"We can't go any lower than this Cuba. You need to decide whether or not we're doing this based on what we've just given you," he told me.

I looked to Nate and we seemed to be thinking the same thing. "What do you think Nate?"

"I think the project has some merit to it, but if we're doing this with this budget, then you and your team had better make sure that you knock it out the park," he told them what I was thinking.

"We won't let you down," Cheryl, Ian's right hand woman, said excitedly.

"If that's all, I'd like to get back to my office. I have a couple of things to attend to," I said, standing to leave.

"Things like London Simmons?" Ian questioned.

I raised an eyebrow. "Firstly, she's not a thing. She's my girlfriend. Secondly, don't talk about her like that."

"Your girlfriend huh? According to your grandfather's will, she's surely worth a hell of a lot more," he said arrogantly.

"I'm not doing this with you Ian," I told him as I headed to my office.

He followed after me. "Does the poor woman even know that she's being used just so that you can get your inheritance?"

"Cool it Ian. This is none of your business," Nate said on my behalf.

I was getting too pissed off to speak.

"I'm just saying. I'd want to know if I was being used like that. Your PR team may have been able to kill the story quickly, but a whole lot of us are already curious to know more about the lovely London Simmons," Ian said before walking away.

"He gets on my every nerve," I grumbled as I walked into my office.

"Whatever it is, you can't kill him for it," Ingrid commented. She was already sitting there waiting for me.

"Believe me, I know and it sucks that I'm actually following orders," I mumbled.

"And I'm happy that you are. However, he's onto something. I overheard that last bit he said, and he's not wrong. People are curious about London, especially since the two of you went out to lunch, even though they don't exactly know that she's London," she informed.

I sighed, sitting in my chair while Nate sat next to her. "What exactly are you here to talk to me about Ingrid?"

"I'm honestly just here to ask what you intend to do about the London situation," she replied.

"Firstly, we're going to stop referring to my girlfriend and mother of my child as a situation," I commented.

She blushed. "Sorry."

"Secondly, like I told the board members, what is going on between London and I, and my grandfather's will, really have nothing to do with anyone. So the will was leaked; that doesn't automatically grant the whole world access into the next moves I make in my life. Nothing changes honestly. I'm not going to be giving any kind of statement to any press, but I'm not hiding London either, especially now that she's pregnant. The last thing I need is her pregnancy becoming an even bigger deal just because I hid her," I explained.

"Ok, fair enough. Does her family know?" Ingrid asked.

"She told her mom before we left. She didn't take the news well, which is why London's here with me now. I think she wanted to just get away for a while. What we don't know is if her father and brother have found out yet or not," I responded.

"And how long do you expect to keep her out of the loop about the will? In fact, what makes you so confident that she won't find out about it now that it's out there? People like Sophia exist in your life Cuba. You need to tell her before someone else blindsides her with this," Nate pointed out.

I sighed once more. "I know ok? I just don't know how to approach the situation without it looking like I'm using her in any way."

"You refused the money. I highly doubt that means you're using her for anything," he argued.

"I just, I need time to think this through before I make any rash decisions or end up saying the wrong thing,"I replied.

"Alright. We'll help wherever we can," Ingrid said.

"Thanks! I'm looking forward to heading home, but I still have such a busy day," I complained.

"The rough life you live," Nate teased.

"Is Lana still with the girls?" Ingrid asked.

"I would assume so. I just hope they're keeping to London's new diet," I said.

"Yeah, that's not happening. If they were with anyone but Lana, then sure, maybe," Nate joked, making Ingrid laugh in agreement.

"Don't worry so much Cuba. I highly doubt that London would purposefully put your child in danger. It's ok for a pregnant woman to stay off track with her diet every now and then, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't care about her and the baby's health. Trust her on this and don't make her feel bad," Ingrid advised.

"Also, stop being her father. Act more like her boyfriend or else she will end up killing you, and I wouldn't put it past her with the way you're going on," Nate added.

"I know, I know. We went to the doctor yesterday and we heard Nemo's heartbeat for the first time," I informed proudly.

"What? Are you serious?" Nate asked. I nodded before taking my phone out to play them the short clip.

"That's amazing. It must've been a special moment for you guys," Ingrid commented.

I smiled. "One of our most special yet."

"It makes me so happy to see you like this Cuba. I really do hope that everything works out for you and London. You deserve to be happy," Ingrid said, tears in her eyes.

"Thanks a lot Ingrid. That means so much to me," I admitted.

