CEO's Dilemma

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

KYLE'S POV

I finally get Alora to sleep after several minutes of her wailing and cursing. I clearly understand her pain. Alora and Luna are more than just best friends, more of twin sisters who have got a special connection. They met in junior high school and since then, they have been inseparable.

I don't just see her as my sister's best friend, she is my baby sister too and I love her to bits. I'm so happy that she's alright, I don't know what I would have done if both of them had to be in that same critical condition. Now that she's here, I feel like everything is going to be alright.

"Sweet dreams sweetheart" I say as I plant a gentle kiss on her forehead and exit the ward. I walk to the outpatient ward where I find Ace sitting helplessly on the floor. He's not crying, he just has on a very blank expression and I can't help but wonder what is going on in his mind

Ace has been anticipating the birth of his child since the day he learned of his existence. He loved his son to bits and now that he's no more, I wonder how he is going to get through this.

I gently walk over to him and sit by his side caring less about the bypassing nurses who are looking at us like we have lost our minds.

"How are you holding up?" I ask calmly .

"I... I don't even know. I can't feel anything. I'm just numb. Is this really happening?"

"As much as I want to say no, I can't. This is happening. Luna lost the baby"

"We don't, we don't deserve this Kyle" He says with a shaky voice and when I look at him, I see tears trickling down his cheeks and that breaks my heart completely. "I know, I know I messed up a few times. I know I wasn't perfect" He says within sobs. "I know I disappointed Luna a few times and I totally regret it. I should never have kept them out of my sight. I should have protected them more. This is all my fault!"

"Ace listen up, none of this is your fault okay. It's true that you have disappointed her a few times but Luna knows, we all know how much you loved them both, how you go extra miles just to make sure they are okay. This was an unforeseen circumstance. Don't blame yourself" I say with a gentle pat on his shoulder and what he does takes my heart away. He crashes into my arms and bursts into tears.

Real tears.

Have you ever seen a full grown man cry so hard that he hiccups? It will shatter your heart into a million pieces.

I wrap my arms around him and gently pat his back.

"I'm sorry man, I know this is hard, but you have to be strong. This is not the end"

"But this could be the end for Luna and I. She is never going to consider giving me a chance again. This baby was my only hope."

"Oh Ace, I don't even know what to do to make you feel better. I'm really sorry man"

"I can't believe this is happening. I just can't" He laments as he disengages himself from my hold.

Soon, Asher walks towards us and tiredly slumps on a chair.

"How did it go?"

"They just began the surgery, all we can do is pray that everything goes well"

"Everything will be fine" I say confidently.

"Ace, I'm sorry for your loss. No one deserves to lose an offspring. Just try to be strong, Luna needs you now more than ever before"

"Thanks man" Ace replies as he wipes his tears away. His phone rings in his trouser pocket and he takes it out and answers the call.

"Hello Sophia... Just go straight to the point Sophia... I don't have time for this... No I can't... Just go alone Sophia, I can't go with you... I'm hanging up"

He hangs up and all of a sudden, he angrily smashes his cell phone on the floor and it shatters beyond repair

"Sup man?" I ask, concerned.

"Sophia announced to me last night that..." He suddenly stops and looks at us.

"That what?" I ask eagerly.

"That she's pregnant"

Oh boy!

SOPHIA'S POV

"I'm hanging up" Then the line goes dead. As usual. He always hangs up on me.

My first prenatal check up is at noon and I wanted us to go together but that isn't going to happen.

Ace hates me, but I know in due time, he will like me again because if this child I'm carrying.

The most important thing is that I've got him hooked. This pregnancy is my eternal pass.

"Mummy" I call the moment I walk into Mrs. Cole's office. She gave me an urgent call and I had to come an meet her. The smile on her face shows that there's something big she must have accomplished. I wonder which devious plan if her has pushed through this time around.

"My darling Sophia, how are you and my unborn grandchild doing?" She asks as she engulfs me in a warm hug.

Ever since I announced my pregnancy to her, she has been super sweet and caring like never before.

"We are doing just fine mummy, how are you doing? You like rather enthusiastic today"

"That's because I am. I called you her so we could celebrate a great victory"

"What victory could that be mum?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard, it's all over the news!"

"What's all over the news?" I ask confused.

"That lunatic who thought she could snatch Ace from you got involved in an accident and right now she's in the hospital, fighting for her miserable life. I hope she dies!" She explains and the moment the reality of the news hits me, dizziness takes over my body but I stay strong to maintain my composure. I'm totally speechless and I watch in shock as Mrs. Cole walks over to the win bar and puts herself a shot of whiskey and gulps it down in a go.

