I stared at the glossy magazine like it had teeth. It may as well have bitten me.
Ethan Wolfe.
The man I spent a night tangled in sheets with. The man I hadn't heard from since. The man whose twins were now quietly growing inside me.
Billionaire. CEO. Tech god.
I clutched the sonogram photo on the table like a lifeline.
"You good?" Ava asked, sipping her iced latte with a raised brow.
I wasn't. Not even close.
"I... I think that's him," I whispered. "That's the guy. From that night."
Ava's drink paused midair. "Wait. Are you serious? The same Ethan?"
I nodded slowly. "Same eyes. Same smile. Same voice, I'm sure of it. That's him."
"Holy sh*t."
I couldn't speak. My fingers trembled as I flipped through the article, skimming over paragraphs about his rise in Silicon Valley, his empire, his millions, his mysterious private life.
It hit me all at once: Ethan wasn't just some attractive stranger. He was Ethan Wolfe. The Ethan Wolfe.
And I was carrying his children.
I stood abruptly, dizzy from it all.
"What are you going to do?" Ava asked, her voice careful.
I didn't know.
Should I tell him? Should I keep it to myself?
Would he even believe me?
I didn't have answers. Just two pink lines and a picture of two tiny beans that had already rearranged my entire future.
And now, Ethan Wolfe was no longer a mystery man from a bar. He was a man with power. Influence. A man who could take one look at me and decide I wasn't good enough to raise his children.
My stomach turned.
No. I had to think. Not panic.
I wasn't just responsible for myself anymore.
I looked up at Ava. "Promise me you won't say anything."
"Of course."
I nodded, but fear coiled in my chest. Because no matter how silent I stayed… secrets never stayed buried forever.
---
I spent the rest of the day in a daze.
The magazine lay on my kitchen table like a landmine. I couldn't stop glancing at it. Every time I did, Ethan's smirk stared back, confident, composed, untouchable.
I wrapped a blanket around myself and curled into the corner of the couch, trying to breathe through the weight in my chest.
When we met, he hadn't acted like a CEO. No arrogance, no flashing wealth, no entourage. Just a man. A kind, witty, ridiculously attractive man who made me feel like I mattered for one night.
He'd made me laugh. He'd kissed me like I was something delicate and precious.
And then he vanished.
I didn't resent him for that. I had left too. It was mutual. No strings.
But there were strings now. Two of them.
I looked at the sonogram again, my heart aching and soft at once. My little beans. My secrets.
How would he react if he knew?
Would he accuse me of trapping him?
Would he demand a test? Or worse, custody?
I swallowed the rising panic.
No. I couldn't think about that. Not yet.
For now, the only thing I could do was plan.
---
A week later
I started a new client project , a custom bridal gown. It was my first big gig in months, and it came just in time. I needed the distraction, the income, and something to ground me.
Every morning I fought the nausea and forced myself to sketch. Every afternoon I sewed and worked through fabric samples with shaking hands. I kept my head down, ignored my phone, and focused on staying invisible.
But that didn't last long.
Because Ethan Wolfe was everywhere.
He was on every magazine cover, featured in headlines, and somehow even popped up on a podcast ad between two playlists.
I couldn't escape him.
And I wasn't even sure I wanted to.
Ava came over one night with takeout and a burning curiosity.
"So," she said, handing me a box of lo mein. "Are you seriously never going to tell him?"
I hesitated. "I don't even know *how* to reach him. It's not like he gave me a business card."
"You're carrying his twins, Talia. You *need* to tell him eventually."
I pushed noodles around with my fork, appetite gone. "What if I'm just another night to him?"
"Then let him prove it."
I sighed. "It's not that simple."
But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't just fear holding me back.
It was the look in his eyes that night , like he saw me. The warmth in his voice. The quiet way he had tucked my hair behind my ear before pulling me into another kiss.
And I hated that I wanted more than just responsibility from him.
I wanted... more.
---
Elsewhere, across the city…
Ethan stared at his screen, distracted as his assistant droned through updates.
He had been off his game for two weeks now. Ever since that night.
Her.
He couldn't get her out of his head.
The girl with the soft skin and wild laugh. The way her lips tasted like wine and sugar. The way she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered "Don't fall in love with me."
But he couldn't even fall asleep without seeing her face.
And she never replied to his message.
One word. "Hey." That was all he sent. Because for the first time in years, he didn't know what else to say.
And she left him on read.
Now, he was obsessing. Not like him at all. He didn't chase women. He didn't wonder. But with her, he hadn't even gotten her last name.
And it was driving him insane.
"Ethan?" his assistant asked, clearly noticing.
He snapped out of it. "Yeah. Sorry. What were you saying?"
She gave him a look. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. Lied. "Fine."
But he wasn't.
And something in his gut told him he wouldn't be until he found her.
