Hayden liked to test me, so fresh out of college he told me to take on his five-million mortgage to prove my love.
When I refused, he turned around and paid eight million in cash for a villa for the campus beauty.
He held up the deed and smiled at me.
"Daphne, I'm actually rich, I only played poor to test you, and you failed, so we're done."
I smiled, shrugged, and walked out without looking back.
Funny thing, my father is the richest man in the country, and I was playing poor too.
Four years later we met again at the national wealth summit.
Hayden had just clawed into the top fifty, Vivian on his arm.
He saw me in a plain dress with a child in my arms and decided I was the hired help.
"Daphne, chasing me all the way here, how desperate," he said, "a man on the rich list and a woman babysitting, know your place."
I didn't answer him.
I was too busy resenting my father for dragging me here on the one day I'd saved to spend with my son.
He has no idea the boy in my arms has my last name.
And no idea whose summit he's actually standing in.
***
"Keep your head down, Leo," I murmured, shifting my three-and-a-half-year-old son higher on my hip.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes against my plain cotton collar, letting out a soft yawn.
I pressed two fingers to my right temple, fighting a sharp headache. My father insisted I attend this American Capital Summit. A whole Saturday I should have spent building block towers with my boy, wasted in the crowded, glittering foyer of the Grand Hall.
"Well, look what dragged itself in from the slums."
The voice cut through the hum of the elite crowd. I didn't need to turn around to recognize that arrogant sneer.
Hayden stepped right into my path, blocking the entrance to the main ballroom. He wore a sharp navy suit, a heavy gold watch flashing on his wrist. Clinging to his arm was Vivian, our old college beauty queen, draped in a tight crimson dress.
Hayden had just scraped his way into the top fifty of the American Wealth Index. He carried himself like he owned the entire building.
He eyed my faded jeans and oversized beige sweater. Then his gaze dropped to the toddler in my arms. A cruel smirk twisted his lips.
"Daphne," Hayden said, pitching his voice loud enough to draw stares from the nearby executives. "Are you really that desperate?"
I adjusted Leo's weight. "Move out of my way, Hayden."
"Chasing me all the way to a billionaire's summit?" He laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Working as a nanny now just to sneak into the venue?"
Vivian giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Hayden, don't be so harsh. Maybe her employer just needed someone to hold the baby while they network."
"I suggest you recognize reality," Hayden continued, stepping closer. "We are worlds apart. Stop dreaming you have a chance with me."
I tightened my grip on Leo's back. The little boy whimpered, startled by the sudden noise and the aggressive tone.
"Hush, sweetie. It's just a loud dog barking," I whispered into his soft hair, rocking him gently.
"Who are you calling a dog?" Vivian snapped, her manicured nails digging into Hayden's sleeve.
I ignored her. My mind flashed back four years. Hayden, claiming his startup was bankrupt, begging me to co-sign a five-million-dollar mortgage. When I refused to ruin my credit for his lies, he dropped the act. He bought a luxury villa in full cash for Vivian the very next day. He threw the glossy property deed right at my chest and walked out.
He thought he left me with nothing. He never knew I walked away carrying Leo.
"Still ignoring me?" Hayden crossed his arms. "You always did have a stubborn streak. But pride doesn't pay the bills, Daphne. How much does this babysitting gig pay? Minimum wage?"
"You have no idea why I am here," I said, keeping my voice flat.
"Oh, I know exactly why you are here." Hayden puffed out his chest. "You saw my name on the American Wealth Index. You realized what you threw away. Now you're stalking me at high-profile events."
I lifted my chin. My gaze drifted past Hayden's smug face, landing on the massive crystal plaque suspended above the main stage at the far end of the hall.
Presented by the Sinclair Group.
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
Hayden thought he had crushed me. He had no idea this entire summit bore my last name. My father, the elusive billionaire behind the Sinclair empire, organized this entire charade.
"Are you smiling?" Hayden scowled, clearly offended by my lack of tears. "You think this is funny?"
"I think your imagination is running wild," I replied.
"You are pathetic," Vivian chimed in, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Hayden is a VIP guest today. He's going to meet the summit organizer. You shouldn't even be breathing the same air as us."
"Is that so?" I asked.
"Yes, that's so." Hayden stepped into my personal space, his cologne thick and suffocating. "Security will kick you out the second they realize you don't belong. You don't have a badge. You don't have an invitation. You just have someone else's brat in your arms."
Leo buried his face deeper into my neck. I patted his back, my eyes locking onto Hayden's.
"He is not someone else's brat," I stated clearly.
Hayden froze for a fraction of a second. Then he burst out laughing.
"Yours? You had a kid?" He shook his head in mock pity. "Let me guess. Some deadbeat left you high and dry? Fitting end for you, Daphne."
"Hayden, we should go," Vivian urged, tugging his arm. "The opening speech is starting soon. You need to secure a good seat near the front."
