Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 460

Owen was fuming when he received a call from Jay. Without a second thought, he bolted from the boardroom and rushed to find Cecilia to clear the air. On the other end, Cecilia stood dumbfounded for a moment before snapping back to reality. She glanced at the pregnancy test in her hand and then at the accuser.

"My man's baby? Honey, do you even know who my man is?"

"I was following you earlier. I saw you hop into his car. Before that, you bought him a sandwich and a coffee. He dropped you off. I saw everything. But I don't know his name. It was a one-night stand, an accident, but this baby inside me is definitely his. I might not know his name, but I remember his face vividly."

Cecilia was speechless.

Owen was a social butterfly; it wasn't entirely out of the question that he could have had a drunken fling.

"You're pregnant with Mr. Malicious's baby? Then you should be looking for him, sweetheart. What do you want with me?"

Cecilia's tone was sharp.

She knew Owen was committed when it came to relationships, but with all his mingling, who could guarantee he wouldn't slip up after a few too many drinks?

"Madam."

Jay hurried over to defend his boss. "Madam, don't listen to her nonsense. My boss has always been a gentleman. Even when he's drunk, we make sure he gets home safe. He's never been alone with a woman after a night out."

"Who put you up to this?"

Jay grabbed the woman, attempting to roughhouse her out the door.

The barista chimed in, addressing Cecilia. "Cecilia, you can't take her word for it. She doesn't even know Mr. Martinez's name. Mr. Martinez is a man of stature, frequents upscale places. If she really had a fling with Mr. Martinez, she'd know exactly who he is."

"It could very well be a setup, a deliberate play to drive a wedge between you and Owen. Wouldn't be surprised if Megan's behind this."

Ruby was out of the picture, and Megan didn't want Cecilia cozying up to Owen. Creating misunderstandings was right up her alley.

"Don't push me, Cecilia, the child inside me really is your man's."

The woman broke free from Jay and stepped closer to Cecilia, pleading, "If you don't believe me, wait until your man gets here. I'll confront him face to face."

Initially, Cecilia's heart was in turmoil, almost swayed by the woman's claim.

But after considering Jay's words, she regained her composure.

From what she knew of Owen, he wasn't the type to do such a thing.

She had once drunkenly flirted with him, and he had the self-control not to touch her.

A man with such restraint, constantly accompanied by bodyguards, as Jay said, wouldn't end up in such a predicament. The thought of some random woman taking advantage of him and getting pregnant was absurd.

Once she had calmed down, Cecilia was ready to call the woman's bluff. "Jay, let her speak. Go on, what's your plan?"

The woman glanced at Jay and Rex, then at the barista, and said to Cecilia, "We can't talk here. Let's go somewhere quiet, sit down, and talk this through."

With that, she retrieved the test and headed for the door.

After a moment of silence, Cecilia followed her out from behind the counter.

"Madam."

Jay and Rex quickly followed suit.

Suddenly, the woman stopped and turned to Cecilia. "Cecilia, this is a negotiation between us. Don't let them tag along."

Cecilia glanced at the two bodyguards and replied, "They're not my men. I can't tell them what to do. Their boss has them keep tabs on me, and there's nothing I can do about that."

"Fine. My car's just parked on the curb. Come with me, and we'll talk in the car. Let them wait outside."

The woman pointed to a sedan parked nearby.

Cecilia considered it briefly, with no objections. However, as she followed the woman, she suddenly remembered Lucinda's abduction after being lured into a car.

Owen had arranged personal protection for her safety.

It would be difficult for the bad guys to take a shot at her unless they lured her away and shook off her two bodyguards.

With her guard up, Cecilia stopped short of the sedan.

"What's the holdup?"

The woman also stopped and turned to Cecilia, puzzled.

Cecilia noticed the woman's tight grip on her purse, a sign of nervousness, perhaps even guilt.

There must be someone else in that car. If Cecilia got in, she might end up like Lucy, kidnapped.

"My café's pretty empty right now. I've sent the staff across the street to do some shopping, and those two guys are keeping watch at the door. It's just you and me in the shop. We can negotiate however you please."

With a forced smile, Cecilia took the woman by the arm. "Let's go back to my café and have a proper chat. Tell me everything about how you bedded my man. Without the juicy details, I'm not buying that the baby is his."

As she spoke, she pulled the woman back toward the café.

Cecilia wouldn't let anyone play her for a fool. If someone dared to con her, she'd expose them, no question about it.

"Let's call my man now, have him come over, and you two can sort it out face to face."

The woman was clearly panicking.

She struggled to break free from Cecilia's grip.

But Cecilia was strong, her grip unyielding, and she dragged the woman back into the coffee shop.

"Take a seat, dear."

Cecilia pushed the woman into a chair and instructed the barista. "Sweetie, bring this lady a glass of warm water. She'll need to wet her whistle if she's going to spin us a yarn."

The woman's face turned beet red, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

She protested, "Cecilia, I'm not lying. Everything I said is true. The child inside me is indeed your man's. I'm not afraid of a confrontation."

"Come on, I never said you were scared. Take a sip of water and spill the beans about my man. If you expect to hold him accountable, you've gotta convince me that your story checks out."

"Let's step outside and find somewhere quiet to talk." Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

"I'd say my cafe is quiet enough. No need to switch venues."

"But."

Cecilia gave a sly smile. "If you're going to cause a scene, even the quietest corner can turn into a stage for gossip."

The women was at a loss for words.

She thought, "What to do now? This Cecilia was a tough cookie."

Any normal woman, upon hearing their husband had been out sowing wild oats and got someone else pregnant, would be livid, out of their mind with rage. A few more taunts, and Cecilia would surely take the bait and follow her, mission accomplished.

But Cecilia wasn't reacting like that at all.

Could it be that Cecilia's husband was impotent or sterile?

Was that why Cecilia was so chill?