Zoe's POV

"I'm sorry what?" I said asking him to repeat. I had clearly heard wrong or misunderstood him.

He clearly didn't just ask me to sell my baby.

"I'm willing to pay you whatever amount for my baby. As soon as the baby is born, you disappear." He said nonchalant.

I felt as the anger raise to my face. He had the nerves to repeat that. I can't believe I gave him the benefit of the doubt, that he could be an actual decent human being.

"What makes you think that I would ever sell my baby!" I whisper yelled.

Everyone in the cafe was already starting to stare. Some even had their phones out.

We weren't even talking that loud. I wonder why they were staring.

Whatever the reason, this wasn't a conversation I was about to have in front of everyone.

"Let's take this outside," I said in threatening tone.

I called Samuel over crocking my index finger for him to come over.

"Can you please stand behind the counter, I need to have a conversation with this nice gentle man." I said to Samuel. I faked a smile at the word 'nice'.

Samuel gave me a small smile, silently asking if I was okay.

I stepped out of the counter and led Alexandra out.

There was a bench right in front of the cafe.

I sat down on the bench.

Alex eyed the bench for a while as if he was deciding whether to sit or not.

"Just sit down," I said annoyed.

He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the bench. He then threw the handkerchief into the trash can, two meters away from us.

I couldn't believe him. Was he really so germophobic? Couldn't he just sit on it instead of throwing it away?

He finally sat down.

"Your wife must have been devastated," I said starting of the conversation.

He sighed. I sensed some hesitation on face.

"Zahra isn't my wife," he finally spoke.

My eyes widened as I looked at him confused.

"I hired her as my surrogate," he continued.

"That explains a lot," I whispered thinking out loud.

Alex didn't look like the kind of guy who settled.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Any woman who would be with you would either be completely stupid or damaged." I joked.

He didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes, I decided to change the subject.

"Why do you want a baby?" I asked.

He hesitated for a moment.

"I want a family. Besides, I haven't found the right person and I don't think I will," he answered.

I chuckled.

Guys like him usually avoided babies or any form of responsibility.

"Why? Do you plan on raising the child in a bar." I said sarcastically.

He shook his head dismissive.

"So how much do you want?" He asked he asked again.

His voice had suddenly gone serious.

All the anger I was trying to bury raised to the surface again.

I thought he had already got the hint that I wasn't selling my baby, nor did I plan on.

"I don't know if you understand this, but I'm not selling my baby." I said trying to remain calm.

Every nerve in my body ached to slap him for even asking that.

"Of course you want to," he said nonchalant crossing his leg over his knee.

"What makes you think I would ever do such a thing?" I asked.

He seemed pretty sure and determined that he was going to get what he wanted, so was I.

"Look, you should just take the money. I don't want to deal with you anymore than you may want to," he said calmly.

He was one entitled assface. He surely knew how to put a price on anything.

The people in the cafe were still staring through the glass wall.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" I asked turning behind me.

At this point it didn't bother me, but I didn't want to cause a scene in front of my customers.

"Don't worry about them, I'm used to it," he answered.

"What makes you so special?" I whispered under my breath, but he heard it.

"Have you ever on the Tyron airlines?" He asked out of the blue.

"Of course," I answered. How did that have anything to do with the question I just asked.

He probably thought I was just some poor girl beneath him, who couldn't afford a plane ticket. Why else would you ask someone that?

"I own it," he replied. "Named after my great grandfather."

At first, my eyes widened in shock as I struggled to comprehend it. Until I realised, he was clearly being sarcastic. There was no way only one person owned such a big airline.

So I started busting out laughing.

"You're funny," I said in between laughs.

He stared at me with both his eyebrows stuck together until I finally stopped, even then I couldn't fully catch my breath trying not to laugh.

"I'm not selling my baby to you," I said getting back to the topic.

It took me awhile before I could master a serious expression again.

"You need to understand that I won't allow you to keep my baby," he said.

He was still insisting on this as if I needed his permission to keep my baby.

