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Chapter 18: Tensions Arise
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 19: Passion Released
"Max, this is ridiculous. You can't keep giving me the silent treatment."Maryanne is now standing within the confines of Max's bedroom. She had barged in a minute prior, not giving him much of a say in the matter. He now towers over her, his t-shirt in hand, half dressed.She forces herself to stop glancing down at his incredible form and to focus on the argument at hand.Max does not bother covering himself in another shirt. Instead, he tosses his old one onto his bed before placing his hands on his hips. "What are you talking about? You're the one usually running away from me every time I enter the room.""Well do you blame me? After everything, how am I supposed to act normal after I am put down for making an honest living." Maryanne crosses her arms and pops her hip to the side as she shifts her weight to her right leg.Max's expression is washed with confusion, "Maryanne, why would you think that I was putting you down? Because I told you to let me pay for everything?""All
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 20: Admit It All
Maryanne stands at her door, the memories of the day prior running rampant through her mind. Her heart twists and she has to breathe in deeply to calm herself. She closes her eyes momentarily to organize herself before exiting her bedroom. She almost immediately runs right into Max who is walking down the hall past her doorway. They both pause, locking eyes. Maryanne gulps, heart pressing down on her as the memories continue to bombard her. "Hi," she murmurs, quickly shifting around Max and trying to glide down the rest of the corridor. He spins around and grabs her wrist, halting her movements. "Wait, where are you going so fast?" When Maryanne jumps, her gaze whipping back toward him, he slowly releases his hold. Maryanne forces herself to speak, her throat dry. "I have to get ready for work." "Can we just talk?" Pressing her lips together in order not to stutter, Maryanne avoids eye contact. "About what?"
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 21: The Realization
Chapter 21Ever since their conversation, Max has kept an unusual distance between himself and Maryanne. It is different than when they weren't talking to one another; now every time they're in the same room together, Max avoids her. He will move to the other side of the room and avert his gaze. He refuses to look at her and when he does talk to her, his voice is carefully business like.Riley is playing in the theatre room as the movie Frozen plays. Maryanne sits nearby, her legs pulled up onto the chair as she watches the little girl. Max is late tonight, more than likely driving back from the city. Memories of Max in his penthouse, with different women hanging all over him rush through her mind, causing nausea to build in her stomach. What if he is at the penthouse? He promised that he would come home every night, but he could always come up with an excuse.Maryanne's heart drops as she thinks about him being with another woman. Why does it matter? They aren't dating like they w
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 22: A Complication
Standing in front of the door leading to Max's office, Maryanne pauses to try and calm her racing heart. The butterflies that appeared the day before are still within her stomach, fluttering around. Swallowing her budding emotions, she knocks on the door. When she hears a rough grunt from within, she eases her way in."Max?""Yeah," he responds, his eyes glued to the paperwork in front of him. He tilts his head toward her, listening."I'm sorry that it's such short notice. With everything going on, I completely forgot. The girls from work are planning to come over today for our normal weekly book club meeting. We have put it all off for the last few weeks because of the move and Riley." She rushes through her explanation, unsure of how it will play out.Max remains quite for a moment, his eyes not leaving his desk. He slowly nods, "Oh, okay that sounds fun."He doesn't say anything else and Maryanne feels an awkward tension rising in the air."I wanted to ask a big favor." She slo
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 23: Awkward
Maryanne tries to hold back a grumbling sigh as she now sits around the meeting table with her friends and Max. He is sitting straight up with his hands in his lap. Surprising to Maryanne, he is acting very open to the prospect of sitting through an hour long discussion of a classic novel."Alright, so where did you ladies want to begin," Maryanne questions, setting her copy down in front of her. She continuously shifts it around, nervous as Max's gaze is now on her."Max, have you ever read the book?" Jessica glances at him momentarily, scrutinizing his visage."Of course he hasn't. He—"Max cuts Maryanne off abruptly, "Actually, I have. I find Lizzie's prejudice against Darcy interesting. She treats him harshly because of his wealth and seemingly obvious pride, but she does not realize that he is not as spoiled and rude as he may first appear. It's a lesson we can all use in our lives," he said with a pointed glance towards Maryanne."Maryanne is unable to utter a word. Is this
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 24: Left Alone
Maryanne tries to force her shoulders to relax. Jessica saved the day by asking for a tour of the mansion. This way they are all split up and intrusive questions can be forgotten.She is lagging behind Jessica and Veronica who are arm-in-arm swaying along together. They both continue to look up at the walls and ceilings with awe.Maryanne can understand their reaction. It is the same as hers when she first arrived. This house is much more than any of them could have ever imagined themselves living in. The front door is surrounded by columns, and the staircases themselves are grand, swooping around in the air with golden inlaid bannisters. The steps are made out of marble similar to the main floor, but at the top of each landing are large red carpets contrasting the golden hue of the railings.Walls are covered with beautiful, serene wallpaper of flowers and it causes a sense of home to fall over Maryanne."It feels very homey, even if it is a mansion," Jessica states, bringing to l
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 25: Confrontation
Maryanne holds at bay her anxiety as she says goodbye to her friends. Max stands across the foyer and yet she can feel his stare burning a hole in the back of her head. Jessica is all but dragging Shelley from the house as their coworker continues to argue. Veronica leaves them behind and walks to her car, waving goodbye to them before driving away quickly. Shelley finally throws Jessica off and walks to her SUV on her own. She throws open the door and gets in, slamming herself in with a tantrum.Jessica sighs and waves at Maryanne once more before also leaving.All too eager and yet reluctant to slam the door, Maryanne waits, staring at the now closed door, emotions building up into her throat. The silence in the house is almost deafening, ringing in her ears. Maryanne wonders if she can just quietly walk up to her room without being confronted. She knows it is a slim chance, since Max is just standing there and staring at her. She can hope though. She refuses to even look at him
Her Billionaire and Her Baby Chapter 26: Shelley, Down!
The next day Maryanne enters work with dread filling her chest. She does not want to face Shelley or really any questions about what had happened. She is emotionally exhausted after her talk with Max and the pressure of the woman's constant nagging only causes the stress to weigh down on her shoulders. Max has refused to talk to her since then, but every time that she caught him looking at her, he would smirk. It causes irritation to be her constant companion. He is toying with her; he has to be.Why does he decide to be nice only some of the time? He buys her a car, and yet ignores her. He is too complicated for Maryanne to figure out.It technically is her fault for using him in the first place, but his reaction is unnecessary. Maryanne was only trying to protect him from Shelley, right? What other reason would she have?She reaches her desk and sighs, placing her rugged purse next to her chair and taking off her jacket. The winter cold still bites at her bones and she finds herself
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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