"Oh my God!" I finally exclaim quietly "She must have lost the baby" I lament as I absentmindedly place my palm on my stomach.

"That's the most exciting part of it all. That bastard child is finally out of the picture. Now, Ace will have eyes only for you. This is it Sophia, this is your victory!" She rejoices and I tiredly sits on the couch.

I am supposed to be happy. This is what I have always wanted, for Luna to lose that baby so that Ace will stop giving her attention and focus on me. This is the victory I have always wanted, but...

I'm not happy.

I have been pregnant for just one month and just within this short time, I have already gotten very attached to my child. Right now I would go crazy if I lose this pregnancy, not because the chances of Ace marrying me will become slimmer, but because I very much love my unborn child. If I can have this kind of connection with a one month old fetus, what about a five month old fetus?

Luna was five months gone.

The bond she has established with her child must have been unexplainable.

I'm supposed to be happy that she is no longer a threat to my union with Ace but I'm not.

I'm sad, very sad and I feel sorry for her.

I used to wish for her to lose her child when I had no idea what it was like to carry another life in me, but now that I'm in that same situation, I feel very sorry for her.

No one deserves to lose a child.

"This part is going to excite you even more" Mrs. Cole trails one and I just stare at her unbelievably.

This is a woman who has carried a child in her womb before, how can she even celebrate the fact that another woman just lost her baby?

"Sophia, are you with me?" She asks and I snap out of my thoughts and focus my attention on her.

"Yes mum"

"I was saying that this part of the whole story is going to excite you the most"

"There's more?" I ask, surprised.

"Yes sweetheart, you don't think that accident just happened but chance, do you? I orchestrated the entire event. All thanks to me, Luna is out of the picture and Ace will never have second thoughts about marrying you because as it is now you are the one carrying the heir to the Heritage Empire" She hypes.

As much as I would like to join her in celebrating her victory, I can't help but feel very guilty about this issue.

An innocent baby has been lost because of my quest to get Ace to marry me.

For as long as I live, my conscience will forever judge me for this.

"Sophia, is anything the matter? Why aren't you celebrating with me?" She asks calmly as she sits by my side. "Or, aren't you happy that things have turned out to be this way?"

"Of course I am mum, it's just that I've got a fever. I'm not feeling too well, that's why I'm so moody" I lie smoothly.

Mrs. Cole can never know that I'm not happy with what she just did. If she can do this to Luna, then she can do the same to me. There's no way I'm ever getting on her bad side.

Besides, I still want the marry Ace. Yes, I'm sad that Luna lost her baby, that doesn't mean I want to give up my place for her.

I still want to be Mrs. Ace Damon.

There's no way I'm letting this opportunity pass me by and for me to succeed , I need to stay on Mrs. Cole's good side.

Her wrath is the last thing I want to incur right now.

"It must be the hormones. Moreover, this is your first trimester and it's the most delicate. You need to be extra careful with your health"

"I will mum"

"Good girl. So as I was saying, I orchestrated the entire event"

"How exactly?"

"I hired some goons to keep track of Luna's every movement and today, while at the mall, they smartly sabotaged a few key parts of her car and then poof, barely an hour later, the good news came in."

"Wow, that was a very smart move. Well done!"

"That is exactly what happens to anyone who thinks they can challenge me. Luna overstepped her limits, so she had to be punished"

Sick!

That is how I feel right now.

I feel sick and if I don't leave this very toxic woman's presence right now, I might lose my mind. Ike I said before, I only wanted Luna to lose her baby what it feels like to have a little very adorable life growing in me, but now that I do, I realize how wrong it was if me to wish death upon any woman's child.

If I could try back the hands of time, I would prevent this accident from happening and find another means to keep Ace.

This is no fair game.

This is going way overboard.

Mrs. Cole is a mother and the child she just killed was her grandchild. She is supposed to understand that feeling. I can't believe she actually has the courage to commit such sacrilege.

She is pure evil!

"Mum, uh, I have an appointment with my doctor in a few hours. I best be on my way"

"Will Ace be there with you"

Wait, is she even serious right now?

"With the condition Luna is currently in right now, I don't think so"

"Don't worry sweetheart, he'll come around"

"For sure" I say with a forced smile as I carry my hand bag and sit up from the couch. "I'll take my leave now"

"Call me when you get to the hospital"

"I will '' I hastily walk out of her office to the corridor where I stand still and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

The air in there felt like Sulphur streams.

When I get to my car in the VIP parking lot, I get I'm and head straight to my Cousin, Seven's house. There's a few things I would like to discuss with him and the first in the list is the paternity of this child I'm carrying.

The circumstances surrounding this pregnancy are a bit complicated.

Ace may and may not be the author of this pregnancy I'm carrying.