Page 168 of Pregnant By A Rich Demon 2

“You’re lying,” I said, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew he wasn’t.

“Am I?” Amai’s eyes were dark, unrelenting. “Think about it, Truth. How did Kaisen find you? How did he know where you’d be? How did he know exactly what to say, exactly how to make you feel safe?”

“Stop,” I whispered, but he didn’t.

“He knew everything,” Amai continued, his voice cutting through me like a blade. “He knew you were carrying a baby that might be his. He knew you were vulnerable. He knew you were confused. And he used that.”

“No.” I shook my head, tears burning behind my eyes. “No, he—he cared about me. He was consistent. He was there when you weren’t.”

“He wasstrategic,” Amai corrected, his voice hard. “He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that if he could get close to you, if he could make you trust him, he’d have leverage. Over me. Over the baby. Over everything.”

Raven’s hand was still in her purse, and I knew she was gripping her gun. “You need to back the fuck up,” she said, her voice low and dangerous.

Amai glanced at her, and that infuriating smile returned. “That’s cute. Really. But you’re not going to shoot me, Raven. Because if you do, you’ll have bigger problems than me showing up at your mama’s house.”

“Try me,” Raven said, pulling the gun out and holding it steady at her side.

Amai didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look concerned. He just looked at me.

“Truth,” he said, his voice softer now but no less intense. “I know you’re scared. I know you don’t know who to trust. But I need you to hear me right now. Kaisen didn’t pursue you because he cared about you. He pursued you because he knew it would hurt me.”

“That’s not true,” I said, but my voice cracked.

“It is,” Amai insisted, taking another step closer. Raven raised the gun slightly, but he ignored her. “And here’s what’s going to happen next. You’re going to stay here with your family. You’re going to try to process everything. And Kaisen is going to find you.”

My breath caught.

“He’s going to show up,” Amai continued, his voice steady and certain. “And he’s going to be everything I’m not. He’s going to be calm. Patient. Understanding. He’s going to tell you that I’m dangerous, that I’m controlling, that I’m the reason you’re in this mess. And then he’s going to offer to help you. To protect you. To put you back together.”

“Stop,” I whispered, but he didn’t.

“And you’re going to believe him,” Amai said, his eyes locked on mine. “Because that’s what he does. He finds broken things and convinces them he’s the only one who can fix them. That’s his strategy. That’s how he wins.”

“You don’t know that,” I said, but even as I spoke, doubt was creeping in.

Because Kaisenhadfound me when I was broken. Hehadbeen there when I needed someone. Hehadmade me feel safe.

But had it been real? Or had it been calculated?

“I know my brother,” Amai said, his voice dropping lower. “I know how he thinks. I know how he operates. And I know that he’s been playing this game longer than you realize.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded, my voice breaking. “Why didn’t you warn me before I—before I?—”

“Before you what?” Amai’s eyes darkened. “Before you kissed him? Before you let him in?”

I flinched, and he saw it.

“I didn’t tell you,” Amai said, his voice tight with barely controlled rage, “because I didn’t know how deep he’d gotten. I didn’t know he’d already wormed his way into your life. I didn’t know you’d already started trusting him. Fuck, I didn’t even know you were on his radar, Truth. This started as a contract. There was no need to tell you about my family.”

“So, what now?” I asked, my voice shaking. “What do you want from me, Amai? And now is a real good time to tell me about your family!”

“I want you to stay,” he said simply. “Not because I’m forcing you. Not because I’m controlling you. But because you know—deep down, you know—that I’m the only one telling you the truth.”

“The truth?” I let out a bitter laugh. “You’ve been lying to me since the beginning. You didn’t tell me about Kaisen. You didn’t tell me about the sperm swap. You didn’t tell me about your family or your business or any of it.”

“I didn’t lie,” Amai said, his jaw tight. “I withheld information to protect you. And I didn’t know about the sperm swap. You can’t believe I would ever do some shit like that to you, Truth.”

“That’s the same thing!”