Starting Over

Chapter Two : Starting Over Racheal’s POV Chapter Two: Starting Over He was engaged to Miss Selena Matt . The sexy heiress and model Selena . Mr Alexander hated her . I know this because she has tried to get him to go on a date with her for years and she failed . He has always hated her and is irritated by her presence . “ Don’t even receive any invite from Miss Matt “ he warned me the last time she sent an invite to his office . The time posted was five minutes ago.Five freaking minutes ago .While I was being fired . While he told me to get rid of my child. While he chased me away from his office . I let out a loud scream followed by tears . My phone vibrated again this time with a text message from an unknown number. Unknown number “ If you think being fired was the end then you are wrong. If you keep that baby, you’ll regret it.” I slowly lowered my hand and placed it on my stomach in a protective way . This wasn’t over.Not even close.And whatever game Alexander Knights was playing I had just become his biggest problem. I boarded a taxi and went home . ….. I stood in the small bathroom of my tiny one bedroom apartment, staring at my reflection in the cracked mirror. My eyes were puffy from crying, my cheeks leaned from lack of food . It had been three weeks since Alexander Knights, the billionaire CEO, ruthless playboy, and the man who’d shattered my heart fired me and told me to “get rid of it.” But I hadn’t. I couldn’t.My hand rested instinctively on my flat stomach. This baby was mine. Ours, whether he wanted to admit it or not. And I was going to protect it with everything I had. My name is Rachael Steve . Twenty six years old, formerly the executive assistant to Alexander Knights, the thirty two year old tech mogul who owned half the skyline of New York City. I’d been good at my job damn good. Organized, discreet and always one step ahead. That’s probably why he noticed me in the first place.And why he used me, then discarded me like yesterday’s newspaper. I spent the first week after the rejection curled up in bed, replaying every moment. Every heated glance across the boardroom. Every late night “meeting” that ended with us tangled together on his office couch. Every whispered promise in the dark that I now knew meant nothing to him. But crying wasn’t going to pay the bills. My lay of package was generous enough to cover rent for a few months but I needed a job. Fast. I pulled myself together, threw on my best professional dress , the one that still fit, and started looking for a job with my resume in hand. I applied everywhere small firms , mid sized firms, even a few knights rival tech companies . Anywhere that wasn’t Knights Enterprises. Most interviews went the same way. “You worked for Alexander Knights himself?” the recruiters would say, eyes widening. “Why did you leave?” I smiled tightly and said “Seeking new opportunities. I need a new experience ” They nod, impressed by the name on my resume , but I could see the hesitation. Alexander ’s world was. People talked and I wondered how long it would take for word to get around that I’d been personally fired by the boss. By the end of the third week , I finally landed an interview that felt promising. A growing tech company called Avon Solutions needed an executive assistant for their CEO. The pay was okay, not as high as Knights Enterprises level, but enough to survive. I arrived early, my nerves were still high . The office was okay and modern, nothing like the cold glass palace of Knights Enterprises. The receptionist smiled warmly. “Ms. Steve? Mr. London will see you now.” Michael Landon was in his late thirties, friendly, with dark brown eyes and a welcoming smile. Nothing like Alexander ’s sharp and intense eyes . We talked for nearly an hour about my experience, my skills, and how I survived under pressure. “You come highly recommended by your work history,” he said, glancing at my resume again. “Working directly under Alexander Knights… that is a big deal . He’s known for being strict .”I managed to force a laugh. “Yes, he is.” Michael leaned forward. “Off the topic of , why leave a big position like that?” My throat tightened. I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not yet not in this situationMaybe not ever.“I needed a change,” I said carefully. “A new experience .” He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “Well, Rachael, I think you’d be a great fit here. When can you start?” I felt relieved instantly. “As soon as possible.” “Monday, then?” I smiled my first real smile in weeks. “Monday sounds perfect.” That night, I treated myself to takeout and a bubble bath, allowing a wave of hope. I had a job and I had a plan. I was going to be okay. But fate had other ideas. The next morning, I woke up to violent nausea. Morning sickness had arrived again . I barely made it to the bathroom before I was throwing up . After that , weak and shaking, I sat on the cold tile floor and cried. Not because of the sickness but because, for a little moment, I wanted to call him , Alexander . To tell him how scared I was. To hear his deep, commanding voice say it would be all right. But he didn’t want me. He didn’t want our baby.I wiped my tears and stood up. No more crying over Alexander Knights. That afternoon, I went to my first prenatal appointment. The doctor was kind, confirming I was about ten weeks along. She gave me vitamins, scheduled an ultrasound, and told me everything looked healthy.“You’re doing great,” she said. “Strong heartbeat already.” I teared up again this time from joy. As I left the clinic, clutching the grainy printout of the tiny blob that was my baby, my phone buzzed. An unknown number. I almost ignored it, but something made me answer. “Hello?” A pause. Then that voice was the one that still haunted my dreams. “Rachael.” My breath caught. Alexander . “How did you get this number?” I managed, my voice colder than I felt. I changed my number two weeks ago . “I have my ways.” Of course he did. He was Alexander Knight. Nothing was out of reach for him. “What do you want?” I asked, heart pounding. Another pause. “We need to talk. In person.” “No.” “Rachael” “I’m not getting rid of the baby, Alexander . And I’m not coming back to you. You made your choice.” “I know what I said.” His voice was lower now, and calm . “But I’ve been thinking.” I laughed bitterly. “You’ve been thinking? For three weeks? While I’ve been figuring out how to survive without a job, without health insurance, without” “You have enough money ” “Money isn’t everything, Alexander !” I snapped. “You threw me away like I was nothing. Like this baby was nothing.” Silence followed that . Then, quietly: “Meet me tomorrow . I want us to talk.” I should have said no. Should have hung up. But a tiny, stupid part of me, the part that still remembered how it felt when he looked at me like I was the only woman in the world whispered yes. “Fine,” I said. “One conversation. Tomorrow. Central Park, by the fountain. By Noon.” “I’ll be there.” I hung up before he could say anything else. As I walked home, the ultrasound photo tucked safely in my bag, I steeled myself. Alexander Knights might think he could change his mind now.But I wasn’t the same naive assistant anymore.I was going to be a mother. And no one, not even a sexy billionaire CEO, was going to take that power away from me. As I slip the ultrasound photo into my purse, the phone buzzes again this time around not from Alexander A new text from an unknown number “Don’t go to the park tomorrow. He’s not the only one who’s watching.” My hands started shaking. Who else is out there… and why do they care?