Mr Billionaires Secret Baby

Chapter 16

Pheobe's POV.

The chandelier hanging over my head, gleaming with pride as | dressed for brunch beneath it. The entire dressing room had been remodeled under my persistence and it was unrecognisable compared to before | moved in with Dante. It cost a pretty fortune but it wasn’t a dent for a man like Dante. That was why | was with him, after all.

| cl*pped on a dazzling pair of Carrier diamond earrings to my lobes, added a diamond choked around my n’*eck, and it paired beautifully with one of the white dresses | had purchased on Dante’s card on my weekly shopping sprees. Ah, this was the life, indeed.

After sI*pping in a pair of Louboutins, | applied perfume to

my n*eck before heading out of the large house that | still had to grow used to. The servants walked past be with lowered heads knowing better than to so much as look as me too hard. It did bode well for the maid who had done it previously. The newest addition of a range rover awaited me and the back door was held open for me to get in.

| was so foolish to have abandoned this lifestyle once before by leaving Dante for the man | actually loved. Life without luxury was hard and | had grown accustomed to the lavish living and endless limits that came along being the woman of Dante Crawford. | could run up a massive bill and it still wouldn’t be enough for him to mention it and | loved every second of it.

When Dimitri was taken to prison, | discovered that | could have the best of both worlds. Relish. away in the comfort of money and jewels and all things nice whilst also retaining the man | loved but just from a distance. | still met him religiously every week and we sent letters often with the promise of us marrying when he had gotten out. Hopefully, by then Dante and | would marry and divorce so Dimitri and | could live a good life with the assets | walked away with.

The car had come to a halt right out side the country club that Dante was a member at. After all, my parents wouldn't be able to get in her otherwise.

Drinks were brought to me the moment | entered the lobby which | took without so much as meeting anyone’s eyes. | wasn’t here to be friendly with the help but to meet my mother whot waved me over to the private table over looking the golf course. “Phoebe, my darling girl.” My mother beamed as she | neared the table. Her striking green eyes. locking with mine as we exchanged k*sses on the cheek.

“Mother.” | responded, removing my sun glasses and settling in to the chair across from her.

“You look so well. This life is suiting you handsomely.” My mother complimented, her eyes scanning every single diamond on my choker greedily.

“Itis, isn’t it. | can’t believe | considered living a life with out it.” | said with a chuckle and my mother joined in.

She toyed with her worn out pearls on her n*eck that she used for as long as | could remember. Portia Mane was used to finer things in life but the business world had not been nearly as kind to my father as it had been to Dante or the likes of Adam Huxley and he lose most of it on debt shortly after | was born. Ever since then, they pretended to fit in to high society but every one of ie

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note knew better.

“Do not be a fool like your mother, dear.” She warned but this was some thing she told me often. “Love is nice and warm and all of that but it is money that truly makes a good life. | thought | secured that when | married your father but our life has taken an unfortunate turn of events.” She sighed, her eyes growing tired and heavy with regret.

| waved my hand through the air. “I know, | know. | should learn from your mistakes.” | mumbled flatly and she nodded.

“Yes, you should. You still have a chance to secure your place and solidify it. You can have every thing that | couldn’t. Dante is a very established man and the chances of him losing every thing he owns is next to none. If any thing, that estate of his will keep growing for years to come and you could be in the middle of all of it. The travelling, the money, the life!” She spoke with too much intent and | knew her well enough to know when she had an agenda on her mind.

| crossed my left knee over my right just as a breeze blew by. “What do you mean solidify it, mother? Am | not already stable in my footing?” | asked tightly hating to hear her say it like | failed.

She scoffed mockingly. “If you have to ask then you already know the answer to that question.” She stuck her chin out in disapproval. “Right now, you are only his girl friend, a mistress even who he beds and spoils but offering you no other sense of security and promise.” Her words were like slap in the face and | felt my nostril flare.

She was one to talk sitting across from me wearing year old clothes and not a single new jewel in site but | held my tongue.

“You are not recognised by the world as his equal. Just his arm candy. If you want to be given the respect, security, and secure the lavish life that you have at your fingertips, then you either need to carry his child or get his ring on your finger. Only marriage or his child will solify your footing. Every thing else is nonesense, easily destroyed by a change in his mind.” My mother shrugged with disdain and | considered what she said.

