Prologue

Emily stood on the familiar stretch of beach staring out at the water before her, wondering how she could have let this happen. Glancing down at the positive pregnancy test in her hand, she sighed inwardly. It was the third test she had taken that afternoon, each rendering the same results. She was carrying Daniel Grayson's baby. The thought of bringing a Grayson heir into the world made her nauseous, even more than she already was. It's not that she abhorred the idea of carrying Daniel's baby. It was whose grandchild she was carrying.

The bone chilling ocean water was rushing over her feet, but she did not even notice. Perhaps, she could just slip away without Daniel ever knowing about the baby. She quickly dismissed the idea, however. Losing her father nearly destroyed her, and she couldn't bear the thought of her child never knowing his or her father.

"Penny for your thoughts, girl with the double infinity tattoo…" Emily glanced over her right shoulder to find her slender, sandy-haired friend, Nolan, standing behind her.

"You better sit down," she advised to which Nolan dutifully slumped down onto the sand. She joined him, both looking out at the waves before them.

"Okay…so spill it."

"I'm pregnant." His head snapped towards her, a knee-jerk reaction of sorts.

"O-M-G." His voice remained a whisper. "Ems…"

"I know. How could I let this happen, right?"

"It's just…so un-you…" Emily sighed, shaking her head.

"I…I wasn't thinking."

"When are you ever not thinking?" It was true. She was one of the most calculated persons on earth. Emily closed her eyes. She knew exactly when "this" had happened. There wasn't a doubt in her mind.

"The night Amanda came back. The night I was going to tell Jack everything. The night the plane blew up with Victoria and all the evidence to exonerate my father."

"But…I came over and told you that I made a back up of the encrypted files…"

"After you left…I…I went to see Daniel." Nolan furrowed his brow.

"Why?" She had broken off their engagement, after all. Daniel's chapter in her book of revenge had been closed.

"The news of Amanda's pregnancy and my mom being alive coupled with my best laid plans blowing up in that plane… I don't know…I felt out of control. And I wanted to check on him. Despite everything, she was his mother. I guess I felt guilty somehow."

Nolan was stunned at her admission. He had long suspected that Emily had feelings of some sort for Daniel, and that perhaps he meant more to her than just a means to an end, but he never thought she would actually verbalize it in any way. Emily sighed again, recalling her night of weakness, the night she had let her emotions win.

Four weeks earlier….

She found him sitting in his chair, staring at an empty glass, the room dim with very little light. The silence echoed. "Daniel…" she breathed. His eyes did not move from the empty glass in his hand.

"What do you want?" His voice was low and lacking any emotion whatsoever.

"I…I wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw the News." Emily waited patiently as he continued to sit in silence as if he were recalling a memory. He was. Daniel could not help but think of the last conversation he had with his mother the night before, in this very room. His words had been cruel, and now, he would never have the chance to apologize.

"She said nothing would stop her. Well…something did."

"Daniel, I'm so sorry." Her words were genuine. She certainly could relate to the loss of a parent, and in truth, she did care about him. He had disappointed her greatly when he chose to be a Grayson rather than telling the truth. But she knew she had disappointed him greatly too. She'd broken in his heart when she took off her engagement ring.

Daniel looked up Emily then. Her chocolate eyes were boring into him with sympathy, and he was surprised to see that they were even filled with tears. He was not accustomed to witnessing such an emotion from her. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her beauty. Even after everything that had happened, she still captivated him. Daniel set his glass on the coffee table then and stood, closing the space between them.

He had just said goodbye to her the night before, his hope for their future together shattered, and yet, here she stood before him. He could almost sense her willing him to forgive her, though she had not asked for forgiveness. "Did you ever sleep with him?" His somber question caught Emily off guard for she had been lost in the moment. She blinked, bringing herself back to reality. He was, of course, asking about Jack.

"No," she shook her head, her eyes never leaving his. "I didn't. I swear to you." In another set of circumstances, Daniel would have demanded more answers, more of an explanation, but in that moment, nothing else mattered to him. He needed her tonight. And he sensed she needed him too, in a way that felt different from any of the times of the past.

He gently placed the palm of his hand to her cheek. Emily closed her eyes at the sensation, remembering how it had felt to have Jack touch her the same way only a few hours prior. The pain of the day's events was overwhelming. She opened her eyes again to find Daniel looking lovingly at her face, as if an instant, her sins had been forgotten. Perhaps it was only temporary, but Emily was surprised to feel relief washing over her.

His thumb gently grazed her lacerated lower lip causing her to slightly part her mouth. He then retracted his thumb, replacing it with his own mouth. Again, relief washed over her as she felt his lips tentatively upon her own. Emily immediately answered his unsaid question, deepening their kiss and inviting his tongue to dance. With each synchronized movement, she felt herself escaping further and further away from the suffocating pain. Daniel felt the same although the pain he sought to escape was a different kind.

Swiftly, he removed her navy jacket, allowing it to fall to the floor. Then came her sweater and his sweater as Emily backed toward the bedroom with Daniel following. They hungrily made love, desperately seeking relief in the other. It was both familiar and unfamiliar as they explored a new found passion.

"So that's how you re-assumed your role as the dutiful fiancé..." Nolan surmised, drawing Emily back from the past to the present moment.

"After our night together…it just was the natural course for me to be by Daniel's side at Victoria's memorial service and forward."

"What are you going to do?" He was not prepared for her response. Emily looked at him for the first time since their conversation had begun.

"I'm going to tell Daniel that he's going to be a father."