Let's Make Babies

Ava’s POV

I watched him freeze, unable to control the anger that creeped into his face. That made me smile more than I intended to.

If there was something Richard taught me, it's to be strong and confident. I'm not about to allow Orion and his little mistress bully me in my own house.

I couldn't care less about either of them. If he's not happy with the arrangement, he can get the fuck out of my life. But the pain of the rejection lingered still. Why did Richard have to put me through this? And for what? To meet the same fate that his son ran away from years ago?

He cursed under his breath, feeling stupid for rushing in without thinking. He slapped my hands away from his chest like I had a fatal plague and I flinched at his reaction.

Ever since I became the CEO at our company, I receive flowers endlessly and clients asking me out for dates. I've only known this sort of rejection once. And that was when he ditched me and faked his own death.

He was about to turn and leave when I stopped him, my voice cold and icy.

“We need to talk.”

He glared at me with so much hatred as if trying to push down the irritation bubbling inside him. “I have nothing to say to you,” he spat, reaching for the door handle.

But my next words froze him in place. “It's about the will. Your father's will.”

He turned back to face me, his expression hard. “What about it?” he asked, his voice edged with impatience.

My gaze didn't falter and I could feel the room closing in around us. “There's a clause in it…one that you apparently overlooked.”

He narrowed his eyes, watching me carefully. “Get to the point.”

I took a step closer, my voice steady, almost chilling in its calmness. “In order to inherit your father's empire, we're required to have a…child together.”

The words must have hit him like a punch to the gut as I saw him gasp for air.

He stared at me, probably searching for any hint of deception, but I had nothing to hide. “A child? You're lying,” he said, but even I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

My lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “I thought you'd say that. Feel free to check it yourself.”

He marched closer and gripped my throat with his large hands, I backed away, my back colliding with the wall of my room.

“A child? With you? Is this how desperate you really are?” he spat with so much fury that I shivered.

I coughed, trying to free myself from his grasp but he pressed on harder. So I did the only thing that came to me. I arched my body forward, leaning into him and pressed my lips against his.

It was brief, but he hesitated before pushing me off like I was filthy. “Well, that did the trick,” I muttered to myself and when I looked up at his face, I wished I never did that.

If truly looks could kill.

“Fucking whore!” he spat. “You think I'm as weak as my father?”

“What? I was only being considerate. The earlier we start trying to make babies, the better,” I teased.

Orion's eyes darkened, his face twisted with rage as he wiped his lips like my kiss was a disgusting act of betrayal.

“You think you can manipulate me with your games?” he snarled, stepping back. “I won't be trapped by you or that goddamn will.”

I took a slow breath, my heart racing from both the kiss and the confrontation, but I kept my composure. He took my first kiss in the most cruel way and I've just returned the favor.

“You don't have a choice,” I said softly, knowing the power of my words. “If you want the company, the fortune–everything you've fought so hard for—you need me. You need us to make this work.”

Orion's jaw clenched, his eyes scanning me like a predator assessing its prey. “I'll never need you, I have Chloe and you're nothing close to her.”

Nothing close to the bobble head I met earlier? What a joke. I could see his muscles tense as he tried to make sense of the whole idea. He hated me, yes, but he hated losing control even more. I could tell right away from when he walked in on me inside Richard's hidden study.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as if his fury didn't rattle me. “Then walk away. Tell everyone you gave up the entire empire because you couldn't bare the thought of fucking your wife. I'm sure that'll go over well with the board, especially when they see just how desperate you are to escape your father's legacy.”

His face twitched, and I knew I'd hit a nerve. Orion may have despised me, but his father's fortune was everything to him, and deep down, he knew I was right. He couldn't back out of this, not without losing everything.

“You think you're clever,” he finally said, his voice dangerously low. “But this isn't over, Ava. Not by a long shot.”

For a moment, we just stood there, the silence between us thick as the tension in the air. I could feel the weight of his anger pressing down on me, but I didn't waver. I couldn't. This was my second chance to take control of my fate which spiraled out of my hands from the start.

Finally, Orion stepped closer, his eyes still locked on mine. “You want to play this game?” he said, his voice dark and full of venom. “Fine. But I promise you, Ava, I'll make you regret every single second of it.”

My heart pounded, but I refused to show fear. I wouldn't give him, his mother or his girlfriend the satisfaction they craved.

He loomed over me and without another word, he reached out and tore my nightwear, pushing me onto the bed with a force.

“Since you want to make babies? let's make babies!” he growled.