The Billionaire and the Runaway Bride

by Nadia Lee

  But Aiden surprises me. “No way. Really? Your family owns SKE Entertainment?” He turns to me. “That’s one of the biggest movie distribution and production companies in Korea. It distributes a lot of Hollywood films.”

  “We might,” Yuna says carelessly. “I don’t involve myself with the group’s business. That’s my brother’s thing.”

  The asshole who wants to marry her off for some merger BS. Maybe somebody promised him another movie distribution business or some crap like that. Bastard. “She runs a charitable music foundation for her family,” I say to Aiden. Or maybe she isn’t doing that anymore. I can’t be sure.

  Her phone buzzes. “Excuse me.” She checks it, then instantly pales. “I have to go.”

  Chilly apprehension rakes through me. She never batted an eye with Jessica or Ella…or even Melvin. For her to react like this, it must be something really important. Did her family finally find a groom she can’t refuse?

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, my mouth dry.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Declan

  “Ivy’s husband says she’s in labor. I need to go.” Yuna’s hands are shaking a little. “She’s early.”

  “Some women have their babies early,” Aiden says soothingly.

  He knows about as much about pregnancy as I do—zero. But I nod anyway, because I hate seeing the panicked expression on her face.

  “No. The first baby’s supposed to be late. It was for my sister-in-law and two other people I know,” Yuna says.

  I glance at Aiden. Does he know other cases that refute what she just said? He makes a noncommittal noise. So I guess not.

  It’s left to me to step up.

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine. We have the best hospitals in the country here. I’ll drive you over.”

  Her eyes dart to Aiden. “But your friend…”

  “Is an understanding man who is perfectly willing to take care of everything while we go ahead and make sure your friend is doing fine,” I say.

  “Thank you,” she says, then turns to him. “Sorry.”

  We drive to the hospital. Yuna fidgets with her phone, then sighs. “I hate medical websites. They only talk about worst-case scenarios.”

  I can’t think of anything to say. I almost never look up medical information online for that exact reason. You can Google a paper cut, and they’ll warn you of some dire infection that results in gangrene and cancer.

  “Do you think everything’s okay?” Yuna’s not even rational anymore. She’s asking to reassure herself more than anything.

  “Of course.” It’s the only right answer at the moment. I’m used to dealing with hysterical exes having drama-queen tantrums, but trying to calm down somebody who’s concerned about a friend is new. “If not, somebody would’ve told you something. Her husband didn’t say anything was wrong, did he?”

  She shakes her head. “Just that her water broke during lunch.”

  “There you go. She didn’t fall or anything. Water breaking during lunch? Pssh. Happens all the time.”

  “It does?”

  “Yes.” Seems reasonable, anyway.

  She’s quiet for a moment. “You’re making things up. Like with the forehead varicose veins.”

  I glance over at her. “Nope. Think about it—your belly is bigger than a house and you’re putting even more stuff in there. Something’s gotta give.”

  She laughs, and the tension in her shoulders lessens. “That’s the most nonmedical thing I’ve ever heard.”

  It’s good that she’s relaxing a little. “Medicine doesn’t have to sound medical. It just has to be logical. It’s science.”

  “Thank God you didn’t go to med school.”

  “Hey, I would’ve made an awesome doctor. Biology was my favorite subject in school.” Even if math wasn’t. Calculus didn’t make any sense to me. Too abstract.

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “Because a modeling gig came along, and it paid too damn well for me to give up,” I say casually, although I’m watching her. “And I was good at it, too. You can see my photoshoots from before.”

  “That you are.” She tries to smile, but fails. Probably still too tense. She won’t relax until her friend delivers twins safe and sound.

  The second my car stops, Yuna says, “Thank you,” and rushes inside.

  I watch her disappear. Her soul sister is a damn lucky woman to have the love and devotion of somebody like Yuna. I start to turn around, then notice Yuna’s bag lying on the floor of the car.

  I text her to see if she at least took her phone. Something pings in her purse.

