We all stared at Josh in stunned silence.
I tried to move, but his grip on my hand tightened—far stronger than I expected.
His mother's eyes slowly moved from Josh to me, then rested on my stomach where no bump existed yet.
His father paused with a glass of liquor halfway to his mouth.
For a long moment, no one said anything.
This… this was the bright plan Josh wanted me to trust.
The baby wasn't his. What was he doing?
And I certainly wasn't his girlfriend. We had kissed twice—brief kisses born from comfort not passion.
"I should go," I said quickly, forcing my hand free.
Rich people were the same everywhere. I was the stranger in the room once again—only this time Josh had dragged me into it.
"Oh no, sweetie, where are my manners?" his mother said suddenly.
She set her drink down and gently guided me to sit close to her.
Her smile was warm, disarming even, as she gathered my trembling hands into hers.
"You're a very beautiful girl," she said softly, brushing my hair behind my ear.
Then she turned toward Josh with a sharp frown.
"Mom," Josh said, almost pleading.
"I raised you better than this, Joshua. How could you?" She turned back to me again, her voice softening instantly. "This isn't your fault. Are your parents here?"
My throat tightened.
My parents didn't belong in rooms like this.
I shook my head.
Josh's father remained rigid beside us, though there was no anger in his expression. He leaned down and kissed the top of his wife's head before placing a firm hand on Josh's shoulder.
"Come with me," he said calmly.
Josh followed him without protest.
They disappeared toward a hallway, leaving me alone with his mother.
"Will he be okay?" I asked nervously. If his father was about to disown him, I needed to fix this lie before it went too far.
"Of course he'll be fine," she replied. "Are you okay? Are you certain you're pregnant? How far along are you?"
"Yes… I took a test."
She gave a short, nervous laugh.
"Merde… that test." She cursed.
Before I could react, she picked up her husband's abandoned glass of liquor and downed it in one smooth swallow.
Josh had told me he threw the test away, safely i might add.
In what way was disposing it in his house safe?
"I'm not very far along," I said quietly.
She studied me carefully. She was small and elegant, but there was an undeniable authority about her.
These families ruled entire industries. Power clung to them like perfume.
"He didn't use protection?" she muttered to herself. "You're both so young. What are we going to do with a baby?"
She closed her eyes briefly, as if praying.
My heart sank.
This kind of rejection hurt more than open rejection.
"I can leave, ma'am," I whispered shakily. "It's really all my fault."
Her eyes snapped open.
"You should never give a man a free pass for hurting you," she said firmly. "Especially not like this. My son made a mistake, not you. Don't you have dreams for your life?"
Her voice softened.
"I don't want you to leave. I'm simply ashamed it was my son who did this. To be honest, I always thought it would be that rebel cousin of his… Mason, but oh well the kid is engaged and my son is having a baby."
I nearly choked.
This was getting dangerous.
These families were too connected. If Mason put the pieces together, if Rixa found out—
Josh's mother didn't deserve to be caught in a lie like this.
"I—"
"Well," Josh's father interrupted gently as he returned, a faint smile on his face. "That settles it."
He looked directly at me.
"Lani, right?"
I nodded slowly.
"Welcome to the family."
My mind went blank.
What was happening?
"I'm sorry, Mom," Josh said, kissing his mother's cheek and somhow that softened her look.
Then he grabbed my hand and guided me outside before I could protest.
The night air hit my face.
"What's happening, Josh?" I demanded. "What are you doing?"
"I'm solving our problem."
"You can't take responsibility for this!" I said, stopping in front of him. "It's not your child."
"Yes, I can," he replied calmly. "If you let me. No one will ever know—unless you tell them. I'll love the baby like my own… just like I love you."
I stared at him.
"What are you even offering me?"
"Marry me."
The words came out so casually it took a moment for them to sink in.
His hands rested comfortably in his pockets as if he had just suggested dinner.
"I can't marry you," I said weakly. "I don't love you, Josh."
"You kissed me."
"That's because I… I feel safe around you."
"That's enough for me," he said simply. "I always want to protect you."
He wasn't hearing me at all.
"The baby belongs to Mason," I said louder.
