Chapter 51

Angela POV

The moment I saw him, my mind went completely blank.

How long had he been standing there?

What had he heard?

"Who were you talking to?" His voice was carefully neutral, but I could hear the edge beneath it.

I avoided his question, asking instead, "Weren't you supposed to be at the office? Why are you still home?"

"Elizabeth was worried about your health," he replied, his eyes never leaving my face. "She insisted I stay back to keep an eye on you. The meetings have been switched to video calls." He paused for a moment, then pressed on, "You still haven't answered my question. Who were you talking to just now?"

I turned to face him, keeping my expression composed. "I was practicing for a presentation," I replied smoothly, moving toward my desk. "The quarterly numbers for the Morgan acquisition."

"Really?" Sean stepped into the study, closing the door behind him. "Because it sounded more like you were having a rather intimate conversation."

"You must have misheard." I kept my voice light as I sorted through the papers on my desk, giving my hands something to do. "I've been reviewing these reports all morning."

His eyes narrowed. "Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?" He took a step closer, his voice dropping. "I heard you say 'baby'."

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe.

"Why are you so nervous?" Sean's voice grew colder. "Is there something you're hiding? Is that 'baby' Nathan?"

Hearing his suspicion about Nathan, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. So he hadn't heard clearly what I'd said earlier. He had no idea about the child I was carrying.

I couldn't help but let out a short, surprised laugh. "Is that what this is about? Nathan is helping me understand the technical aspects of the Morgan deal. You know how complex these leveraged buyouts can be."

"And for your information," I added, keeping my voice casual, "I was calling Emily 'baby'. She's been doing an excellent job lately, and I'm thinking of giving her a raise."

"There are other analysts who could help you with that."

"None as qualified as Nathan," I countered. "He has the most experience with this type of acquisition."

"I don't like how much time you're spending with him."

"And I don't like how much time you spend with Christina," I shot back before I could stop myself. "At least I haven't invited Nathan to stay overnight in our home, wearing your pajamas!"

I could feel the tension thickening in the room. Sean took a step forward, his hands gripping the edge of my desk. "Are you blaming me? I wasn't the one who invited Christina over last night," he said defensively. "Besides, you didn't seem to object when she borrowed your sleepwear, did you?"

I said sarcastically, "Who could resist angel Christina?"

Sean stood there, trying to find words to argue back, but ultimately remained silent. Taking advantage of his hesitation, I grabbed my laptop, pushed past him, and walked out of the study.

"We're not finished discussing this."

"Yes, we are." I walked past him toward the door, then paused. "By the way, Christina left her scarf in the guest room last night. You might want to have Sarah return it to her."

I headed straight for the kitchen, hoping to find something to settle my churning stomach. The morning sickness was getting harder to hide.

I found Chef David busy preparing lunch when I entered the kitchen. He looked up as I came in, and I saw the concern flash across his face before he masked it with a warm smile.

"Mrs. Shaw," he greeted me, "I just finished a batch of macarons. Would you like to try one? They're your favorite - vanilla bean."

My stomach, which had been threatening to revolt moments ago, suddenly perked up at the mention of sweets. "Thank you, David. That would be lovely."

Sarah appeared with a glass of mint tea just as I settled at the kitchen island.

"This should help with the nausea, Mrs. Shaw," she said quietly, her eyes knowing but discrete.

I took a grateful sip, touched by their silent understanding.

When we sat down for lunch, Elizabeth glanced at me, her expression soft with concern. "Feeling any better?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded. "I'm fine now. My appetite's back."

But as soon as Sean sat down at the table, I noticed his brow furrow. He called David over and asked, "Why does the food look so different today?"

It was only then that I really took in the spread on the table. It was unusually light-no spicy dishes, no fried food, just simple, delicate options.

David, ever the smooth talker, explained with a knowing look, "I selected these dishes specifically for Mrs. Shaw and Elizabeth."

His gaze lingered on me for just a moment too long, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. The dishes in front of me looked strikingly similar to those pregnancy-friendly meals I'd seen online.

Had Sarah and David already figured it out? Sarah, with all her experience as a nanny, must have a sixth sense when it came to things like this. But how could they possibly know?

I quickly glanced down at my plate, trying to keep my face neutral. David's eyes met mine again, and I could see he wasn't fooled. He knew.