New Beginnings (The Billionaire’s Baby #4)(33)
Author: Helen Cooper

“Then where are they?” she cried out.

“I don’t know.” He grabbed her shoulders. “You have to believe me. I wouldn’t hurt anyone. It wasn’t even me, Sophie. It was Frank.”

“Frank Phillips?” She looked at him in shock. “The senator?”

“You know him?” He looked surprised.

“You could say that. He’s Jacob’s real dad.”

“What?” Nick jumped up. “Oh my god.” He slapped his hand to his forehead. “It all makes sense now.”

“What?”

“I’ve been Max’s shrink for a while, since his downward spiral a few years ago.”

“His downward spiral?”

“I can’t tell you more.” He sighed. “But Max is a good man, he loves you, Sophie. You mean the world to him.”

“Tell me more about what happened.” Her voice was cold. She didn’t want to hear more about Max; she couldn’t afford to break down again.

“Alexis got him into drugs, the sex club, you name it, they did it. He was out of control and he was angry. I’ve been helping him learn how to control his anger.”

“What a lucky man Max was,” she said sarcastically.

“I’ve done a good job, Sophie.”

“Whatever.”

“About a year and a half ago, I met a girl. She invited me to a club, we had a crazy night and the next thing I know, I’m being blackmailed with explicit photos and videos and a copy of the girl’s birth certificate.”

“Okay and?”

“She was underage.”

“Oh.”

“So then Senator Phillips presented me with an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“To spy on Max.”

“To tell him things of interest that Max told me. And when Max told me about the baby I told the senator.”

“And now he’s worried that word will get out that it’s his?” Sophie sighed and looked at innocent Jacob sleeping.

“I guess so.”

“What sort of man is this Frank? He’s evil.” She clutched her stomach. “And what sort of mother is Alexis? How could she just give her child up like that?”

“I don’t know.” Nick reached out to her.

“Don’t touch me,” she screamed and sat up. “Let’s get this straight, Nick, I barely know you. I thought we may have been friends but after everything you have told me today. I despise you. You are a weak, evil man. I don’t know what you have done to my fiancé or my best friend but if I find out anything bad has happened to either of them, I will find you and I will cut your dick off.” She jumped up and grabbed Jacob’s stroller. “I never want to see you again.” She walked away quickly, adrenaline giving her the strength to walk without her knees buckling beneath her.

Max stood behind the bush and watched her walk away, head held high. He had never been prouder of Sophie than at that moment. He knew that he should have skipped town, that he should have left the state if he really wanted his plan to work but he knew as soon as he paid the courier to deliver the letter that there was no way he could be far away from his love. He had to make sure she was okay; he had to make sure that Jacob was okay, and his precious daughter Winter. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to them. He had been deeply hurt when he had followed Sophie to the park to her meeting with a man. When he had realized that Nick was Dr. Spencer, he had wanted to jump out of the bushes and beat him up. He wasn’t sure what stopped him. Maybe his love for Sophie was controlling his urges; he knew that wasn’t the time to reveal himself.

As soon as he saw Sophie fade from sight, he walked to the bench where Nick was sitting. “Dr. Spencer.” His voice was rough and angry and Nick jumped back when he saw him.

“Max.” He looked scared.

“I’m not going to kill you, Dr. Spencer or should I call you Nicholas?”

“Look Max, I don’t know what you think—”

“Listen to me, Nick. I don’t care what you have to say.” He leaned towards him. “I care about Sophie and our life together.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt Ella,” Nick squeaked out.

“Ella?” Max frowned. “You’re the date?”

Nick’s eyes bulged out. “She didn’t tell you?”

Max shook his head. “I see that Frank really has it in for me, doesn’t he?”

Nick nodded without saying a word.

“When we met at Harvard, he was a nobody. Did you know that?” Max frowned. “I introduced him to his wife. I was nothing but a friend to him but he hated me.”

“Why?”

“Because he thought I had it easy.” Max laughed harshly. “He thought I had the perfect life, money, looks, a good family. But he didn’t know that the one thing I really wanted I couldn’t have.”

“Sophie?”

“I’ve always loved her, Nick. It’s hard to for people to understand that sometimes you just know when someone is meant to be with you. She has had my heart from the first smile she gave me.”

“She’s special.” Nick sighed.

“She’s an angel on earth.” Max sighed. “And I will not allow anything bad to happen to her.”

“Do you think Frank will go after her?” Nick frowned.

“You tell me, Nick.” Max grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards him. “You know when I knew you were a snake?”

Nick shook his head scared.

“When you started asking me those weird questions in the last meeting we had. That’s why I left so quickly. I knew you were a leak.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t know you were the Nicholas though, not until I saw you today.” Max shook his head. “I’ve got to hand it to Frank, he’s good. But he’s not better than me.”

“What shall we do?” Nick’s voice was scared.

“What’s Franks plan?”

“I don’t know. He just wanted more information about Sophie. He wants to hurt you through her.”

“Well, then we let him think that,” Max whispered into Nick’s ear. “I want you to call or text Frank and tell him that Sophie and I are done and that I’m heartbroken. Let him think you’ve taken over the relationship.”

“He won’t believe that.” Nick shook his head.

“I’ll send more letters, have his people intercept and read them.” Max grunted. “He’ll believe them. Trust me.”