  All right, then. I park the car and carry her bag inside. I follow the signs and locate the huge maternity ward. I scan the crowd quickly. Lots of people rushing about, but no Yuna.

  But maybe her “sister” is in a private room instead of one of the usual areas. What did she say the expectant mom’s name was? Ivy…something. I can’t recall the last name. Shit.

  A stylishly dressed brunette carrying eight drinks and a box of donuts stops, then clears her throat. “Are you…Declan Winters?”

  “Yes,” I say cautiously. Hopefully she isn’t a fan with zero sense or manners. I’ve had one too many crazies, and this maternity ward doesn’t need a stalkerish woman.

  “Oh, cool. I was just wondering. You really do look as good as in the pictures and Pushing His Buttons. It’s one of my favorite shows. If you don’t mind, I’d love an autograph later.”

  “Thank you, and it’s no problem at all,” I say, relieved she seems normal. No weird sparkling in her eyes or anything.

  “I’m Josephine, but you can call me Jo.” She smiles. “I’d shake, but my hands are full. Anyway, I’m friends with Yuna, and she said she left her bag with her boss. That’s her bag you’re holding, right?”

  Well, this makes it easier. “Yeah.”

  “Don’t you just adore that gold grand piano pendant?”

  I glance down at the bag. Sure enough, there is a pendant in the shape of a piano. It has diamonds and onyx embedded for the keys. Totally Yuna.

  “I wanted one, but she told me it’s a custom item she got from her mother.” She smiles sheepishly. “What am I doing? I’m sure you’re busy. Let me take the bag so I can give it to her.”

  I look at all the drinks and donuts and the purse she’s already toting. “Actually, why don’t I help carry some of that?”

  “Thank you.” She hands me the donuts. “I was going to ask Yuna to come with, but she was too anxious.”

  Jo leads me around a corner and down to a large suite at the end of the hall. It’s full of people. I see several couples…and Yuna.

  Jo wasn’t exaggerating when she said Yuna wasn’t doing well. She’s pacing and keeps clenching and unclenching her hands. At least she’s not Googling all the things that could go wrong and freaking out about them.

  After placing the box of donuts on the coffee table, I hurry over.

  She stares at me wide-eyed. “What are you doing here?”

  I lift the hand holding her bag. “You left this in the car.”

  “Oh. Thanks…and sorry about that,” she says, taking the bag. “How did you find me?”

  “I ran into Jo, who recognized me and the bag.”

  Before Yuna can say anything, Jo starts handing coffee and tea out to everyone. Yuna takes a cup but doesn’t drink it. I decline, since Jo wasn’t expecting me and I don’t want to take somebody else’s drink.

  Yuna makes the introductions, gesturing at everyone. I notice everyone’s a couple, except for her.

  “And Tony and Ivy are in there.” She sounds like she’s restraining herself from running in to join them. She turns to the group. “Everyone, this is my boss, Declan Winters.”

  Evie says, “You are absolutely hotter than in that Pushing His Buttons show.”

  “She’s a big fan,” Nate says with a teasing smile for his wife. “We only watched it about two hundred times.”

  “Thank you.” Relief fl
oods through me at the way they treat me like a person, rather than some star to fawn over, with phones shoved in my face for selfies to be uploaded on all their social media accounts. Some even demand I take pictures until they get one they like.

  “A great show with a great lead should definitely be enjoyed more than once.” Pascal winks.

  “Well…yeah,” I say. “Why not, right?”

  Everyone settles down, and I decide to sit with Yuna, since I don’t want her to be by herself when everyone else seems paired up. She deserves her own personal man to give her all the support she needs, just like her friends.

  I find that I like this group. Lots of polite friendliness, peppered with a bit of anxious excitement. The two pregnant women—Evie and Jo—murmur over some photos on their phones. Probably maternity stuff. The men occasionally answer business calls. The only person who seems nervous is Yuna.

  “It’s going to be fine,” I say. “The doctors know what they’re doing.”

  “I know, but… It’s taking a really long time. She’s having twins. So you’d think they’d come out faster and more easily, right? Twins are supposed to be smaller than a single baby.” She’s frowning.