"Hold on, Viv." Hayden refused to budge. He wanted an audience. A few passing businessmen had stopped to watch the commotion, their eyes darting between my plain clothes and Hayden's tailored suit.
"You want to play rich?" Hayden taunted. "You want to pretend you belong here among the elite? Go ahead. Show me your invitation."
"I don't need an invitation," I said.
"Because you sneaked in through the service elevator." He pointed a finger at my face. "Leave. Before I call the guards and have you thrown out on the street."
I shifted my stance, balancing Leo entirely on my left hip. I raised my right hand and checked my watch. My father would be looking for me soon. I didn't have time for this circus.
"I am walking through those doors," I said, pointing toward the VIP lounge. "Do not block my path again."
"Or what?" Hayden challenged, stepping sideways to block me once more. "You'll hit me with a diaper bag?"
Vivian snickered loudly.
I stared at the man I once thought I loved. The greed and vanity oozed from his pores. Four years ago, the betrayal stung. Today, he just looked like a clown in a borrowed suit.
"You really think you're untouchable now," I observed.
"My net worth is fifty million dollars," Hayden boasted, adjusting his lapels. "I am on the VIP list. You are a nobody holding a bastard child."
My jaw tightened. I could tolerate his insults toward me. But calling Leo a bastard crossed a line.
"The organizer of this summit," I said, cutting through his gloating. "Do you know who they are?"
"Everyone knows it's the Sinclair Group," Hayden scoffed, recovering his arrogant posture. "They are the undisputed kings of the financial sector. The CEO is a legend. Not that a nanny would understand corporate structures."
"And you have a meeting with this legend?" I pressed, keeping my tone perfectly even.
Vivian puffed up her chest. "Hayden is on the shortlist for a partnership. The Sinclair Group is looking to invest in tech startups. Hayden's company is their top choice."
"Is it?" I tilted my head.
"Of course it is," Hayden snapped. "My pitch deck is flawless. I've spent six months preparing for this exact day. I am going to shake hands with the head of Sinclair, secure a twenty-million-dollar investment, and solidify my place in the top tier."
He leaned down, trying to intimidate me. "While you will go back to wiping spit-up off your cheap sweaters. That is the difference between us, Daphne. I build empires. You clean up messes."
A small crowd had formed around us. A woman in a silver gown whispered to her companion, eyeing my jeans with clear disdain. A man in a grey suit chuckled at Hayden's cruel joke.
They all saw exactly what Hayden wanted them to see. A powerful, wealthy man putting a pathetic, desperate woman in her place.
Leo stirred against my chest, his little hands gripping my sweater. "Mommy," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Loud."
"I know, baby," I soothed him, rubbing circles on his back. "We'll go somewhere quiet in a minute."
"Mommy?" Hayden repeated, his eyebrows shooting up. He stared at Leo's face, hidden against my neck. "So it really is yours. I guess you couldn't trap a rich man after all."
"You have a very high opinion of yourself, Hayden," I said.
"I have a realistic opinion of myself." He checked his gold watch again, a theatrical gesture meant for the onlookers. "I've wasted enough time on you. The Sinclair representatives are waiting inside."
"You should probably hurry then," I said.
Vivian glared at me. "Don't you dare speak to him with that attitude. You should be begging him for a handout. Maybe if you grovel, he'll give you a job scrubbing the floors at his new office."
"I don't think his office will be open much longer," I remarked.
Hayden's face flushed red with sudden anger. He hated being dismissed. He hated that I wasn't crying or screaming or begging.
"Listen to me, you worthless bitch," Hayden hissed, dropping the polished gentleman act. He pointed a finger inches from my nose. "You are nothing. You have nothing. If you don't turn around and walk out those doors right now, I will personally drag you out."
"Security!" Vivian called out, waving her hand toward a pair of guards standing near the velvet ropes. "Excuse me, security! This woman is harassing us!"
The two burly guards in black suits immediately turned their attention toward our group. They started marching over, their expressions stern.
Hayden smirked in triumph. "Let's see how arrogant you are when they toss you in the gutter."
I didn't flinch. I didn't step back. I just stood my ground, holding my son, and watched the guards approach.
"Ma'am," the taller guard said, stopping in front of me. He glanced at my casual clothes, then at Hayden's expensive suit.
"Finally," Hayden sighed dramatically. "Get this woman out of here. She doesn't have an invitation and she's causing a scene."
"Is this true, ma'am?" the guard asked me.
I shifted my gaze from the guard back to Hayden. He looked so incredibly pleased with himself. He thought he held all the cards. He thought he controlled the board.
"What, cat got your tongue because I'm right?" Hayden taunted, taking a step closer. "Are you too ashamed to speak?"
I finally leveled my eyes with his.
"Do you know the organizer?" I asked.
