11.4 % Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Oh right . She winers . You cant drink cocktails . Fish , this is boring already . Shopping them . You dont mind ? Id love to come and besides , I dont want you going alone . She takes my hand in hers . Weve got this and if Gabriel Ferrara doesnt want his baby then screw him . We do and we will love this little baby so fucking hard , I smile through tears and give a weak nod . Yep , She continues driving , When are you going to tell your parents ? Can we just concentrate on telling the father first ? I hold my temples . This is all too much . Deb nods , she glances over at me casually , Because your mom is going to freak out , you know that , dont you ? Not . One week later . The traffic whizzes by as we sit on the park bench , our eyes firmly fixed on the front doors of Ferrara Media . Okay , so lets run through this again , Deb says . I glance at my watch . Hes going to be walking out to have lunch with his brothers at any moment , and Im waiting until he comes into view and Im calling him . Why dont you just call him now ? Because I want to see his face when he sees its me calling , I want to know what to expect when I go to see him . We wait , and we wait … and we wait . 10 52 The Conspiracy of Baby Switching 11 5 Chapter 16 What if he isnt having lunch today ? she asks . I shrug What if he isnt even in town..the country Hes in the country , How do you know ? His jet is at JIK . How do you know that ? Because I do , I snap in frustration . You are forgetting that I spied on this man for most of my adult life , I know where his fucking jet is . We sit some more and then I see Mark get out of his car and loiter around the front door . Gabriels coming out now . How do you know ? That guy in the black suit by the door is Mark , his driver . Why would his driver be going to lunch with him ? Hes his bodyguard . She screws up her face . He has a bodyguard ? Of course he has a bodyguard , hes a rich bastard who pisses off a lot of people . We watch Mark as he stands by the door . Debbie smiles as she looks him up and down . That Mark is a bit of alright , isnt he ? He used to be in the army or something . I dont know , something manly and tough . He and Gabriel fight like cats and dogs but I know that Gabriel must like him . Why do you say that ? 10 12 The Conspiracy of Baby Switching 11.6 % Chapter 16 Because he bought him a Corvette for his birthday last year . What ? she gasps . How do you know ? Because I organized the registration on it . Deb screws up her face in disgust . Are you fucking kidding me , you sucked his dick and all you got was a stupid bracelet , wheres your fucking Corvette ? Its diamonds . I widen my eyes ; she doesnt get it at all . It was about the sentiment . Big shit . Deb drinks the last of her thick shake through the straw and it makes a loud sucking sound . Fuck him and his stingy sentiment . Give us a Corvette next time , asshole . Actually , make it a Porsche . I exhale heavily , ugh … bringing Deb here could have been a big mistake . She already hates Gabriel with a passion . The doors of the building open and Alessio comes into view and then Ricardo , and walking behind them is Gabriel . Who are they ? Deb asks . The two tall guys in front are his brothers Alessio and Ricardo . Deb wiggles her eyebrows . I dont mind a bit of Italian suit porn . Ricardo lives in London , I reply as my eyes linger on one person only , Gabriel . Towering above everyone , hes wearing a dark blue suit and a white shirt , his dark hair has a curl to it and damn it , my heart is still on the bottom of his shoe. Seeing him for the first time in two months brings with it a wave of emotion , and I immediately tear up . I miss him , lord how I miss him . Is that him at the back ? I nod through tears . His back is ramrod straight , and the way he walks is just so … male . Hes talking to Alessio , and Mark falls in to walk in front of them with Ricardo , the other brother . How could three brothers all be so genetically blessed ? Do it . What ? My daydream is interrupted . Call him . Oh shit , I forgot I was supposed to be doing that . 1053 The Conspiracy of Baby Switching 11.8 % With shaky fingers dial is mumber and hang on the line as I watch . He digs his phone out of his pocket and has a the Tanny Tammy Thump ges my heart Here is the aument of truth … fie lonks at the screen and without answering the call puts his phone back into his pocket . The caustic truth huts me hard in the face . My vision is with tears . Hes such a fucking prick , Debbie utters under her breath . I sit and stare into space , my heartbeat hammering in my ears . And now I know . Violet MAYBE HELL CALL BACK when hes alone , I mean..he couldnt really talk when he was with people , could he ? Deb says as her eyes stay glued on the group of men as they disappear around the corner . I nod , but I know thats not true . Gabriel doesnt conform for anyone , if he wanted to talk to me then , he would have . I slump back into my chair , shocked but not surprised . This would have been such a great opportunity to get rolling drunk right about now . Deb sighs , she points to my stomach . Hope the babys having fun in there … drinking all the drinks he wants to drink . It might be a girl . I look over at her and smirk . I stand , feeling somewhat relieved that calling him is over . Come on then . Where are we going ? To get you a cocktail . We are ? Her eyes widen with excitement . But you cant have one . 