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Chapter 10: Parenting Is Hard
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 11: A Winter Date
As the morning light fills the mansion, Maryanne slowly makes her way down the steps. The house is bustling, and she can hear the lighthearted conversation between Jeff and Geneva echoing through the air. The smell of bacon reaches her nose and her stomach growls. Holding on to her abdomen, Maryanne makes her way down into the dining room, where Riley sits at the large table, Geneva placing eggs and bacon in front of her.Max stands to the side, his shoulders broad, his thick jaw clenched. His hair, usually slicked back, is down across his forehead. He turns toward her and she moves her gaze to his neck, so she does not have to look him in the eye."Good morning," Max nods softly.Maryanne only smiles back in greeting and pulls the ends of her cardigan closer before folding her arms."Please, sit down." Geneva ushers Maryanne to one of the chairs as several plates of food are carried in by Jeff. He is young, his long hair tied back in a bun.Max sits near Maryanne at the opposite
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 12: Seasonal Cold
Maryanne dips further into the water, embarrassment causing her body to go numb. She should be yelling at him to get out, to look away. Maryanne holds any words at bay, not sure of what to say."Uh, I'm sorry," Max pivots away, his knuckles turning white as he grips the door knob tightly. Red tints his ears and he clenches his jaw. "I was trying to find you. I—no sorry—this is stupid, but Geneva left and won't be back until the morning."Maryanne wants to ask where she has gone, probably back home, but the fear that is now taking over Max's features has her overlooking that topic."What is it?""Riley is acting strange. I think she might be getting sick."It takes a moment for Maryanne to understand what he has said, as his face is turned away while he speaks."What, does she have a fever?" Fear begins to pound in her head."I'm not sure.""Well go get a thermometer," she commands, standing up abruptly as her mind races with thoughts of Riley being sick.Dizziness comes over h
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 13:Bed Rest
Maryanne was not expecting to end up taking care of not only Riley, but also Max, on her weekend off. Although he has been adamant that he was not sick, Max quickly turned for the worse as the fever took over and the nausea began to build. Luckily Riley's stomach was not so active and she remained in bed, sleeping."Are you done," Maryanne calls through the closed door of Max's bathroom.He doesn't so much answer as grunt his reply.She opens the door cautiously, not sure what she would see. Breathing a sigh of relief as she notices he has made himself decent, she moves to his side as he wavers above the toilet."Come on," she places his arm around her shoulder. "Who would've thought that the great and powerful Max Ryder could be taken down by the common cold." She tries to laugh but the effort of making sure he doesn't fall is too great and she groans as he leans to the side."Miss, do you need help," Geneva rushes into the room, but hesitates, not knowing what to do."No, i
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 14: Another Side Of The Story
"Stop," Maryanne whispers, trying to control her emotions. She gently tugs on her hand, but Max refuses to release it.Luckily, he is too out of it to notice the shift in her mood. Why is he acting so kind and intimate? This is not like him."I only want to thank you," he rasps out. He opens his eyes once more, turning toward Maryanne. "I enjoyed spending time with you and Riley at the park. I hope we can do more together from now on."His grip tightens on her hand. She holds back the emotions that wage war against her reasoning. She cannot fall back into the trap that is Max Ryder. He has hurt her too much to be completely forgiven so easily. Instead, Maryanne takes a deep breath in and says, "As long as you don't get sick every time."Max tries to laugh through his coughs, but ends up wincing, "I'll try not to."Maryanne smiles down at him, her hand burning from the contact. She pats his arm, her heart racing. "Just try to rest, I am going to check on Riley.""Okay," he smi
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 15: Shelley Alert
As the doorbell rings, echoing throughout the mansion, Maryanne calls out, "I've got it." She descends the main staircase and walks across the main floor. "Miss, this is my job," Geneva huffs, trying to reach the door before her.She chuckles, holding out her hand to stop the maid, "Really, Geneva, it's fine. I can answer a door once in a while."Geneva pauses for a second, eyeing Maryanne before sighing and dropping her shoulders, "Okay Miss."Maryanne continues to smile as she opens the front door. That is, until she realizes who is on their front porch. "Shelley?"Her brow shoots up with a greeting before she slightly tilts her head and looks past her coworker. "Hey, how is everyone feeling?"What are you doing here?" Maryanne folds her arms and tries to take up as much of the doorway as possible.Shelley now resorts to shifting around, trying to look around Maryanne as much as she can. She even stands on her tippy toes. "Claire told us about you having to stay home.""Okay
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 16: You Bought Me A What??
