Chaebol Topaz: Bastard Son (Book 2)

3장 (AMBW)

"I got it," he jumped up and ran to his office to get the ball rolling. The best way for Jae-Hyun to protect Topaz was to ensure he was close enough to secure her safety. He was sure she would not allow him to get too close to her. For now, he would infiltrate her life using her company as a cleverly executed excuse. He knew his brother was considering an advertising deal before he left the US. Jae-Hyun would pick up where he left off by purchasing the company. If he bought the company, he would take business trips to streamline the Dallas, Texas office. His plans provided him with the necessary excuse for the development of the Dallas branch to work seamlessly with the home office in Seoul.

Jae-Hyun began to structure the deal. First, he wanted to make sure everything was legitimate, so he could spend the three weeks his brother was on his honeymoon with Topaz. Second, he didn't want his brother to know that he was still in contact with her.

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Topaz was in the middle of a full-fledged anxiety attack since she hadn't talked to Jae-Hyun in seven weeks. She found herself in the lady's room, trying to steady her nerves. The last time she saw him, she nearly threw herself at him. His presence made her feel as if the sun itself stepped down from the sky to be near her. She didn't want to get burned by him. Honestly, his absence hurt, but she was glad to be away from him because being near him was too dangerous.

How could she hide in the restroom and neglect her duty to her job? It didn't matter who owned the company. What mattered was that she maintained her stellar record as an employee. Topaz stepped out of the lady's room and headed to the meeting. God, please help me get through this. She prayed silently.

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He stayed in the US for a few extra weeks after she got out of the hospital to confirm that she and the baby were okay. They discussed her plans, and Topaz quickly informed him that she didn't believe in abortions. Nevertheless, Jae-Hyun requested to be a part of the pregnancy and the baby's life.

In the beginning, Topaz point-blank told Jae-Hyun she had no desire to co-parent with him. Instead, she prepared herself to raise her child on her own. Topaz noticed his reaction when she said, her child. It wasn't her goal to hurt him, but she believed it was better to have no further contact with him. She didn't want to see him again, and she certainly didn't want him hanging around. Her resolve was unbreakable until he shared his reason for making his request.

"Topaz, please. My doctor told me that I might never be able to have a child. I know you are still angry with me. Would you mind giving me a chance to fix this? Because I didn't know you, I made a horrible mistake. Will you allow this to be the reason you separate me from my child?" The look on his face reflected the agony he was suffering as a result of his miscalculation. Jae-Hyun would never beg anyone for anything, but this was far more important to him than anything else in his life. This matter concerned his child. Down on his knees, he pleaded with her to be a father to his child. Topaz felt his contrition. As tough as she tried to be, her heart was as soft as a slice of chocolate cake. She couldn't bear to see him suffering. Topaz touched his hand. She gently tugged him to indicate that he should stand as hard as she tried to stop them; tears formed in her eyes. The hormones raging in her body made her weak to him.

Jae-Hyun was a beautiful man. The curve of his eyes made her weak. His lips tormented her. He had the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. The man was confident and commanded respect from those around him. Seeing him on his knees moved the prickly thorns from her heart. Topaz didn't realize she was caressing his ear until he closed his eyes and his moan found its way to her ears. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to touch him. He seemed more human to her than before. Maybe it was the knowledge that he lost so much because of his circumstances. This side of him touched her deeply.

Jae-Hyun towered over her. At six feet two inches taller than she, he was a whole foot taller than she was. Standing next to him made her feel small and vulnerable. He moved closer to her and leaned down to her ear. Topaz closed her eyes as she felt his presence close in on her. She could see his kissable pink lips even though her eyes were closed. As she awaited the touch of his lips to hers, he quietly leaned closer to her ear.

"Thank you, Topaz. I promise you will never regret allowing me in your life." His calm, smooth voice nearly made her knees buckle. He hadn't touched her, and yet her blood was boiling. Attempting to resist anything dealing with him proved to be impossible. Jae-Hyun's masculine aura made her knees weak. Topaz knew she no longer had the strength to fight her feelings for him too much longer.

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After Topaz agreed to allow him to be a part of the pregnancy, he explained that he would go home for a short time, but he would be back. He refused to allow her to pay for anything. He found the best OB-GYN in Dallas and paid for her prenatal visits up front and the rest to come duration of her pregnancy. He bought her everything she would need to make the pregnancy easy on her. Jae-Hyun tried to convince her to stop working, but Topaz wouldn't hear of it. She promised that she would take maternity leave if it were required.

The worst thing of all was that he set up an account with five hundred thousand dollars in it. He insisted the funds were placed there in the event of an emergency. Topaz vehemently refused, but Jae-Hyun equally declined to take it back. He explained to her that this was his first and only child. He could not neglect his baby. She laughed at how protective he was over a fetus. Never had she seen a man behave in this manner. She would not say no man acted this way, but she hadn't had the privilege of seeing anything like it.

Having a baby brought a lot of things to mind she never considered before she was pregnant. She did some research and saw that a woman could gain between fifteen and thirty pounds during pregnancy. Topaz quickly signed up for a gym membership with a personal trainer. She did not want to gain a bunch of weight and not be able to get it off. A quick visit with the trainer allowed her to talk about what was best for expecting mothers, and she was all set.

She was amazed that Jae-Hyun came by every day to see how she was doing or needed anything. Topaz assured him that she was okay. She was very impressed with the care he was showing her.

The day he informed her he had to leave, she saw remorse in his eyes. Why that touched her so much, she wasn't sure. Deep in her heart, Topaz felt the beginning of something for him. She couldn't label it or define it, but she knew she started having feelings for her baby's father. He gave her a big hug and a gentle kiss on her lips before he left, and that was the last she saw of him for seven weeks.

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