  I don’t like the lines between her eyebrows. Or the obvious worry in her eyes. “Well… Maybe the twins can’t decide who should come out first. It’s definitely possible.”

  She gives me an exasperated look. “They’re babies. They’re not ‘deciding’ anything.”

  “Babies are just miniature adults,” Edgar says in an attempt to soothe Yuna. “Who knows what they can do?”

  She hugs herself. “I still don’t like it.”

  “How early is she?” I ask, trying to distract her.

  “Three weeks.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound too early.” Or at least not early enough to be a concern. But what do I know? I’m sure Google will say it’s a symptom of brain tumor. I’m going to have to make sure Yuna doesn’t use her phone to start researching it. “What did the doctors say?”

  “Nothing. Nobody’s around to tell us anything.” Yuna’s lips tighten. “It sucks. I mean, American hospitals are nice, but it sure isn’t convenient. If this were Korea, the chief of the medical staff would be answering my questions.”

  “Really?” I ask. “They don’t care about privacy?”

  “They do, but my family sponsors a major hospital, so every time we have a problem, we go there. My sister-in-law had her baby there. We have an entire wing dedicated for our use. If Ivy were in Korea, we’d have the chief of staff and chief of all relevant departments, including pediatrics, ready to assist and answer all our questions. But here, I can’t even find a doctor who can answer all my questions! And where’s the pediatrician?”

  “The twins aren’t out yet,” I say. Yuna’s being a bit unreasonable about that point, but she’s upset, and I’m not arguing with an upset woman.

  “But they will be soon.” She exhales forcefully, like she’s trying to get rid of all her apprehension and annoyance in one long breath.

  Her fists are tight and resting on her knees. I put a hand on one of them. “Yuna, seriously. This is the twenty-first century. This is a modern hospital with experienced medical staff. I’m sure Ivy and Tony chose this place because it’s the best.”

  “I know, but…” She sighs. “I feel like something could happen.” Her voice is low and taut. “It happened before. I thought she was going to be fine because she was just going home for the summer, but then…she disappeared.”

  I don’t probe. It’s obvious that whatever story is there is very painful for her. So I take her hand, which is cool to the touch, and warm it. “She isn’t going to disappear. We’re all out here, keeping her safe. I’ll stand guard with you, too. Make sure nothing happens to Ivy.”

  Yuna pulls her head up to look at me. Her eyes shine like I just told her I’d slay a dragon and turn it into shish kebab for her. “Thanks, but you don’t have to. I know you’re busy. You have a meeting with Tim at three, right? About another role he thought could work?”

  “Yeah, but Tim can wait. You’re more important.” Especially when you’re looking at me like I’m a hero.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Yuna

  I don’t know how long I wait, hunched in the uncomfortable plastic seat. As the minutes tick by, my nerves grow tauter and tauter.

  Declan stays with me the entire time, patting my shoulder periodically. Although he’s acting like it’s nothing for him to stay with me, I know he has better things to do with his time. Like meet with Tim.

  But I’m glad Declan’s here. Court, Edgar, Nate and Wyatt are busy with their women. And I’m sure Jo and Evie are wondering how bad Ivy’s labor is, since they’re both expecting.

  It’s almost ten p.m. now. Ivy said she didn’t want to do a C-section, but it’s been too long, hasn’t it? My stomach’s so tight that I can’t drink anything, even though Declan offers me water.

  Tony finally comes out, his eyes bloodshot and hair messy. He looks so haggard, if I didn’t know better, I might think he went through the labor himself. Given how much he loves Ivy, he might as well have—emotionally, at least.

  Without thinking, I reach for Declan’s hand, and he squeezes me back.

  Tony takes a deep breath. “Thanks for waiting, everyone. Ivy had the twins, and you all can go say hello to the little ones.”

  My shoulders sag with relief, then I smile as joy courses through me.

  “Finally!” Nate says.

  “How’s she doing?” I ask.

  Tony smiles. “Both mother and children are fine. Tired, but fine.”

