Gabriella simply stared at her sister for a moment, certain she'd heard wrong. A prince? Surely that was something that you should know about someone before you slept with them and surely it was the sort of thing you would know after a year of working for them.
"I am an idiot," she stated and her sister nodded in agreement.
How the hell had this happened? Why hadn't Lissa told her? Her and Blake had seemed pretty serious for a while so how had she not informed her of something as huge as this? It wasn't the sort of thing people usually kept from their loved ones was it? Surely someone who was dating a prince would want her family to know that minor detail.
"At least the parents won't care as much now," Lissa said. Gabriella simply glared at her unhelpful sister.
Their parent might not be as mad about the baby but it still wasn't ideal. And now she had to contend with Blake. It was daunting enough when he'd just been her boss and the guy she'd slept with but now he was also a prince. That meant that all the power she'd thought she held was gone.
When she'd contemplated telling Blake about the baby she'd figured that he wouldn't have much say in anything. Courts tended to look favourably on mothers didn't they? And if it came to a fight they were evenly matched finance wise. Now though her whole plan was blown out of the water. Surely a prince would have more rights than her and she assumed that meant he had more money and certainly more power. What the hell was she going to do?
"Oh Lissa, it's all such a mess. Help me," she pleaded. She'd never had to ask her sister for anything before but now Gabriella was begging because this wasn't just about her anymore and she was terrified that she'd messed up her baby's life before it was even born.
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is," Lissa soothed but she sounded doubtful. Gabriella was even more doubtful because she knew that everything was about to be destroyed.
She'd made a fairly good life for herself and she wasn't ready for it all to be over so soon. When she had thought about what life would be like with her baby she had imagined that it would slot easily into her perfectly ordered life and that if Blake had anything to do with the baby then it would be just the odd weekends but now that vision had changed. When she considered what a prince would have to say about raising his child she couldn't see him letting her raise the child alone in her small flat. She wasn't sure what he would expect but she could guarantee that he would make demands.
Panic fluttered inside her as she realised that she had made a massive mistake. Suddenly it wasn't her parents that she was concerned about letting down. Instead she was terrified of letting Blake know he was going to be a father and losing all the power. She didn't know what the hell she could do to stop him from taking over. Then it came to her and she hesitated as soon as the thought occurred to her. She considered the ramifications of not telling him about the baby at all even as guilt consumed her. She'd never thought of herself as selfish before but she figured this would class her as such. Would her child resent her for not giving it's father the chance to be a part of it's life? Would their life be better off without Blake in it? There were so many questions spinning round in her head and she didn't know what to do for the best.
"I don't think I can tell Blake," Gabriella said in a horrified whisper. She couldn't believe that she was even considering it yet it suddenly all made sense to her. If Blake didn't know then he couldn't take her child away from her.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Lissa told her with a worried frown.
"What choice do I have? Do you really think he would let me raise the child alone without a fight?" Gabriella asked as she placed a hand protectively over her stomach as though to protect the unborn child.
"I doubt it," Lissa agreed but she still looked concerned and Gabriella couldn't blame her.
"I can't risk him taking my child away," she told her and Lissa nodded slowly though she still looked concerned.
"How exactly are you going to disguise the pregnancy? I know that Blake can be an ass but I doubt even he wouldn't notice a baby growing inside you," Lissa pointed out. It was one of the things that had been concerning Gabriella but she'd come to the conclusion that she had to be brave.
"I'm going to have to leave. I can't stay here where anyone could tell Blake. I need to go and make a life for us somewhere he can't find us," Gabriella told her. Suddenly it all seemed to fall in to place. She didn't need to tell anyone anything. Her parents didn't need to know until the child was already there and Blake didn't need to know anything.
"How are you going to manage to leave when you're pregnant and have no job and no money and no support system?" Lissa demanded. Gabriella heaved a sigh as she arranged it all in her mind.
"I have saving and I'm sure that it won't take me that long to get a job," she said stubbornly while Lissa remained unconvinced.
"Honey, I love you but how the hell are you going to find a job to support you when you're pregnant?" She asked. Gabriella frowned at her sisters negativity. Surely she could be slightly more supportive. It wasn't as though there were many other choices.
"I'm more qualified than I look," Gabriella said irritably and Lissa rolled her eyes.
"I'm not questioning your qualifications Gab, I'm questioning how you plan to work while carrying a baby and suffering with pregnancy symptoms," Lissa explained. That gave Gabriella pause. She hadn't really considered that. Up until now she hadn't suffered many symptoms and she hadn't really thought much about what would happen when she did. She'd had the occasional bout of sickness and the odd period of dizziness but otherwise had been fine.
"I'll work that out when it happens," she said stubbornly and Lissa shook her head.
"I won't tell anyone until you're ready but I want you to know that I don't agree with you not telling anyone. I especially don't agree with your plan to move away and start again," Lissa said. Gabriella could only sigh. She knew that it wasn't ideal but her head was all over the place and she didn't see that she had any choice. She was saved from answering however when there was a knock at the door. Both sisters glanced at each other in surprise and Gabriella hesitated.
"Were you expecting someone?" Lissa asked and Gabriella shrugged.
'It's probably Mrs Simmons," she said. Her elderly neighbour was always popping round for something and Gabriella reckoned it was simply because she was lonely. Her other neighbour Lauren was always popping round too, usually for a babysitter for her three kids. It saddened Gabriella to think that could be her soon. She pushed that to the back of her mind and jumped up to answer the door, glad of the reprieve.
That relief lasted until she swung the door open to reveal Blake. He was standing there in all his handsome glory and the man looked furious. She didn't even want to hazard a guess at what he was angry about.
'Please be something wrong with a file, please,' Gabriella begged in her head. She didn't want a big conversation about them right now and she especially didn't want him to guess the secret she was hiding from him.
"Was there something wrong at the office Mr Knight," Gabriella questioned in what she hoped was an innocently confused tone. His eyes only narrowed on her as he took a deep breath.
"I think we're a little past formal names, don't you?" He asked mockingly and Gabriella bit her lip as she gave what she hoped was a confused look.
"I don't know what you mean," she said.
"You know damn well what I mean," he countered as he leaned forward and she tried to ignore the wave of dizziness that assailed her.
"I'm sorry Mr Knight but I simply have no idea what you're talking about."
Blake gave a smirk then which scared her more. She didn't trust that smirk of his.
"Really? No idea huh? So you don't remember the night we shared together or your first experience with a man?" He asked. Gabriella winced at the reminder. She had hoped that he hadn't noticed that she wasn't experienced but apparently he had noticed.
"No idea," she stammered. Maybe she could bluff it out and pretend that it had been Lissa he had slept with, after all they were quite similar. She was aware that it was a crazy plan but it was the only one she had right now.
"Do not play me for a fool Gabriella," he warned in a deadly tone. Gabriella assumed that tone generally had people quaking in their boots and eager to do his bidding, it was certainly working on her. She had to mentally force herself to remain where she was because all she wanted to do was confess everything or run away. Neither choice was available to her right now. She would simply have to continue to bluff it out and hope for the best.
"I'm sorry Mr Knight but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about and I would like you to leave because you're making me feel very uncomfortable," Gabriella said. She hoped that she could show him this was inappropriate behaviour towards an employee and convince him he should leave. It did not have the desired effect.
"Honesty would be refreshing Gabriella but we both know that you were being anything but honest with me. If you were then you would have already admitted you recall every moment of that night with me. If you were truly being honest then you would have already informed me that I am about to become a father," Blake said.