"Why not? You have like a million others sperms. You are still young, you can get someone else pregnant. Why don't you just simply forget about this sperm?" I said point at my stomach.

"I'm thirty-five, besides, I don't want any unknown children knocking on my door eight-teen years later." He said.

"I thought you were forty-seven." I joked.

I definitely hadn't expected him to be thirty-five, I thought he was a lot younger.

I stood up from the bench. More customers had queued up inside the care, they needed my help.

This conversation wasn't going anyway. We were just taking circling around her matter.

Alex couldn't get it through his head that I'd never sell my child. I didn't plan on co-parenting if he didn't change or at least seem a little entitled. No doubt he had money, maybe not own a air line but my dad was a lawyer, and a good one. I'd fight for custody if I had too.

I suddenly felt lightheaded again as I had earlier. But this time it didn't go away as quickly.

"I have to go back to work, we can discuss this another time." I said. "I'm willing to have joint custody," I lied. I was willing to say anything to get away from this conversation. I've had enough to process in one day.

I'd run away with my baby if I had to, there was no way some spoiled possibly dad's boy was raising my baby.

"I don't think you understand me," he said getting up from the bench. "We're not sharing anything, I'll fight you in court if I have to." He threatened.

There was no reasoning with him. He wasn't even trying to compromise or make this situation any better. At least I had the decency to lie to him.

I turned around to walk away only to have him following behind me.

I thought suddenly occurred to me. I span around to face him.

"How did you find me anyways?" I asked.

I know his car couldn't have been simply following behind mine so did he find me so easily, how did he know I'd be here?

"It's best you never find out," he answered.

My head became worse as I felt I couldn't stand anymore. I rubbed my forehead trying to gather up strength. Everything around me blurred out, I felt I was about to collapse.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked.

Before I could answer, I blacked out falling into his strong arms.

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All I could see was darkness as I listened to a faint beeping sound.

What happened and why couldn't I move?

I opened my eyes slowly, a bright light flashing in my eyes.

I squint my eyes turning my head away.

I heard the sound of a shift beside me.

"Zoe," someone called out my name repeatedly.

I blinked.

I wasn't in my room. I was in a hospital room.

"You awake," the voice said again.

I turned my head slowly to see Alex staring at me.

"What am I doing here?" I asked.

I felt drowsy.

"You fainted, you've been out for about two hours." He said. "I'll call the doctor," he announced.

He left the room in a hurry. He seemed friendlier than he had been earlier.

Minutes later, he came back with the doctor walking alongside him.

The doctor did a few tests on me and asked a couple of questions.

"You need to rest ma'am, especially in your condition. You need to avoid stress. It's the reason you fainted," the doctor said.

"Is my baby alright?" I asked.

"Yes, you are about two weeks pregnant but you need to rest." he stated.

He nodded at Alex before walking out of the room.

"For the sake of my baby, you need to rest. I don't want you to be stressed." He said sincerely, emphasizing the words 'my baby'.

I agree, I didn't want anything happening to my baby because of Alex being stupid.

"Yhat's why I need you to quit your job,$ he said bluntly.

"What?" I said suddenly gathering up the energy.

I was now fully conscious.

"I can't just quit, I own cafe." I said.

"Even better," he answered relieved. "You need to sell it, it's too stressful for someone in your condition." he continued.

Who did he think he was? He can't just order me around and control me as if I'm his puppet.

He spoke of me as if I had some kind of illness.

"If there's anything stressing me out, it's you." I said.

"We are not having this discussion again, you selling your cafe." he insisted. "I'm just giving you the choice, it's going to happen whether you like it or not." he threatened.

"Make me," I dared him.

He smirked at me.

A part of me felt he had already won, the other was waiting to see what will happen next.

"You need to rest, I'll leave you now." he said he patted my leg before walking out of the room.

I couldn't deal with him. I needed a plan, even if I was going to run away to some foreign country so he wouldn't find me. I was going to do it.

There was no way I'd ever consider co-parenting with him, it would never work out.

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