Josh stepped closer.
And smiled, his smike didn't reach his eyes, this close proximity was to warn me to keep my voice low.
"Yes. And Mason is my brother. He won't want that baby—you know that. His mother would rip it from you if she could."
His voice hardened.
"But I don't care. I'll marry you. I'll raise that child as mine if it means I get to keep you."
His jaw clenched.
"I would do it a hundred times over if I had to. That's how much I want you."
The confession should have been romantic.
Instead it scared me.
I couldn't answer him.
So I walked past him and climbed into the black SUV waiting nearby.
A security guard quietly closed the door behind me.
"Lovers' quarrel," Josh's mother said lightly as she slid into the seat across from me.
I forced a small smile.
Josh climbed in beside me moments later.
His parents continued chatting and drinking as if nothing unusual had happened.
Josh tried to take my hand.
I pulled mine away.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"This doesn't make sense, Josh," I whispered back. "This is wrong."
"I know," he said quietly. "But it's the only solution."
"I had a plan."
"What? To get rid of the baby?"
"No," I said quickly. "I was going to give it up for adoption."
"That's worse than this."
"But it's my life."
He shook his head slowly.
"It isn't just your life anymore. My parents know. My father was furious—but he'll accept it as long as I treat you the way a man is supposed to."
"And how is that?"
"By marrying you."
He paused.
"It's what Mason should have done."
I glanced toward his parents, but they were too busy in their bubble to hear us.
"I haven't told my parents yet," I said quietly.
"You have tonight," Josh replied calmly.
"My parents want to meet yours tomorrow at noon."
My mouth fell open.
*****
The SUV rolled to a quiet stop in front of my parents' house.
Josh stepped out first, then helped me out of the car despite the security already holding the door open.
We stood on the small porch, both of us suddenly unsure what to say.
"I'll see you tomorrow… noon?" he asked gently.
His parents were still in the car. But i swear i could feel their eyes poke us through the dark window.
"Josh… I'm scared."
He cupped my cheeks again, the way he always did when he thought I might fall apart.
"You don't have to be, baby girl," he said softly. "I would never do anything that hurts you."
I wanted to believe him.
Part of me already did.
But belief didn't erase the fear clawing inside my chest.
He pressed a soft kiss to my temple before stepping back. A moment later he slipped into the SUV and the car pulled away, disappearing down the quiet street.
The front door swung open almost immediately.
Both of my parents stood there like hawks.
I pushed past them before they could ask anything and dropped on the couch.
"Who was that, Lani?" my mother asked, her voice bright with curiosity.
My father stood behind her, already studying the street through the window.
"My boyfriend," I said quietly.
They both gasped in delight.
"He's handsome," my mother said excitedly.
"And rich," my father added with a grin.
Their excitement twisted something deep inside me. They had worked their entire lives to give me opportunities they never had. Every sacrifice, every late night, every extra job had been for me.
And now I was about to shatter their perfect image of their daughter.
"I'm pregnant," I whispered.
Silence swallowed the room.
"And he's the father."
Their smiles vanished instantly.
My mother's hand flew to her mouth.
My father didn't move at all.
The joy in the room drained away so quickly it felt like the air had been sucked out of the house.
My mother slowly sat down across from me, her eyes searching my face like she was trying to figure out if this was some kind of prank, maybe a TikTok thing.
"How far along?" she finally asked.
"Two… maybe three weeks."
"And you're sure?"
I nodded.
My father finally spoke, his voice much quieter than usual.
"Does the boy know?"
"Yes."
"And?"
I swallowed.
"He asked me to marry him."
That made both of them look at each other again—this time not with excitement, but with confusion.
"Marriage?" my mother repeated slowly.
"His parents want to meet you tomorrow," I added weakly. "At noon."
The room fell silent again.
My father ran a hand down his face and began pacing the living room, the way he did whenever something serious happened.
My mother was still staring at me.
"You're telling us," she said carefully, "that tonight you met a wealthy boy's parents… they already know you're pregnant… and tomorrow they want to meet us to discuss marriage?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
My father stopped pacing and said.
"And this is what you want?"