She smiled, wiping away her tears as she stood up. "Well then, I have a meeting across town in the next hour, so I'd better leave now to beat the traffic. Greet London for me, and tell Fifi that I'm looking forward to meeting her."

"I promise,"I replied, smiling.

"So, have you thought about your living situation?" Nate asked me once she was gone.

I shook my head. "It came up yesterday, but we didn't explore the topic. She figures we have seven months to figure it out before Nemo comes."

"And? What do you think?" he asked.

"I think that I really don't know. There are so many factors to consider about this whole thing, but right now, more than anything, the most important thing is her relationship with her family. It's tearing me apart knowing that she's afraid to talk to her brother and father, and that I'm the reason her mother's not talking to her," I responded.

"She was involved in making Nemo too you know?" he pointed out.

"I know that, but everyone in my life is pretty much stoked about Nemo being on the way, while the same can't be said for her. She has the support of everyone but the people she really wants it from," I argued.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I know the look on your face Cuba. What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking of getting in touch with her mom myself. I mean, I know she'll kill me if I contact her dad or her brother, but I feel like I can atleast explain the situation to her mom. If we can get her mom on our side, it should be easier to confront her dad and brother; right?" I asked.

"I'm going to go with yes and no. It's great that you want to fix things between her and her mom, but before you do that, you need to somehow test the waters and see if she'd be comfortable with you doing something like that. I think it might work, but it's also an idea with the potential of backfiring severely," he suggested.

"I'll talk to her tonight and see if I can draw anything out from her," I decided.

He stood up, buttoning his blazer. "Alright man. I have a meeting with R-"

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," Heather interrupted him.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"She says her name is Connie Wayne," she informed.

I beamed. "Let her in."

She nodded before leaving, and I was faced by my best friend's questioning look. "She's London's best friend and the person who truly pushed me into heading there."

He was about to say something but Connie walked in. She looked beautiful in the navy pencil skirt suit and matching stiletto heels that she wore with a white blouse. Her hair was in a tight ponytail and her make-up was flawless. It was my first time seeing her looking so professional.

I didn't miss the awed look on my best friend's face at seeing her.

"Hey you," I greeted, going over to hug her.

She hugged me back, laughing. "Hey. I hope you don't mind that I came. After your last email, I felt the need to."

"It's completely fine. Let me introduce you to my best friend and vice. This is Nate Kane. Nate, this is Connie Wayne. She's London's best friend and our newest silent investor," I introduced.

"What?" Nate asked, surprised.

"I thought I should spread my wings a little and invest my money in something that has potential. Cuba here has sold me onto your company, and I want in," she explained.

"Wow. I didn't know about any of this so you have me at a disadvantage," he admitted.

She laughed. "That's completely fine. He mentioned that he was keeping this as a secret, even from you. It's lovely to finally meet you though. He's only had good things to say about you."

"I would hope so since I'm the one person keeping him in check. It's lovely to meet you too," he said, smiling as he shook her hand.

I didn't miss the lingering moment between them.

"Well, let me leave you to it. I hope to see you around Miss Wayne," Nate said politely.

She smiled. "Ditto Mr Kane."

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked her once my weird best friend was gone.

"Am I not intruding on your schedule? I was actually coming to see if you could fit me in for a meeting at another time. I thought I'd surprise London," she replied.

"That I can arrange. I can arrange it with Nate's PA as well so that we're both free to meet with you. You should know that I found Fifi and she's here," I informed.

"Oh, I know. She called me before she got onto the plane. She wanted to know if I knew anything about your sudden appearance in her life," she laughed.

"Wait, she called you first? How come you didn't vouch for me? Do you have any idea how much work it took to get her to trust me?" I asked.

"I told you that this would be a challenge Cuba, and I meant it. You're going to work for London on all fronts, and now that you've gotten through to Fifi, you only have two more obstacles to overcome," she pointed out.

"Her dad and brother," I said knowingly.

She nodded. "Once you conquer them, then it's a home run from there."

"Speaking of, maybe you can advise me quickly before you go to them. I was thinking of calling her mom," I informed.

"I don't know about that. The thought comes from a good place, but it might also go sideways. Mrs Simmons is the hardest person to read in that family. With Mr Simmons and JR, you always know where you stand, but Mrs Simmons has this mysterious side to her. Have you brought up your intentions to London?" she asked.

"That's what I wanted your advice on. I'm thinking of doing this behind her back, so I'm not entirely sure about it being a good idea or not," I explained.

