactly available."
Alex pushes back from his desk abruptly, standing to pace the length of his office. His movements are jerky, uncharacteristic for a man who prides himself on control. "I need to see her," he says finally. "I need to talk to her."
"That's not up to us," Julian replies. "It's her decision whether she wants to see you."
Alex stops pacing, fixing us with a hard stare. "Is this some kind of sick revenge?"
The accusation is so absurd I can't help the bitter laugh that escapes me. "You think she planned this? Got pregnant on purpose, then orchestrated a relationship with both Julian and me just to get back at you?"
"She was already pregnant when we started seeing her," Julian adds. "And she didn't pursue us, mate. We pursued her. Because unlike you, we recognized what was right in front of us."
Alex's expression darkens again. "And what exactly is that?"
"Someone worth fighting for," I say quietly.
The simple statement lands with unexpected weight. Alex looks away, his profile sharp against the window's light. For a moment, I catch a glimpse of something beneath the anger and shock – regret, perhaps. But it's gone as quickly as it appears.
"I need time to process this," he says finally, his voice controlled once more. "But make no mistake—this changes things."
Julian raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
"That's my child. Whether Camille wants me involved or not, whether you two are in the picture or not, that's my child she's carrying."
I step forward, close enough now that I can see the slight tremor in his hands. "Be very careful about what you do next, Alex. Camille has been through enough already."
"Is that a threat, Tristan?" His eyes meet mine, challenge clear in them.
"It's a warning. From a friend. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Julian moves to the door, clearly deciding the conversation has run its course. "Call her," he says to Alex. "But I'd suggest giving her some space to decide what she wants. She's had months to get used to the idea of doing this without you."
Alex doesn't respond, just turns back to the window, dismissing us without words. As we leave his office, I catch one last glimpse of his reflection in the glass—his eyes closed, one hand pressed against his forehead, the perfect image of a man whose world has just been upended.
In the elevator down, Julian and I stand in silence for several floors before he speaks.
"Think we should warn Camille?"
I nod, already reaching for my phone. "He's not going to wait. You know that, right?"
"Yeah." Julian sighs, leaning against the elevator wall. "Question is, what's he going to do?"
I don't have an answer for that. Alex Kingsley is not a man who takes surprises well, not a man who accepts losing anything he considers his. And despite everything – despite walking away, despite ignoring her—it's clear he still thinks of Camille as his.
Which means the real battle is just beginning.
Chapter 25
Camille
The fabric swatch blurs before my eyes as I squint at it for the hundredth time. Three hours of comparing nearly identical shades of "greige" has left me cross-eyed, but the deadline for Tristan's project looms, and I refuse to disappoint him.
My phone sits face-down on the desk, silenced hours ago when the constant pinging threatened my concentration. Just a few more selections, then I can breathe.
I rub my lower back, stretching against the stiffness that's settled in from sitting too long. The pregnancy isn't showing much yet, just a slight roundness that could easily be mistaken for a big lunch, but my body reminds me constantly of the changes happening inside. Thank god the morning sickness has finally subsided.
With a sigh, I finally place the last swatch in position on my mood board, step back to examine the overall effect, and decide it'll do. Not perfect, but damn close, and perfect is the enemy of done.
I flip my phone over, wincing at the time—12:47 PM—and the notification that shows several missed calls and texts. Mystomach drops when I see Julian's name at the top of the list, a message sent just thirty minutes ago.