Maryanne exits her room the next morning and finds Riley bouncing around her room, laughing and playing with her Barbies."Good morning Riley," she chuckles at the sight.The little girl squeaks and halts for a moment, heaving as she is out of breath. "Morning!""Let's go get you some breakfast."As they wander down the hallway together, towards the stairs, Max exits his room, buttoning up his suit."Oh, good morning." Maryanne dips her head, a blush forming up her neck. Max nods back, "Morning. How was your sleep?""I slept well, thank you. What about you?" As she notices him straightening his suit and smiling down at Riley, her next words tumble out. "Are you going out?""Oh, yeah. I've taken too many days off the last few weeks. I have to go into the office for the next few days to go through paperwork."Maryanne's heart drops and her shoulders lower with the disappointment. "Oh, okay."They descend the stairs together, entering the dining room side-by-side with Riley run
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 17: Content In Luxury
Maryanne slowly ascends the first staircase, her shoulders pinching to the point of agony. She stretches her arms the best she can from the confines of her winter jacket.She winces once she reaches the landing, her body aching. Tension builds in the base of her neck, a slight headache forming. She rubs it, trying to ease the pain as she walks down the hallway. She can hear the laughter echoing from Riley's play room and she finds herself smiling even before she sets her gaze on the girl.She tries to quietly open the door without interrupting what is happening on the other side. She peeks in and is surprised at the sight.Max's large frame is sitting on an overly small pink chair, the legs almost giving way. The equally small table in front of him consists of several miniature teacups and plates of fake muffins. Riley sits across from him, holding the kettle and pouring imaginary tea into all of the cups. They are giggling as Max talks to the stuffed animals lining the table."Oh
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 18: Tensions Arise
Maryanne stretches as she sits at her small desk in her bedroom. The list of bills in front of her is comprised of checkmarks where she has already made the payment for the month. Not having to pay rent anymore has allowed her to save up a good chunk of money.As she leans back, she is overcome with a sense of anxiety. Just the knowledge that Max is paying for the entire house by himself and that she is not responsible for any of it is causing her to stress.After thinking for a moment, she stands and exits her room, heading down the hall, past Max's bedroom and towards his office. She breathes in deeply before knocking. When she hears a muffled "Enter," she slowly opens the door.Maryanne peeks around, finding the billionaire hunched over his desk. "Max, can I talk to you?"He scratches his temple before sighing and leaning back in his chair, "Yeah, what is it?""I've been thinking," Maryanne pauses, not sure how to word her sentences.Max tilts his head, "About what?""Our exp
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Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 50: The Final Decision
Sitting in the pristine courtroom, Maryanne tries to remain calm. For the last year she has been dreaming of this day. For the chance to fight for Riley and gain custody.It is different now. Maryanne glances to her side and looks at Max who sits tensely, talking with his lawyer. She wonders if what she is going to do will be the best for Riley.The judge leans forward from his seat, "From what I have understood, this has been quite a year for the both of you, as I am sure it has been for Riley. I had my reoccurring doubts about how you two would manage the time spent together in one house, but I can see it has worked very well for you. I understand that you each want sole custody, and I am willing to grant it to one of you, but I would like to hear your testimonies on why you deem yourself fit for sole guardianship."Maryanne nods and organizes the paperwork she has in front of her. Taking a sip of her water and then taking a deep breath in, Maryanne clears her throat. "Thank you,
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 49: Confrontation
Maryanne grips her phone tightly, her body trembling as they pull into the parking lot of the old house. It isn't far from where their house is. Caroline was this close all along.Max puts the car into park and turns the ignition off, "Maryanne, you shouldn't've come. Stay in the car." He glances at her for only a second before opening his door.Maryanne bites out, "I am not staying in here when Riley is in there." She swings open her own door, fighting the tingle in her legs causing her muscles to be weak. She takes a sharp breath in and tries to reorient herself before fear causes her to panic."Maryanne," Max warns as he quickly moves towards the front door.Maryanne refuses to back down and is right behind him, her eyes wide with terror.Max glances back toward her before huffing, "Fine, just call the cops while we're here. We can't wait for them to arrive but having them here will help.""Okay," she nods and swipes open her phone.It takes a few rings before the call is answ
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 48: The True Culprit
It has been several hours since Maryanne stood before the reporters and spoke about Riley. Nothing has come of her speech except more phone calls with strangers' saying how sorry they were and that they hope that Riley is found quickly.Maryanne can't help but think it is odd that the kidnapper has not called them yet. If it was related to Max's work, then it would be about a ransom. Max has enough money. So why not call and blackmail him into giving them an insane amount of untraceable cash? What else could be a motivator?Max paces back and forth across the living room. Neither have been able to go back to their rooms. It is too close to Riley's for comfort. Maryanne has barely slept. The exhaustion is taking its hold on her, but she is fighting it. She shouldn't be sleeping while everyone else is still awake and searching for Riley. Max has barely shown any sign of exhaustion. He is grim and alert at the same time.He grumbles, pausing at the main window and watching the reporters,
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 47: Optimistic
"Max, are you sure that this will work?"They both sit within the living room, printing off pictures of Riley that read 'Missing: Riley Ryder' at the top and the bottom says 'Reward: $1,000,000'. Maryanne sits and stares at the picture, wondering if they will ever see her again.Max shrugs, "I can only hope. If nothing comes of it, then I'll raise the amount. I'll use this house if I have to.""What if they aren't able to find her?""They will, don't worry." He pauses as he stacks some of the paperwork. Geneva rushes about around them, grabbing papers and heading out the door with them.One of the detectives enters the living room, his cellphone in hand. "My men are searching the entire town and into the city to find Riley."Max straightens, facing the man, "Do you have any leads?"He cringes softly, "Not at this moment, no." he turns to Maryanne, his voice gentler, "We wanted to ask a favor of you, Maryanne, if that is alright?"She frowns as confusion lines her features, "Me?
