Cecilia's POV
I stared at the sparkling ring on the table like it was a ticking time bomb.
Samuel Hartford—the CEO, the father of my child, the man who kissed me breathless two nights ago—just walked into my office, pulled out a velvet box, dropped it in front of me, and said, "Before you say anything, no, this isn't a proposal. Not yet."
"Then why does it look exactly like one?" I asked, raising a brow, arms crossed, already fighting the heat blooming in my chest. I hated how giddy I felt just seeing him. I needed therapy. Or a taser.
"It's a pre-proposal," he replied with that stupid, charming grin that made my knees feel like overcooked spaghetti. "An 'I'm serious about you and I don't want you to run away again' ring."
"Samuel…" I sighed, shaking my head. "You can't fix things with jewelry."
"Then I'll add flowers, chocolate, and a heartfelt letter."
I laughed, despite myself. He looked too good in that gray tailored suit, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tie loose like he was trying but not trying too hard. His hair was a mess of rich brown waves like he'd run his fingers through it a dozen times—probably rehearsing this whole thing in the mirror.
"I'm not running away," I said. "I just need to think. Everything is moving so fast."
He nodded, suddenly serious. "I know. I get it. But Cecilia, I've wasted too much time already. I don't want to play games anymore. I love you."
My heart skipped. Of course, it did.
"I love Leo," I said instead.
His face softened. "So do I."
And just like that, the tension shifted. There it was—our little boy—the reason we were even still standing in the same room, tangled in the chaos of past mistakes and present feelings.
He reached out and brushed a curl behind my ear. "I'm not perfect. But I'm trying. For you. For Leo. For us."
I bit my lip and stared at the ring. "This better not be a diamond the size of a car engine."
"It's a modest two carats. I didn't want to come off desperate."
"You showed up at my office during business hours."
"With coffee and banana muffins. That's romantic, not desperate."
"Romantically desperate," I corrected, but I was smiling.
---
Samuel's POV
It took everything in me not to drop to one knee the moment I saw her. Cecilia in that powder blue dress, her hair in those soft curls, looking like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine—my God. She still took my breath away.
I watched her stare at the ring box with suspicion and curiosity, like it might bite.
She was always so independent, so self-assured. One of the many things I loved—and occasionally feared—about her. The moment she walked back into my life with Leo, something shifted in me. I wasn't just a CEO anymore. I was a father. And somewhere along the line, I'd realized I still wanted to be her man.
"You're thinking too much," I teased.
"I have to. One of us has to be the adult."
"Ouch."
She smirked. "You know what I mean."
I did. I really did.
"You could've texted me, you know," she said, gently closing the box. "This is... dramatic."
"I wanted to see your face."
"You're lucky I didn't throw my stapler at it."
"I would've caught it with grace," I said, striking a ridiculous pose. "I've been taking ninja classes for this very moment."
"Are you serious?"
"No, but you smiled. So I'm counting it as a win."
She rolled her eyes, but the tension between us had eased. It wasn't always like this—flirty and funny. We had sharp edges, wounds that hadn't healed, but right now, it felt like maybe we were stitching something back together.
---
Cecilia's POV
I let him walk me to the elevator after work, his hand hovering near the small of my back like he wasn't sure if touching me would get him smacked. It probably would've.
As we waited, we heard laughter from around the corner.
"I heard she used to date him," one voice whispered. "No wonder she's climbing the ladder so fast."
"Oh, definitely," another voice chimed in. "Sleeping with the CEO? That's practically the fast track."
I froze. So did Samuel.
"You don't think he'll actually marry her, do you?"
"I mean, she does have a kid. Maybe she trapped him."
I clenched my fists. Heat rushed to my cheeks—not from shame, but from anger. How dare they?
Before I could whirl around and let them have it, Samuel stepped out and said loudly, "Ladies, I believe you dropped your dignity back there by the water cooler."
Two young assistants paled, eyes wide like deer caught in headlights. "M-Mr. Hartford... we didn't mean—"
"Oh, I'm sure," he said smoothly. "Next time, try keeping your mouth shut when you don't know the full story. You're embarrassing yourselves."
They scrambled away, tripping over their own feet.
I turned to him, stunned. "You didn't have to do that."
"Oh, I wanted to," he said. "You're amazing, Cecilia. You're the mother of my child. The least I can do is shut down office gossip."
My throat tightened. "Thank you."
He pressed the elevator button again. "You know what they say—real CEOs don't let their queens get disrespected."
"Oh my God, stop. That's so corny."
"But effective."
"I think I liked you better when you were arrogant and silent."
"I can bring that version back, but he didn't win you over."
---
Samuel's POV
I watched her laugh—really laugh—and I knew I was falling harder than I ever had.
We reached the parking lot and I offered her a ride. She hesitated but nodded.
The car ride was... quiet. Not awkward, just thoughtful.
"Leo asked if we're a family now," she said suddenly.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. "What did you say?"
"I told him... maybe."
I looked at her, then back at the road. "Do you want to be?"
She didn't answer. Not right away.
"I want stability for him," she said. "But I also want it to be real."
"It is real," I said softly. "At least for me."
We pulled up in front of her apartment. She turned to me and smiled faintly. "Thanks for today."
I reached over, brushed her cheek with the back of my hand. "Anytime."
She started to get out, then paused.
"What?"
"You forgot something," I said.
"What?"
I leaned in, slowly, giving her time to pull away. She didn't.
Our lips brushed, and for a second, the world went still.
Then she broke the kiss with a soft gasp, pulling away like she'd been burned. "I shouldn't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm scared," she whispered.
"I'll protect you. I promise."
She grabbed her bag and stepped out. "Goodnight, Samuel."
Before I could say anything more, she shut the door and walked inside.
I rested my head against the steering wheel.