1953 CO The Conspiracy of Baby Switching 11.9 % I link my arm with hers . I get the feeling that you are going to drink enough for the two of us The f of us . The three of us . Yeah , the three of us . I kind of like the sound of that ! And something unexpected happened in the streets of New York today , a jant drone landed in Central Park . The late night news is playing in the background . I glance over to see Dette fast asleep on the couch , I glance at my watch . 12:05 a.m. I exhale heavily and look at the screen on my phone . No missed calls He didnt call , and I dont know why I was expecting him to , but I honestly thought he would Im beginning to wonder if coming here and wanting to tell him is a monumental mistake . He doe want me , so he definitely wont want to have a baby together . I really thought we had something The harsh reality is that it was only me that had something . The feelings were one sided And I really have to ask myself that what good is the fantasy of him falling in love with me if I always know in the back of my mind that it was only because he was trapped into it ? Sure , a baby will change things . We may work through this and end up okay , but deep down I will always know that this isnt what he really wanted . That this was a forced union . I know how strong willed he is . Nobody tells him what to do , and for me to tell him Im having a baby with or without his permission is likely to send him into powerhouse overdrive . I think back to how badly he behaved when I resigned , and that was a tiny drop in the ocean compared to this . Its going to go one of two ways , either he accepts it and welcomes it with open arms or hes going to get nasty . What if he took me to court for custody ? My hand splays protectively over my stomach . If he did decide to fight me , I couldnt afford the that he could . fees He would win . 10:53 The Conspiracy of Baby Swachung 12.0 % Chapter 16 An Italian child is all hes ever wanted , what if he then took the baby and the two of them lived in Italy somewhere ? He wouldnt do that to me . Would he ? I honestly have no idea anymore . Hes fiery and impossible and an arrogant prick , but I thought that was just the outer shell and that he had a soft spot for me . But maybe not . Maybe thats the real him and maybe , actually … probably , Im just a lovesick fool who was wearing rose colored glasses the entire time I knew him . I stand and point the remote to the television to turn it off . I pull a blanket over my too many cocktailed friend and kiss her forehead . Good night , drunk girl , I whisper . Hmm , she mumbles before rolling over in a dead sleep . I brush my teeth , get into bed and stare at the ceiling . More thinking , more overanalyzing and damn it , more beating myself up . I know what I have to do , I dont have a choice . This isnt my decision ; I have to tell him . Tomorrow , I will . I take one last look at myself in the mirror , Im wearing a black pencil skirt and a linen shirt casually tied in the front . Im trying to be casually irresistible , so that when he sees me he will fall to his knees and beg for my forgiveness . Im not as nervous as yesterday and get a feeling everything is going to turn out . Maybe not as I first thought , but I know Ill be okay whatever happens . Do you want me to come ? Nope . I pick up my handbag and jacket . Im fine , you go shopping and Ill call you when Im done . I can wait outside , I dont mind . Im fine , and dont ask me why , but Im quietly optimistic . 1053 The Conspiracy of Baby Switching 12.19 % C10 . Deb forces a crooked smile . Call me the minute youre done . She hugs me . Yep , I walk out the hotel room door and into the corridor , excited to get this over with . Lets do this The cab polls into the curb and I peer out the window at the huge glass fortress and read the sign . FERRARA Butterfiles swirl in my stomach , not feeling quite so brave now . I hand the money over to the cab driver . Thank you . You have a nice day now , dear . He smiles , You too . I square my shoulders and without hesitation I march through the huge glass doors , and once inside my step falters . New reception staff are near the security scanners . I look around in a panic , I dont know these people and I dont have any of my security badges to get into the building anymore . Wheres Liana and Margery and Tom ? Fuck My heart begins to thump as I approach the desk . The girl smiles . Can I help you ? Yes . I pause as I try to think on my feet . Tm here to see Gabriel Ferrara . Did you have an appointment ? Chapter 17 Title: CEO Lu's Four Wonders In CrushReel's captivating tale, "CEO Lu's Four Wonders," Ye Lanxi finds herself entangled in an unexpected twist of fate after a fateful encounter with the enigmatic CEO of Lu Group, Lu Yanzhou. What starts as a night of drunken revelry soon leads to an unanticipated consequence—an impending motherhood that binds her to the powerful CEO. Amidst the opulent backdrop of mansions and offices, this modern drama unfolds with themes of wealth, ambition, and the complexities of relationships in high society. As Ye Lanxi navigates the challenges of her newfound reality, readers are drawn into a world where passion and consequences collide, shaping the future for both protagonists in ways they never imagined. What sets "CEO Lu's Four Wonders" apart is its intricate exploration of power dynamics, personal growth, and the price of secrets in a world where every move is scrutinized. Dive into this compelling narrative at CrushReel and witness a story that defies expectations while delving deep into the intricacies of love and ambition.