Chapter 3 - The Baby With No Name
My son's incubator looked too large for him.
Tiny chest.
Tiny fingers.
Tiny knitted blue hat.
Everything inside me hurt when I stood, but I refused the wheelchair.
Nathan stayed beside me.
“Slow down.”
“I am going slowly.”
“You nearly fell.”
“I stumbled.”
“You nearly stumbled into a medical cart.”
I looked at him.
“You've become bossy.”
“I've always been bossy.”
“You used to ask permission.”
“I used to be poor.”
I laughed.
It hurt.
“Ow.”
Nathan immediately stopped smiling.
“Are you okay?”
“Don't make me laugh.”
“Understood.”
We reached the neonatal unit.
The nurse smiled.
“Mom's here.”
I placed my hand through the opening in the incubator.
My son's fingers curled around mine.
Everything else disappeared.
“Hi,” I whispered.
Nathan stood several feet behind me.
I looked over.
“You can come closer.”
He hesitated.
Then approached.
“This is Nathan,” I told my son.
Nathan gave me a strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say hello.”
He leaned toward the incubator.
“Hello, little man.”
The baby's fingers moved.
Nathan smiled.
It was the first completely unguarded expression I'd seen on him.
“You're good with babies?”
“No.”
“You looked natural.”
“I negotiated with him.”
“What did you offer?”
“College tuition.”
I stared at him.
Nathan cleared his throat.
“That was a joke.”
“You're terrible at jokes now.”
“I've been told.”
The moment broke when Marcus entered.
He carried flowers.
Nathan immediately stepped away.
Marcus looked at our son.
For several seconds, genuine emotion crossed his face.
“Hey, buddy.”
My anger softened slightly.
Whatever Marcus had done to me, this was still his child.
“What are we naming him?” he asked.
I looked down.
“I don't know.”
“We agreed on Julian.”
“We agreed on Julian before you left.”
Marcus's expression tightened.
“I'm still his father.”
“Yes.”
“And you're still my wife.”
Nathan started toward the door.
I looked at him.
“You don't have to leave.”
“I think I do.”
Marcus waited until Nathan was gone.
Then he faced me.
“You need to stop this.”
“Stop what?”
“Using him to punish me.”
I stared at him.
“You think I almost died to punish you?”
“That's not what I said.”
“Nathan showed up because I accidentally texted him.”
“And now he's hovering around you.”
“He hasn't asked me for anything.”
“He doesn't have to.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“You don't know what kind of man he became.”
“What does that mean?”
“Look him up.”
“I don't care how rich he is.”
“This isn't about money.”
“Then what?”
Marcus leaned closer.
“Nathan Cole bought my company six weeks ago.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Cole Capital owns the controlling interest.”
I remembered Nathan's expensive watch.
His assistant calling repeatedly.
The way hospital staff seemed to recognize his name.
“You work for him?”
“Technically.”
“Does Nathan know?”
“Of course he knows.”
Marcus's bitterness sharpened.
“He knew exactly who I was when he walked into that hospital.”
The door opened.
Nathan stood there.
He had clearly heard enough.
I looked at him.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because you were recovering from surgery.”
Marcus laughed.
“How convenient.”
Nathan ignored him.
“Elena, I had no idea you were Marcus's wife when we acquired the company.”
“Separated wife,” I said automatically.
Marcus glared at me.
Nathan continued.
“I discovered it during due diligence.”
“And you never contacted me?”
“No.”
“Why?”
His answer came immediately.
“Because you were married.”
The room became silent.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Tell her the rest.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“What rest?”
Marcus smiled without humor.
“Tell Elena why you never got married.”
Nathan said nothing.
My heartbeat changed.
“Nathan?”
His eyes met mine.
And suddenly I was twenty-four again, standing at LAX while Nathan asked me to come to New York.
I had said no.
He had waited.
I had still said no.
“Nathan.”
He finally answered.
“Because there was only one woman I ever seriously wanted to marry.”
Marcus looked at me.
I couldn't speak.
Nathan turned toward the door.
But before leaving, he looked back.
May you like
“And she chose someone else.”
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