Chapter 2

Having Nina was a complete accident.

Four years ago, I had just gone through a brutal breakup.

I went to a bar to drown my sorrows and ran into a man who was the definition of brooding, dangerous, and insanely attractive.

Every breath he took seemed to cater exactly to my specific type.

Fueled by liquid courage, I took him home.

To my surprise, we were perfectly, mind-blowingly compatible that night.

To this day, I could still feel the phantom sensation of his large, calloused hands gripping my waist, sending shivers down my spine.

At the time, I thought maybe, just maybe, this could turn into a real relationship.

But the next morning, he woke up to a phone call that made his expression turn incredibly grave.

"Understood. I’m on my way."

He got out of bed and dressed in a flash.

Then, he scribbled a string of numbers on a piece of paper. "I have an emergency cross-border acquisition I have to handle immediately. You can reach me at this number."

I didn't even know his name.

I figured we'd get in touch later, but a month later, I stared at a positive pregnancy test.

In sheer panic, I called the number.

It rang and rang. Nobody ever picked up.

I assumed I’d been ghosted.

He probably wasn't interested, made up a dramatic excuse to leave, and gave me a fake number to keep me from clinging to him.

Due to some health complications, abortion wasn't a safe option for me, so I chose to have the baby.

And I never regretted it.

Nina was the sweetest, smartest little girl, and these past years with her had been the best of my life.

The next morning, Lauren called me, nursing a massive hangover.

"My brother is such a brute! He practically threw me into the car and bruised my arm. I’m telling you, Sophia, men like him are dominant and have zero gentleness. Avoid them at all costs..."

Before she could finish, Logan’s deep, emotionless voice drifted through the line. "It seems you’ve already forgotten the lesson from last night."

Lauren instantly shut up. But then, she seemed to remember something, and her tone turned shameless.

"Hey, Logan, are you free this afternoon? Can you help my friend move?"

"No."

"Perfect!" Lauren completely ignored him and spoke directly to me. "I found us some free labor. He'll help us move this afternoon."

"No, really, Lauren, I can do it myself," I pleaded.

"Come on, we’re family! Plus, he’s just adjusting to the jet lag and has nothing better to do anyway."

I thought Lauren was joking.

But that afternoon, she actually showed up at my place.

And right behind her was a towering, breathtakingly handsome man.