Noah's POV
A Few Weeks Earlier
"Gosh! Look at the mess!" I muttered as I stepped into Camila's apartment, stunned by the chaos. "Why would a lady leave her apartment in this condition?"
Concerned about my little sister, I had decided to visit her unannounced. Entering her apartment using the password I knew, I was taken aback by the disaster inside.
There were unwashed dishes in the sink, clothes scattered across the living room, and the entire place looked as if a storm had passed through.
"Camila! Are you here?" I called out, but there was no answer.
I sighed, shaking my head as I surveyed the room. After hesitating for a moment, I rolled up my sleeves and started cleaning. I scrubbed the kitchen, tidied the living room, and even put away some laundry.
Finally, I collapsed onto the couch, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. Cleaning had, in a way, cleared my mind—until I felt something underneath me.
Frowning, I reached under the cushion and pulled out a pregnancy test strip. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at it.
Two lines.
Camila was pregnant.
I blinked, my hands tightening around the test strip as disbelief washed over me. No, this couldn't be right.
My little sister, pregnant? Camila had always been the responsible one. She was careful, level-headed, and never reckless so how the hell had this happened?
I needed to talk to her.
But first, I needed answers.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Matthew. He picked up after a few rings, sounding confused.
"Hello? Noah?"
"Matthew, we need to talk," I said, forcing my voice to remain calm.
"Uh… sure?" His tone was cautious. "What's this about?"
"It's about Camila," I pressed. "Did you know she was pregnant?"
A long silence stretched between us before he finally spoke.
"I... I didn't know she was pregnant," he admitted, his voice shaky. "I haven't heard from her in a while… after we broke up."
I froze.
"What? You and Camila broke up?"
"Yeah…" He hesitated.
I clenched my jaw. "Then who the hell is the father of this child?" I muttered under my breath.
"What did you say?" Matthew asked.
"Nothing," I quickly covered. "Thanks, Matthew. I'll… call you back." I ended the call abruptly.
I sank back onto the couch, my mind racing. Camila and Matthew had broken up, and she hadn't told me?
What the hell was going on?
Frustration bubbled inside me. I ran a hand through my hair and walked over to the window, staring out at the Seattle skyline. The city lights sparkled, but they didn't calm my nerves.
I needed more answers.
Without wasting time, I grabbed my phone and dialed Nancy, Camila's closest friend.
She picked up after a few rings.
"Hello?"
"Nancy, it's me, Noah," I said, trying to steady my voice. "I need to ask you something."
"Of course," she said. "What's up?"
"It's about Camila." I took a deep breath. "Can you tell me what's going on with her?"
A brief silence followed before Nancy spoke again, her tone softer.
"Camila's been going through a tough time lately," she said carefully. "I don't want to betray her trust, but she's struggling with some things."
"Why is she hiding all this from me?" I asked, frustration seeping into my voice. "I'm her brother. I just want to help her."
"I know you do," Nancy sighed. "But she needs space right now."
"Space to do what? To deal with the fact that she's pregnant and no longer with Matthew?"
Silence.
"Hello? Nancy? Are you still there?"
"I'm here," she said quietly. "But… How did you find out about Camila's pregnancy?"
I explained, and when I was done, I could hear her hesitation.
"It's complicated, Noah…"
I narrowed my eyes. "Nancy, I need you to uncomplicate it. Tell me everything."
A deep sigh came from the other end of the line.
"Camila didn't expect this pregnancy. It hit her hard, especially with everything that happened with Matthew. She's been trying to figure out how to handle it."
I exhaled sharply. "Why didn't she tell me?"
Silence again.
"Nancy, talk to me. I need to know."
Finally, she whispered, "Camila had a one-night stand… and she got pregnant."
I froze. My entire world tilted for a second.
A one-night stand? With a stranger?
"Who is the guy?" I demanded.
Nancy hesitated before answering. "Henry Charles."
My blood ran cold.
"Wait… Henry Charles? Of the Charles Corporation in Miami?"
"Yeah," she confirmed.
"The arrogant playboy?"
"Yep, the one and only Henry Charles."
I ran a hand down my face. "What the hell was she thinking?"
Nancy sighed. "She was vulnerable, Noah. She thought she couldn't conceive, and after everything with Matthew… she just wanted to forget for a night."
Anger, frustration, and worry churned inside me.
"I just wish she had confided in me," I muttered.
"She was scared," Nancy said gently.
"Does Henry know?" I asked.
A long pause.
"No. Camila never told him. They didn't exchange contact information, and she never planned to involve him."
I inhaled sharply. "So, Henry Charles is completely unaware that he has a child?"
"Yes."
My hands clenched into fists. "Camila thinks she's protecting herself and the baby, but she's making things worse!"
"Noah, be careful," Nancy warned. "Camila is hurting. She's not thinking clearly. If you push her too hard, she might shut you out completely."
I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions.
"I need to talk to Henry," I finally said. "And Camila."
"Just… be careful, okay?"
I ignored her advice. I needed to fix this before it spiraled further out of control.
And so, without thinking twice, I reached out to my lawyer.
After explaining the situation, the lawyer suggested having Henry sign away his parental rights so Camila could move forward without him.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
So, without telling Camila, I had the papers drawn up and sent them to Henry.
I didn't realize then that my actions might make everything worse.