"Ok, this is my take on it. I know London, and just like all of us, she's slightly terrified of her mother. Given how Mrs Simmons reacted, I don't think she's particularly eager to face her. This leads me to believe that if you bring it up with her, she might be against the idea. However, if you do it behind her back, you risk upsetting her. Honestly, I think the decision is up to you. You have to choose what you're willing to risk and what you're not," she advised.

"Sir, your one o'clock is here," Heather came to inform. I nodded in response before turning back to Connie.

"Thanks a lot. I'll think on it for a while longer before making any decisions. I'm not sure where London and Fifi are since Lana is taking them on a tour of New York, so you can pop in later or head there and wait for them. I can alert security to let you in," I offered.

"Oh no that's fine. I'll pop by tonight. I have some errands to run anyway," she replied.

"Tonight it is then," I smiled before walking out with her.

She left while I headed to one of the boardrooms for my meeting. I was meeting with one of our oldest clients since I needed to reassure them that we still had their best interests at heart, even with the spotlight on my personal life.

I was starting to get a little irritated with having to constantly explain my personal life, despite knowing that it was a necessity to pacify some of these people.

By the time I was done with that meeting, I had documents upon documents to attend to. Nate even came by at some point with a whole stack of papers I needed to sign. I signed them all without going through them since I was trusting that he'd already done that for me.

I was just too busy to divert my attention away from all the work I had.

"Uh Sir, I know you said not to interrupt you, but there's someone on the line for you," Heather interrupted about an hour later.

I sighed, sitting back. "Who is it?"

"It's not Miss Simmons, Miss Ramirez, Miss Lanier, Miss Wayne or Miss Thuso. She said to tell you that if you know what's best for you, you'll take her call," she informed.

That had me all kinds of curious.

"Ok, thanks. I'll take the call," I replied.

She nodded and walked out before putting me through. "Cuba Diaz."

"Cuba, I've just landed at the airport and I would like you to come and fetch me. I would like to talk to you before I face my daughter," the woman said.

I froze for a few seconds. "Mrs Simmons?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm fetching my luggage and I expect to see you within the hour," she said before the line went dead.

Well shit.

Despite her instruction, I sat unmoving for about five minutes, trying to figure out how to respond to the situation. Fate was clearly having a field day with me since the person I wanted to confront was clearly on the same page that I was.

"I'm heading out," I told Nate as I stood at his office door. I'd already told Heather to reshuffle my schedule.

With the way things were going, I would be having a lot of late nights in the coming two weeks.

"Now? Don't you have a million things to do?" he questioned.

"London's mom just called me. She's at the airport and she's instructed me to fetch her. She wants to talk to me before she sees London," I replied.

"Well fuck! What are you going to say?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I'm guessing that following her lead would be best. She did just fly all the way here, so it must be important," I responded.

"I don't envy you buddy. Good luck and don't mess this up," he said.

"I can only try," I said before heading out.

I was glad that I'd taken my sportscar. I entered the address of the airport and searched for the fastest route to get there before driving out. On the way there, I considered calling London to tell her about where I was headed, but I figured that there was a reason Mrs Simmons had called me before wanting to see her.

I've only seen the woman in person once, but I still managed to spot her in the crowded airport. She has a certain grace and poise about her that makes her stand out, and just by looking at her, it's obvious to tell where London gets her beauty from.

"Good afternoon Mrs Simmons," I greeted once I reached her.

"Hello Cuba," she replied, no emotion in her tone.

"May I take your luggage?" I offered, to which she nodded.

We walked to my car and I put her luggage in the back before turning to her. "I'm not sure where it is you'd like to talk."

"Is there a coffee place that you would recommend?" she asked.

I nodded. "I can get us there in twenty minutes."

Once again, she nodded and I opened the passenger door for her, letting her in, before heading over to my side and heading out. For the first time as I sat in the tension filled car, I was anxious and nervous in her presence.

It was then that I understood why anyone would fear her.

We arrived at the coffee shop and I parked the car before going around to let her out. She led the way inside the shop, asking for us to be seated at a table by the window. You could tell that even she intimidated even the waiter.

"I'm not going to be wasting any time simply because I just want to understand. My daughter is a very complicated person, and she's not great at talking about her feelings, so I'm talking to you because I'm hoping that you'll be able to tell me everything in a straightforward manner," she started off once we'd placed our orders.

"She's pretty open and straightforward with me," I argued.

I was surprised when she smiled. "I guessed as much. I could see it in her eyes. Plus, I know my daughter. You wouldn't be in her apartment if this wasn't something she wanted."

"Pardon me Mrs Simmons, but I'm very confused right now. I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with me," I admitted.

