Second Hand Waitress

The two men quickly apologized, but Tesah silenced them with a wave of his hand.

“Take Miss Samia back to her desk, wait while she packs her things, and make sure she leaves the building. I want her gone within the hour.”

“Yes, sir,” one of the guards responded stiffly, while the other shot her a quick, sympathetic glance.

They moved to stand on either side of her, and one of them placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t touch her,” Tesah snapped, surprising them all.

“Sorry,” the security guard mumbled, pulling his hand back awkwardly.

“You need to come with us, miss,” the other guard said. Kira nodded, feeling drained and defeated. Her hand instinctively moved to her flat stomach, a gesture that immediately caught Tesah’s eye and darkened his expression even more.

She stood up slowly, gripping one of the guard’s arms for balance as she swayed slightly. Holding onto him for support, she walked out of the office, refusing to look back. She could feel Tesah’s gaze burning into her back, but she kept her head high. If this was how he wanted it, so be it. She would take care of her baby on her own. Tesah Clover be damned.

Tesah ran both hands through his hair, taking a deep, shaky breath. The nerve of her. The absolute gall.

Who did she think she was? And who did she think he was? Some fool who would fall for such an obvious trick? He was furious. He wanted to shake some sense into her.

He jumped up from his chair and strode toward the door. Halfway there, he turned back and snatched the envelope she had left on his desk. He didn’t even want to look at it, but he knew he had to show it to his lawyer, Lexington.

On his way out, he shot a glare at Claudia.

“You and I need to talk later about the kind of people you’re letting into my office,” he snapped. The woman paled, but he was too angry to care.

Two hours later, his mood hadn’t improved. He sat across from Lexington, still scowling. Lexington had looked surprised to see him storm into the office—usually, it was the other way around. The fact that Tesah had shown up unannounced made it clear just how rattled he was. He hated himself for not seeing this coming. He usually had a sharp sense for people’s true motives. When Kira had signed the nondisclosure agreement without hesitation, he had thought he was in the clear. But clearly, he had underestimated how far some women would go for money.

“I have to say, this deal seems pretty reasonable,” Lexington finally said.

Exactly what Tesah didn’t want to hear.

“She’s asking for a small monthly allowance from the baby’s birth until the child turns eighteen—or until she gets married, whichever comes first. The money would only cover basic necessities like food, clothing, and medical care—for the child, not for her. She’s also asking for an increase to cover school fees and other essential costs when the child gets older. The payments would adjust with the economy, and she only wants them if a paternity test confirms that you are the father.”

Tesah’s jaw tightened. Why would she add that condition unless she was absolutely sure? Had she tampered with his condoms somehow? No. That was impossible. He had always kept them in his possession, and he was the only one who ever handled them. He had learned that lesson the hard way when he once caught a past lover trying to poke a hole in one under the guise of “helping” him. After that, he never let anyone else touch them.

Which meant that if Kira was telling the truth, the condom had failed. He knew they weren’t 100% foolproof, but he had always thought the risk was small. Until now.

He exhaled sharply, disgusted with himself, with her, with the entire situation.

“I don’t want to be a father,” he muttered. “Is there any way to...?” He trailed off, unable to say the words. Just thinking about it made him feel like a terrible person.

“Well, she already covered that,” Lexington replied, sounding almost impressed. “If you agree to these terms and sign the papers, she’s willing to act like you were never involved. All financial matters will go through your lawyer and hers. The baby will have her last name, and you won’t be listed as the father. The nondisclosure agreement also ensures that she will never mention your time together in Medina.”

“It wasn’t a relationship,” Tesah corrected.

“Alright, your brief... involvement, then.”

“Careful, Lex,” Tesah warned. He had known Lexington for years, and they had a solid professional and personal relationship. But today, he was in no mood for the man’s usual sarcasm.

“Hm,” Lexington hummed in response. “Honestly, this is pretty straightforward. She doesn’t want any money until a paternity test confirms you’re the father. Even then, she won’t expect payments to start until after the baby is born.”