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 46: Waiting Game
Maryanne is huddled on the main couch of the living room; her body still not calm. Her hands tremble as she worries about Riley. There still has been no new updates regarding the case and it has been hours. The head detective has been telling Maryanne and Max to remain in the house. They have set up a trace on their phones in case the kidnapper calls with a ransom. They need the both of them within the house in case they get that call, so that they can talk to the culprit. Although Maryanne is petrified of talking to anyone remotely close to a suspect, she only wants Riley home, safe. She will do anything she can to make sure that happens. Max enters the living room, hanging up on a call, but Maryanne isn't able to hear who it was with. He sighs and stands quietly for a moment, just watching Maryanne as she stares off across the room, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Her knees are up by her chest, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders for warmth. She tries to tune out the aggravating voi
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 45: CRISIS!
Maryanne frowns when she picks up her phone that is vibrating against her desk, echoing within the library. Geneva? Why would she be calling her right now?"Hello," she answers after bringing the phone to her ear.The maid sounds like a whimpering mess. Maryanne can hear through the phone that she has been crying by the wilt in her tone, "Oh Miss, I am so sorry. I don't know what to do. I called the police, they're on their way. I haven't told Mister Ryder yet. I don't know what to do."Tension tightens its grip around Maryanne's heart." Geneva, slow down. What are you talking about?"It takes a moment before Geneva is able to compose herself, "It's Riley, Miss. She's gone."Dread causes Maryanne's entire complexion to pale and her chest to fall into her stomach, "What do you mean, she's gone?""I can't find her anywhere. The back door is broken, the window shattered, and her room is a wreck. I just cleaned it before she took a nap, so it shouldn't have been so messy." Geneva stops
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 44: Happy Ending?
"Why won't you make what we have official?"Maryanne doesn't have enough time to process what Max has said before he ambushes her with the question. She channels everything in her power into not choking on her own saliva.Once she has composed herself, she says, "Because, Max, I'm not sure what this even is.""Maryanne, you have feelings for me, right?""Yes." Although she doesn't want to admit it, there is no way around it.Max shrugs, his brow wrinkling, "Then what's the problem?""It's not just as simple as going out with you." Maryanne's body is tightening with frustration. How can he not see it?"Why not?"Working hard not to release her irritation, Maryanne breathes in deeply. "Because we have history Max."He scoffs and waves his hand as though he is brushing off their previous interactions, "I don't care about the past."Maryanne wants to scream at him. She was crushed by what he had done. Although she now knows that Daniel sent her the pictures, she is still not cert
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 43: Awkward. . .
As the sun shines into the bedroom, slowly rousing Maryanne, she groans. Stretching, the blanket shifts against her bare skin and causes a cold shiver to wrap around her body. Releasing a short breath, tension explodes in her chest when the memories from the night prior wash over her. She holds down a gasp lodged in her throat as she turns her head and see's Max lying next to her. She tries to push herself to the edge of the bed, her mind racing with what to do. As she remembers each moment of their night together, a heat thickens in the pit of her abdomen, her body fighting against her mind.Checking once more to make sure he is asleep, Maryanne slips from under the covers, pushing away the cold biting at her neck, and grabs a t-shirt from her closet. Once on, she grabs a clean pair of underwear and some sweatpants. "Good morning." As Max's gravelly, half-asleep voice rumbles through the room and shakes Maryanne's chest, she freezes.Hiding her embarrassment, she tries to say conf
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 42: Night Of Passion
It was probably a very bad idea to drink at dinner. With only three glasses of wine in her system, Maryanne was very tipsy. Her vision is blurred around the edges, while her head is light. Although their ride home is for the most part smooth, Maryanne finds herself shifting back and forth, unable to keep herself steady. Max eyes her, concerned, and places his arm around her shoulder in order to hold her upright."Are you drunk," his voice is deep and intense as his hot breath hits her ear. Maryanne holds back the soft moan that fights its way up into her throat. This is not good. Her willpower to hold back is starting to weaken. She places a hand on Max's knee in order to help steady herself, but it only causes Max to jump with the sudden movement."Maryanne," he says cautiously.She is unable to create a coherent sentence so she just hums, "hm?""Are you alright?"Maryanne nods, her head lolling back. She can see the lights of the house down the street. She closes her eyes and