  Thank God. I start to stand up, then wince when my legs refuse to support me. My whole body aches, and I realize I’ve been tense for hours. My shoulders burn worse than the time I practiced the piano for seven hours straight just to annoy my dad and show him I wasn’t going to give up on music.

  Declan catches my wrist. “You okay?”

  “Just a little stiff.”

  Tony notices Declan. “Are you Declan Winters?” he asks, coming over.

  “Yes. You’re Tony, right?” Declan extends a hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  They shake hands. Tony casts a glance at me, then looks back at Declan. “So you’ve been here all this time?”

  “Yeah, well…” Declan tightens his hold on me, just strongly enough to let me know he’ll make sure I don’t fall. “Yuna needed some support, too.”

  And I’m very grateful.

  Tony clears his throat and doesn’t ask Declan to call him Anthony the aloof way he does with almost everyone. “Want to come in and see the babies? My wife’s a big fan. Seeing you is going to be the cherry on top of an already amazing ice cream sundae.”

  That’s true. I glance at Declan, hoping he’ll stay and say hello to Ivy.

  “Well…sure,” Declan says. “Why not?”

  “Thank you.” I beam at him. “She’s going to be thrilled.”

  “Hey, hey, hey!” The door opens, and Ryder Reed bursts through with a huge bouquet of red roses. “Sorry about the boring flowers. They were all I could get when I landed, but I couldn’t miss this.”

  “Hey! I didn’t think you could make it,” Tony says to his best friend.

  “The damned flight was delayed, and then there was traffic. But I’m here now. And my assistant made sure to bring the gifts I commissioned for the little ones. You know I’m going to make Ivy’s day.”

  “She’s too used to you now. Besides, she has a fresh celebrity to adore.”

  “What? She’s cheating on me?” Ryder looks around, then his eyes land on Declan. “Oh, hey. Declan Winters, right?”

  “Yup.” They shake hands.

  “My wife’s a big fan of your show,” Ryder says. “She re-watches it all the time with our kid. Says it’s more wholesome than the action flicks I made, although our daughter loves the explosions. She laughs every time.”

  Nate stares at Ryder, his jaw slack. “Did you watch them wit
h her behind Paige’s back?”

  “Obviously. I can’t have my child not know how awesome I am. Don’t worry, they were PG-13.”

  “She’s four!” Tony points out.

  “But I was with her, so our average age works out to be about nineteen.”

  I roll my eyes at Ryder’s ridiculous logic. But no matter how egotistical he can get, he’s crazy about his wife and child, and you just can’t hate a guy who’s that devoted to his family.

  “You are never babysitting our kids,” Tony says to Ryder. Then he turns to us. “Let’s go in. Ivy’s dying to show off the twins.”

  Yes! Finally!

  Excitement and anticipation spark through me. I just know Sebastian and Katherine are going to be the cutest and most precious angels ever!

  Tony leads us into the recovery room where Ivy’s resting in bed. Her hair’s still a little damp and sticking to the edges of her face and neck, and she looks a little pale except for her cheeks, which are flushed with pleasure.

  Declan was right when he said the doctors would make sure she’s okay.

  The room’s already full of flowers and fruit baskets. Tony must’ve arranged for them when he reserved the suite for her. Now I’m slightly ashamed that I forgot to get something. I’m so used to having Ms. Kim take care of that sort of thing that it escaped my notice. I add “buy flowers, chocolates and balloons” to my to-do list. Ivy and the twins deserve all that and more.

  Ivy smiles at us, cradling a tiny human in each arm. She’s glowing like the moon.

  We wash our hands in the en suite bathroom. I get to be the first and rush to Ivy as soon as I’m done.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask. Although she looks okay, I want to hear her say it.

  “I’m fine. Want to hold the twins?”

  “Yes.” I reach out and take the closest one. There’s a blue hat on his small skull, leaving Ivy with the one with a purple hat. “Sebastian, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “He’s perfect.” I dip my head and inhale the newborn scent. “And smells so good too. And super cuddly.”

  Ivy smiles.

  “I’m going to spoil him and Katherine until they don’t know what hit them,” I say.