Enjoy!


Chapter 2

The next morning, the gentle whining of Charlie through the baby monitor stirred Mercedes from her slumber. She groggily opened her eyes and glanced at the clock, realizing she had slept through both her alarms. With a jolt, she threw the covers off and leapt out of bed to tend to her daughter.

Feeling guilty for oversleeping, Mercedes hurriedly made her way into Charlie's room. The warm, soft scent of baby powder and fabric softener enveloped her as she walked in. Charlie looked up at her with bright, adoring eyes and reached up for her mother's embrace. The sight of her daughter's smile melted away any lingering feelings of frustration for being behind schedule.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Mercedes cooed as she scooped Charlie up into her arms. She planted kisses all over her face, causing giggles to bubble up from the infant.

With a sense of urgency, Mercedes began their morning routine, already forty-five minutes behind. She couldn't help but regret the glass of wine she had enjoyed the night before, knowing it was partially to blame for her oversleeping. As she was about to hop in the shower, a familiar voice broke through her thoughts. Her mother stood in the doorway with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Hey mom," Mercedes greeted with a sigh of relief. "I overslept...can you watch Charlie while I quickly get ready?"

Her mother gladly took Charlie into her own arms and Mercedes felt a pang of guilt for not being able to spend their usual morning together playing and eating breakfast. But today was different - time was not on their side.

"Yes, bring my grandchild to me! I'll take care of getting her dressed and fed. You go ahead and do whatever you need to do, Mercy?" Her mother, Jill, reached out for her granddaughter who eagerly went to her side.

"Thank you. What is it?"

"I know your father called you...I saw the wine bottle. Don't let his words affect you; he's set in his ways and closed-minded, but he still loves you." Jill patted Mercy on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Mercedes let out a heavy sigh as she made her way to the bathroom, ready to shower and prepare for another day at work. She carefully selected her outfit, opting for a professional yet feminine look with a gray pinstripe pencil skirt, a soft lavender button down blouse, and her trusty pair of black heels. Her make-up was subtle, highlighting her natural features, and she styled her hair in loose curls that cascaded down her shoulders. Giving herself a final once-over in the mirror, she nodded in approval before descending the stairs to say goodbye to her daughter, Charlotte.

"Okay moma, I'll be back by 5:30. Thank you again for watching Charlie this morning, it means a lot to me." Mercedes said, giving her mother a grateful side hug before leaning over to shower kisses on Charlotte's face. The little girl giggled and reached for her mother, who couldn't resist planting some more kisses on her tiny hands.

"I'll see you tonight, love bug. I love you." Mercedes whispered, already feeling a pang of guilt for leaving her daughter behind.

"You know honey, it would be easier if you put Charlie in daycare on days like this." Jill suggested as she followed her daughter towards the door.

"Moma, not now. I promise to look into it when I have some free time. Now I have to go. Don't forget to send me pictures of her throughout the day and there's money in the jar for you two to go shopping." Mercedes replied before getting into her car and driving off, knowing that today was going to be a long day and it had only just begun.


The receptionist's voice was urgent as she relayed the messages to Ms. Jones. "You have a few missed calls and someone waiting for you in your office. I tried to get him to stay out here but he refused and stormed into your office."

Ms. Jones thanked her assistant and asked, "Who is it?"

"He wouldn't say. I asked repeatedly. He just huffed and told me to mind my business and to do my damn job." Jane replied, looking nervous.

"It's okay, I'll handle it," Ms. Jones said as she grabbed the messages and made her way into her office. She noticed her chair was turned away from the door, which struck her as odd. She closed the door harder than usual, causing whoever was inside to turn around quickly. As soon as she saw who it was, anger flooded through her body. She reached for her phone to call security, but before she could even touch it, his hand slammed down on top of hers.

"Now, now, that's no way to treat your ex-husband," Noah said with a sly smirk.

"Noah... what the hell are you doing here?" Ms. Jones asked with a sharp edge in her voice. This was the last person she wanted to see and she was in no mood to deal with whatever bullshit he was about to bring her way.

"Oh come on baby, I know you miss me," Noah replied, looking her up and down suggestively. "You see, your father has been calling me and telling me all these things about you still being hung up on me."

"My father does not speak for me, and I hate to break it to you but I don't want or need you in my life. Now leave before I have security remove you," Ms. Jones retorted firmly, standing her ground against her manipulative ex-husband.

"Mmm… I see you're still as feisty as ever," Noah sneered, his eyes raking over Mercedes' body. "Having my baby did your body good, I wouldn't mind making another with you." His words dripped with a sickening mixture of lust and possessiveness, and Mercedes felt bile rise in her throat. She hated that after all this time he still had such a hold on her.

But she couldn't let him see how much he affected her. She squared her shoulders and met his leering gaze with a steely one of her own. "Okay, now you're just tripping," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a mean look. "We will never have another child and you will never touch me again."

But Noah didn't back down. His face twisted into a mask of anger, and Mercedes knew that the worst was yet to come. "I want to see her," he snarled.