"It's not that at all. I won't lie and say I wasn't blindsided by what she told me, because I was. I don't know what I was expecting, but when she texted me to say that she'd come here with you, I knew then that this means more to her than I was willing to admit to myself. However, I also realized that you are probably really important to her because London isn't one to make decisions like leaving the country the way she did for nothing," she replied.

"Ok, fair enough. What would you like to know?" I asked.

"I think everything just about covers my curiosity," she said, laughing a little.

I smiled before nodding and getting into London and I's story. I told her about how we initially met, our phone calls, London ignoring me, how I ended up heading there, my time there, us coming here, and our doctor's appointment.

"It's like I don't know who you're talking about," she said lowly after a while.

"Has she spoken to you at all since coming back from Paris?" I asked.

She shook her head. "She had lunch with my husband and I to tell us about her trip, obviously leaving this part out of it, and then she got busy with her internship. I don't even know how things are going on that front."

"She hates it. She doesn't really want to do anything literature related," I confessed.

She was shocked. "What?"

"I have something else that I guess I need to tell you," I said before telling her about my grandfather's will.

"You have to help her start up her company?" she asked, to which I nodded.

"If she's not interested in literature, then what is it that she wants to do?" she asked.

"I think she should be the one to tell you that. I don't even think I was supposed to tell you about her hatred for her internship. I'd like to avoid getting into more trouble," I responded.

She sighed. "I understand. I just wish she hadn't hidden this from me."

"She hadn't known for long when I arrived. I think she needed time to come to terms with it, especially because she was sure that she'd be a single mother. Once I arrived, everything clicked for her, and the day you came by, I'd only been there for hours. She was still getting used to having me there. I don't think she meant to exclude you," I pointed out.

"I was so afraid when I received her texts. I know for a fact that meeting your grandfather was life-changing for her, and I guess I was just afraid that I'm losing her," she admitted.

"She just wants you to accept this and support her. She's terrified that she's disappointed you since it's the last thing she wants to do," I replied.

"I guess it's my fault for constantly having such high expectations of her," she commented.

I frowned. "Are you saying that you are in fact disappointed in her?"

"You have to understand that I'm a very traditional woman Cuba. Her having a child out of wedlock bothers me greatly, and her father will not be impressed at all when he finds out," she said.

I guess that answers that theory.

"With all due respect Mrs Simmons, I'm crazy about your daughter, but I also won't force her to do anything that she doesn't want to. She's a grown woman who has the right to not only make her own decisions, but also live her life the way she wants to. I don't think it's fair of you to want her to be the younger version of you," I found myself attacking.

She looked surprised. "My, aren't you wordy."

"I apologize, but you don't know what it's like to watch her tear herself apart over this. You are the people that she's lived her whole life trying to impress, and as flawed as I am, I'll be damned if anyone turns the mother of my child against her child simply because she did things differently," I defended.

She was quiet, staring at me. I couldn't decipher the emotion on her face, though I was guessing that it was a look she'd perfected to throw one off. Instead I sat there, stewing and waiting for her to bring war upon me for stepping out of line.

"Do you intend on marrying her?" she eventually asked.

"I intend to once we're on the same page, and if she'll have me. She's my best friend, but we haven't really had a chance to grow our relationship on a romantic level. Like I've told you, I already forewent my inheritance, so you can be sure that I will not be forcing her into anything," I replied.

"I don't know about this Cuba. It will take me a while, and I can't guarantee that her father will accept this, but I know that I'm at least willing to try. She deserves to have her mother at her side," she said.

"Only if you actually intend on being there for her and not making her feel guilty about this," I warned.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"I mean it. I respect you Mrs Simmons, but London and our baby are the most important people to me. I want her to be happy, and I don't want her to regret being pregnant or even meeting me for that matter. I can't stand to lose either one of them. They are my life," I said fiercely, visibly stunning her once more.

"I had no idea it was that deep," she commented.

"You just have to look at my past to understand that I've found the best thing to ever happen to me and I have no intentions of letting them go. They make me want to be a better man, and I don't even want to think about what would happen to me if I lost them," I replied.

She didn't say anything for a while, until she finally spoke. "I think I'm ready to see my daughter now."

I nodded and paid the bill before we left the restaurant. I didn't bother mentioning that I wasn't sure if London had returned with Fifi and Lana or not. I just drove us back to the mansion, and I was surprised when we arrived to find Lana's car, as well as Emile's car parked there.

I didn't expect to walk into the scene that I did either.

"What the hell is going on?"