---
One week later
The nausea hit hard that morning. I barely made it to the bathroom before emptying my stomach for the second time that day. My skin felt clammy, and my head throbbed, but I still forced myself to get dressed.
Today was too important to miss.
It was my final fitting with the bridal client , and her mother, who was more terrifying than caffeine withdrawals.
I slipped into jeans, tied my hair up, and dabbed concealer under my tired eyes. The bump hadn't started showing yet, just a soft swell that only I could notice.
By the time I got to the studio, the bride and her entourage had already arrived. The fitting went smoothly, surprisingly so and by the time I'd packed up my tools, I felt like I could finally breathe.
Then I opened my phone.
And almost dropped it.
There was a DM. From a verified account.
@EthanWolfeOfficial
"I still don't know your name. But I haven't forgotten your face."
My heart stopped.
I read the message five times. My hands shook. I stared at the profile, the blue checkmark, the sleek profile picture, the thousands of followers.
It was him.
Ethan.
My Ethan. The CEO. The one-night stand. The man whose children I was carrying.
I didn't know whether to reply or throw my phone across the room.
Why now?
Why this message?
I sat down slowly, my chest tight.
Was this fate giving me a window to tell him the truth… or a trap waiting to unravel everything?
---
Ethan – That same night
He stared at his phone, jaw clenched.
No reply.
He tossed it on the couch and stood, pacing. The view of the city lights did nothing to calm him.
He had everything , money, power, a name that echoed in boardrooms. But right now, he felt powerless.
All because of a woman he met once.
It wasn't just the sex. It was her. She was unlike anyone else , real, funny, confident, then heartbreakingly quiet when she thought he wasn't watching.
He remembered how she had curled against him after, like it was natural. No expectations. No drama. Just warmth.
And then she left.
He didn't even know her last name. She hadn't told him, and he hadn't pressed , a decision that now haunted him.
His assistant knocked.
"Sir, your press conference is in twenty minutes."
"Reschedule it."
"But..."
"Reschedule it," he repeated sharply.
He didn't care about appearances. Not today. Not until he found her.
He sat back down, opening his DMs again.
Still nothing.
But he wasn't giving up.
Not this time.
.....
I didn't sleep that night.
The message sat in my inbox like a ticking bomb.
Every time I opened it, my throat tightened.
What do I even say?
Hi, I'm Talia, the girl you slept with who's now carrying your twins , surprise!
God.
I couldn't tell him. Not like this.
But if I didn't… what then?
My finger hovered over the reply button.
And then I typed, heart in my throat.
Me: I didn't think you'd remember.
He responded within seconds.
Ethan: I haven't stopped thinking about you. I'd like to see you again. Dinner?
I stared at the screen, pulse racing.
Dinner.
Just like that, the door opened.
And I had a choice to make.
---
Dinner.
I didn't know why I typed "yes." Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was the babies kicking just hard enough to remind me that I couldn't keep running.
Or maybe it was him , the part of me that hadn't stopped dreaming about that night.
I kept it simple.
Me: Sure. Just dinner.
Ethan: I'll send a car. Tomorrow at 7?
I said yes before I could talk myself out of it.
And for the rest of the day, I tried not to fall apart.
---
*The next evening*
The black car that pulled up in front of my apartment looked like it belonged in a movie. The driver knew my name before I even opened the door.
"Miss Talia?"
My stomach churned. I hadn't heard my name out loud since confirming the pregnancy.
The restaurant was a rooftop venue bathed in candlelight and live jazz. Intimate. Elegant. Way out of my league.
I walked in slowly, heart pounding in my chest.
And then I saw him.
Ethan.
Black suit. No tie. Sharp jaw. Eyes that lit up the second he saw me.
He stood when I approached. "Hi."
"Hi," I breathed.
We sat. For a while, there was only silence, the kind that stretches but doesn't suffocate.
He leaned in. "I didn't think you'd come."
"I wasn't sure I would," I admitted.
"I'm glad you did."
The waiter came and went. Our food arrived. Neither of us touched it.
Finally, Ethan looked at me , really looked , and said softly, "Why did you leave that morning?"
I blinked. "I didn't think we owed each other anything."
"I did."
That silenced me.
Then, carefully, he added, "I've been looking for you, you know. Not just scrolling through faces. I actually hired someone. A PI."
My blood froze.
"You... what?"
His expression stayed gentle. "Don't be scared. I just needed to know if I imagined what I felt that night. I couldn't find you. And now here you are, and.."
I couldn't let him keep talking.
I stood suddenly, napkin falling to the floor.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I can't do this."
"Talia..."
But I was already walking away, hands shaking, tears building in the corners of my eyes.
Because I wasn't ready for this kind of honesty. Not yet.
And definitely not before I told him what I was hiding.
Two heartbeats. One secret.
And zero idea how to say the words:
I'm pregnant, Ethan. With your twins.