"Baby, please sit down. I'm just going to be a few feet away, right there," Kieran murmured softly, pointing toward the driver's seat. But Genesis didn't move. She clung tightly to his chest, refusing to let go.
Kieran sighed, then gently closed the passenger door. He turned and leaned against it, his gaze shifting to the side—and that's when he noticed a group of giggling girls nearby, phones out, snapping pictures of them.
He stepped sideways, using his body to block their view of Genesis's face.
With a quiet breath, he pulled out his phone and typed out a quick message to Damon.
"Leave your post and come here."
Damon, already nearby with his men a few blocks away, saw the message instantly. They hadn't followed Kieran to the hospital—drawing attention was the last thing they wanted.
Just as Kieran was about to speak again, his phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID.
The hospital.
He picked up. "Kieran Blackwood."
"Hello, Mr. Blackwood," came Dr. Aiden's voice, shaky and low. "I'm calling about the test results we ran on Genesis. They were completed weeks ago, but due to a mishap, they weren't delivered until now. The physical report should have reached your home today. However, I wanted to personally update you… if you'd like to hear the results."
Dr. Aiden's heart thudded in his chest as he sat across from Monica Caldwell. She was smiling, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was the kind that made his skin crawl.
Kieran turned his head slightly, spotting a car pulling up a few feet away. Damon and Julian stepped out.
"Yes, go ahead," Kieran said, distracted.
"It's nothing serious. Just a stomach flu—not an ulcer, thankfully. I assume she's doing better by now since you haven't returned to the hospital. The medication should've worked." Dr. Aiden forced a smile, though no one could see it aside from Monica.
Kieran opened the back door and slid in with Genesis still sleeping in his arms. Damon took the driver's seat and started the car, while Julian got back into the vehicle they arrived in and drove off.
Once they were moving, Kieran glanced at his phone again.
"So what you're saying is—there's nothing wrong with my princess?" His voice was firm, low, and calm.
Dr. Aiden nearly jumped. He swallowed hard and shifted his gaze toward Monica, who gave him a cold glare that screamed: Say the wrong thing and I'll destroy you.
He stared at the wall.
"Yes, Mr. Blackwood. She's perfectly fine. The full test report is with the documents sent to your home."
Kieran gave a curt nod. "Thank you, Dr. Aiden. I'll be in touch."
"You're welcome."
Kieran ended the call and placed the phone on the seat beside him. He leaned back and looked down at Genesis. Her lips were slightly parted, the candy she'd been sucking on now slipping from her mouth.
He smiled faintly, plucked the sweet from her lips, and popped it into his own. Then he closed his eyes. Trying to take deep calming breaths.
****
"Guys! You're not going to believe this!"
Marie came running into the office, almost tripping over a chair as she rushed toward her colleagues. Most of them didn't even look up.
"What is it now, Snitch?" Jake muttered without looking away from his screen. "Can't you ever just be quiet?"
Marie paused mid-step and adjusted her large glasses dramatically. "Mind your business, Off-Pants. I wasn't talking to you. No one asked you to listen."
A few people nearby snickered. Jake gritted his teeth and went back to typing.
Marie turned to the others. "Anyway. The CEO is coming."
Silence fell.
"And?" Mike said flatly, still focused on his monitor.
"He's not alone."
Those three words did the trick. Suddenly, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing.
Before anyone could ask who he was with, Kieran appeared from around the corner with Genesis tucked against his side.
Marie nearly tripped over her own feet as she rushed to her seat, and everyone immediately snapped their attention back to their screens, pretending to be deep in work.
As Kieran passed, a quiet wave of greetings followed him.
"Good morning, sir..."
"Mr. Blackwood..."
He responded only with a slight nod, but their eyes weren't really on him—they were on the girl.
Genesis had half of her face pressed gently to his bicep, and Kieran's hand was wrapped firmly around her waist. As they moved, all eyes subtly followed.
When the two of them stepped into the elevator that led to his private office and the doors slid shut, the tension in the room broke. Immediately, the office erupted into a frenzy of whispers.
"Holy moly, she's so hot."
"I never thought I'd see her in person. Oh my God, I can die now. Like, how can someone look that cute in a video, and still be even better in real life? Unreal."
"Did you see the way she was clinging to his side? What country do you think she came from? Even in the video, she looked so shy and confused."
"Yeah, but in that press conference, they never said which country she went to after her dad died... But now, I get it. If someone like her was my wife, I'd let my frozen heart melt too."
Jake rolled his eyes, glaring at his coworkers. "He's still a dick."
Marie turned her head slightly and muttered, "Of course you'd know," under her breath—but loud enough for him to hear.
Jake narrowed his eyes.
Without another word, he slid his chair closer to his desk, then slipped one hand underneath—until his fingers found the edge of her chair, and then slowly, the hem of her dress.
Marie stiffened instantly, her eyes going wide.
He leaned forward, their desks nearly touching.
"I can't wait to shut you up," he murmured coldly, his voice low and threatening.