“He hasn’t popped the question yet.” | muttered angered by that thought each time | thought of it.

“It's been years. Force his hand. Coax him in to it. If you have his child then that child will inherit and you can live through that and, if you marry him you get you maintain your lifestyle and, if he does kick you out, then you walk away with half of what he owns and we both know that that is a sizable amount that you could life your entire life on comfortably.” Her eyes sparkled with scheming glee and it was clear where | had recieved that streak from.

“It will be a win-win situation for you.” She leaned back in her chair and brought the rim of her glass to her I*ps before drinking the bubbly liquid in it.

“But if | get pregnant then my entire figure will go to sh it. It would ruin my b*dy and, ugh, stretch marks.” | shuddered just thinking about the horrors of child birth and pregnancy.

“Then you best focus on getting Dante’s ring on your finger before it’s too late.” She warned. seriously and let out a huff.

| hated that she was right: Dante was reluctant for some reason and | didn’t find the need to push the topic if | felt so secure and he never placed any restrictions on me. It didn’t matter how

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occupied he was with work because it meant that | could do what ever else | wanted to. It was why | didn’t exactly consider pushing the issue if marriage until now.

My mother made a good point. If | lost him, if | let him sI*p through my fingers then | will regret it severely. No other man can fund my lifestyle as well as Dante does.

After finishing of at the club, | gave Dante a call pleading with him to join me for lunch at the Italian restaurant a few streets away from his office. He gave me some excuse about work and | masked my anger. | had to be as sweet as honey with him if | wanted my way.

After insisting, he agreed and met me for lunch. The restaurant was filling up but not too much giving the space enough airiness to not be claustrophobic. | booked us a table, settled in to it, then proceeded to wait for my target go arrive. When he did, he continued to check his emails and didn’t put his phone down at all.

It usually didn’t trouble at all because | couldn’t care less but his attentions was so divided that it made me realise just how out of my control he had grown but it was a problem that | would fix in

no time.

“Dante,” It came out with a bite. “Darling.” | added gently and saw his face soften but he didn’t put his phone away.

“Pheobe, this lunch is very impromtu.” Dante lacked the vigor that any thrilled lover would have when dining with the woman they loved.

“It is and you are very distracted.” | pointed out as | popped an olive in to my mouth.

“Work. You know how it is and today is a busy day. He said tightly like | was an inconvenience to his day.

l ignored his tone and kicked one of my heels off so | could trace a slow line from his ankles up to his knee before moving in to his inner thigh, He stiffened, looked at me with a bleak look in his eyes, before catching my ankle and removing it from his person entirely.

Okay, this was worse than | thought. My mother was more than right about what she said. | needed. to do some thing before things took a horrible turn for my own interests.

“Not in the mood?” | asked and he sighed like it was tiring being around me..

“Again, busy day.” He tapped away at his phone and a part of me felt like he had been typing to no one in particular.

“You're always busy for me recently, Dante. | hardly see you. We don’t even go out that much any more.” | made sure to keep my tone low and sad knowing that he hated seeing me sad.

“It has never bothered you before, Phoebe. You have always understood my life and my schedule. | don’t see why it is an issue now.” My nose flared now finding it impossible to remain calm any longer.

“You've never been this distracted before, Dante.” The bite in my tone was loud and clear.

His eyes darkened but not in desire but anger. He looked away from me and out through the

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restaurant windows trying to calm his own anger down.

“Some times | wonder if it is really work that distracts or some thing else.” | paused eyeing him carefully before he turned and glared at me.

“What are accusing me of exactly?” He spat out, his face expressing some thing | hadn't seen on him

before.

“Nothing at all. All I’m saying is that | miss you dearly and | feel like we need time to ourselves to reconnect.” | swallowed looking down at my lap and blinking rapidly so he thought that | was tearing up.

He sighed before inhaling deeply and his face relaxed back to the Dante | knew. “I’m sorry, Pheobe. You're right and I-” His words caught in the back of his throat when he someone had caught his eye behind me.

| shifted to see who it had been and my I*ps curled in disgust. This woman was hell bent on ruining my life! | should have ended her when | had a chance.