"See who?" Mercedes asked, trying to remain calm.

"Don't play dumb," Noah spat. "I want to see my daughter."

Mercedes froze, her heart racing with fear and indignation. How dare he even bring up their daughter? "Okay that's it," she snapped, moving to grab the door handle. But before she could reach it, Noah yanked her roughly back towards him.

She stumbled and hit the edge of her desk, pain shooting through her back. As she winced and tried to regain her balance, she saw Noah standing directly in her personal space with an angry expression on his face.

"Get the hell out of my office," Mercedes seethed, her voice shaking with rage. "And if you so much as come near this building again, I will have you locked up so fast you won't remember what day it is. You don't have a daughter with me anymore. You signed over all your parental rights when your mistress became pregnant, and if my memory serves me correctly, you told me she was everything I wasn't. So go do us both a favor and be with her. Leave me and my daughter out of it."

But Noah didn't move, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. And then, without warning, he shoved Mercedes backwards, causing her to crash into her desk once again.

She gasped in pain as she felt the sharp edge digging into her back. When she looked up, Noah was still standing there, his face inches from hers. And for a moment, Mercedes feared for her safety - and the safety of her daughter.

As Sam entered Mercedes' office, he noticed a man standing over her on the floor."Mercedes, I was wondering if we could..." He paused, unsure of what was happening. "Is everything okay?"

Without letting her speak, Noah interjected, "Just leave so we can continue our conversation."

"I think I was addressing Mercedes, not you," Sam stated as he made his way into her office and towards the man blocking his path to her.

"Get the hell out of here before I break every bone in your body!" Noah roared, his knuckles white as he balled his fists. He stepped up to the man with a fierce determination, ready to pummel him into submission.

Mercedes could see the fire in Noah's eyes and knew that he was capable of following through on his threat. She looked at Sam, pleading silently for him to handle the situation.

Sam saw the fear in Mercedes' eyes and knew that she needed him to stay and protect her. He calmly opened the door and instructed her assistant to call security, giving them five minutes to remove the intruder before he took matters into his own hands.

"If you so much as lay a finger on her or her child, I'll make sure you never walk again." Sam's voice dripped with venom as he stared the man down. The intruder seemed unfazed until Sam pushed him with such force that he fell to the ground.

As he whispered something threatening in Noah's ear, it caused him to pale and scramble to his feet before bolting towards the exit. Sam watched him go, making sure he was truly gone before turning back to Mercedes.

"Cancel all of her appointments for today and forward her calls. She needs to rest and will be out for the rest of the day," Sam commanded, his protective instincts kicking in.

He closed the door behind him as he entered Mercedes' office once again, ready to comfort and support her after such a terrifying encounter.

He turned to see that she had moved from her spot by the window and was now sitting against her desk, her legs stretched out in front of her. He took slow, deliberate steps towards her, his eyes locked on hers as he extended his hand for her to take. She looked up at him with a mixture of fear and uncertainty, but ultimately took his hand and allowed him to help her back to her feet. As she stood, she gave him a weak smile before making her way around the desk, but stopped when she felt his gentle grip on her forearm.

"Grab your things," he said softly, removing his hand from her arm. "I'm going to escort you out and follow you home to make sure you make it safely."

Sam's concern only seemed to intensify as he spoke, and she felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Part of her wanted to protest and tell him she was fine, but deep down she knew that wasn't entirely true. Noah's sudden appearance had shaken her, bringing back painful memories she thought she had left behind. She could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them away.

"I...I just need a minute to regroup," she said, shaking her head and trying to compose herself.

"I wasn't asking," Sam replied firmly. "I have your address and I have no problem taking you home myself. But since you need your vehicle to get around, I'm sure you would prefer to drive yourself."

His words surprised her; they had only known each other for a short time, yet here he was showing more concern than most would in this situation. She nodded silently and gathered her bag and a few files off her desk. As they walked towards her car, she could feel his presence beside her and it brought a sense of comfort that both unsettled and pleased her. When they reached the car, she fished out her keys from her purse, but before she could unlock the door, he gently took the keys from her hand and unlocked it for her with a charming smile. He moved to the side and placed her bag and files on the passenger seat, making sure they were secure before standing back up to face her.

"I'll follow you in my car, okay?" he said, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Thank you," she replied gratefully, feeling guilty for putting him in this position. He had important meetings to attend, yet he was taking time out to make sure she got home safely. Her lips pressed together nervously as she watched him walk towards his own car. Sam couldn't help but notice how cute she looked when she bit her lip, causing an involuntary low groan to escape him. He quickly composed himself when he saw her look at him with confusion, trying to hide his blush behind a smirk.

"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you," he said, stepping aside so she could get into her car. She nodded and got in, waiting for him to get into his own car before starting hers. As she drove off, thoughts raced through her mind about how she would explain this unexpected turn of events to her mother, who would no doubt be surprised to see one of her male colleagues following them home. Despite the uncertainty, one thing was certain - she was grateful that Sam had offered to accompany her.


So how we like?