“Oh, please. We’re not just friends, you’re my bestie. You know what happens to besties who cross the line?”

Amara made a snipping motion with her fingers, putting on an exaggerated, menacing glare and snapping them in the air.

Playing along, Keith hugged himself in mock terror. “Okay, okay! I yield! Just calm down…”

They bantered for a few more minutes, the tension in the room melting away.

Then, Amara remembered the real news she needed to share. “Oh, by the way, I haven’t told you yet. I’ve decided to get a late-term abortion procedure. I’m not keeping the baby.”

A stunned silence filled the room.

Keith stared at her as if she were speaking another language. “You’re… not keeping it? You’re terminating the pregnancy?”

Amara nodded. “Yeah. I’m done.”

This time, Keith was genuinely stunned.

He knew exactly how much this baby meant to her. How could she just drop it like that?

He reached out and gently grabbed her hand. “Did something happen? Why the sudden change of heart?”

Amara’s expression darkened. “My dad has been pushing me to give up the baby for a while. He promised that if I did, he’d give me the majority shares. I’d be the chairman of the Sullivan Group, I could hire a CEO to run it, and the entire Sullivan estate would be mine.”

“I kept putting it off because I have proof of Fiona’s infidelity.”

“I figured I could just toss that evidence at my dad whenever I wanted and he’d be so disgusted & with Fiona and Elawen that he’d leave everything to me anyway? Since he’d have no other family left, I wouldn’t need to lose the baby.”

“But then my dad dropped a bombshell. He said if I don’t terminate the pregnancy, he’ll only leave me ten percent of the shares. He already knows about Fiona’s. affar so he wouldn’t leave the test

them either. He’d just donate it

to t

all.”

Amara gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

She looked up at Keith. “I’m out of options. I have to secure those shares to get my revenge on Fiona and Elowen… This is the only way.”

Keith was floored.

It took him several seconds to process the information, analyzing the situation in his head.

Finally, he exhaled. “Your dad is incredibly old-fashioned. He thinks the chairman of the Sullivan Group can’t have any scandals, and having a child out of wedlock ruins your image for the role…”

“But he also clearly loves you, which is why he wouldn’t leave you with nothing. That’s why he offered the ten percent.”

“Honestly, ten percent is still a massive fortune. The Sullivan Group is a titan. With that kind of money, you’d be set for life—you just wouldn’t be running the show.”

Keith gave his assessment, and Amara nodded. “Exactly. That’s exactly how his mind works.”

Her face was calm, but she was visibly disheartened.

Keith studied her softly. “Honestly, maybe it’s for the best. Being a single mom is incredibly tough. When are you planning to do it?”