THE BILLIONAIRE'S FOUR SECRET HEIR'S AND HIS BETRAYED WIFE

THE SECRET THAT FOLLOWED VERONICA

Three days later, Richard sat alone in his office, staring at the documents scattered across his desk without actually reading any of them. He had spent the last few days trying to convince himself that everything that had happened was already behind him. Veronica had left his house, Lynn was still beside him, and life was supposed to move forward.

Yet something felt strangely incomplete.

Richard leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. There was a name he had been trying to remember, something important that had slipped from his mind. He closed his eyes, attempting to put the pieces together, but before he could remember, his phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up and looked at the screen.

It was Doctor Lucas.

Richard frowned before answering the call.

“Did Lynn visit the hospital?” he asked immediately.

“Good morning, Mr. Richard,” Doctor Lucas greeted politely.

“Please, go straight to the point. I am busy.”

Doctor Lucas paused for a moment. He was already used to Richard's impatient nature.

“You must have been celebrating after discovering that Veronica is expecting your baby.”

Richard's eyebrows immediately drew together.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean Veronica is pregnant. She is carrying your child.”

For several seconds, Richard remained completely silent.

The color slowly disappeared from his face.

“You mean Veronica is pregnant?”

“Yes,” Doctor Lucas replied. “I would have called you earlier, but I assumed she had already told you herself. I thought she would have shared the news with you.”

Richard did not wait for him to finish.

He ended the call and dropped the phone onto the table.

“My goodness…”

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

He stood abruptly and began pacing around the office.

Veronica was pregnant.

His wife was carrying his child.

The heir he had desperately wanted was already growing inside the woman he had allowed to walk out of his house.

“This cannot be happening,” Richard muttered, running both hands through his hair. “Not after I allowed her to leave.”

He stopped beside the window and stared outside.

For the first time, the reality of what he had done began to weigh heavily on him.

How could he have allowed Veronica to leave without knowing the truth?

How could he have pushed away the woman who was carrying the child he had always wanted?

The office door suddenly opened.

Lynn walked inside with a smile on her face. She approached Richard and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

“You look worried again,” she whispered.

Richard barely reacted.

“That's because Veronica left my house with my baby.”

Lynn's hands immediately dropped from his waist.

She stared at him.

“What did you just say?”

Richard turned around slowly.

“Veronica is pregnant.”

Lynn's lips parted.

For a moment, she could not speak.

“So she is carrying his child,” she whispered to herself.

The hand she had been resting against Richard's back slowly fell to her side.

“But… are you sure?” she asked, trying to hide the panic in her voice. “Don't you think she might have gotten pregnant by someone else?”

Richard's expression hardened.

“No. I trust Veronica. She has always been faithful to me. She is not like you.”

The words struck Lynn like a slap.

Richard did not even notice the pain that crossed her face.

“My God,” he continued, pacing again. “What have I done to myself? How am I going to explain this to the Williams family?”

“And what about my baby?”

Richard stopped.

Lynn stepped closer, her eyes beginning to fill with anger.

“Yes, Richard. What about my pregnancy? If you suddenly care so much about Veronica's baby, does that mean you never loved me? Does that mean you don't care about the child I am carrying?”

“Look, Lynn,” Richard said impatiently. “Veronica is my legal wife. If there is anyone I am supposed to present to my family with an heir, it is Veronica. You were only supposed to come second if she remained unable to give me a child. But now she is pregnant. She has everything my family expects from her.”

Before he could say another word, Lynn raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed through the office.

Richard froze.

Slowly, he placed his hand against his cheek and stared at her in disbelief.

“You slapped me, Lynn.”

“Yes, I did.”

Lynn's chest rose and fell rapidly.

“You cannot use me and then throw me away when you no longer need me. I am not Veronica. You may have broken her heart and expected her to quietly walk away, but you will not do that to me.”

Richard stared at her.

“My child must come first,” Lynn continued firmly. “And you are going to present me to your family at the Williams Charity Gala.”

Richard's eyes widened.

“The gala is in three months.”

“I know.”

“My parents will be there.”

“I know that too.”

“And what exactly do you expect me to do?”

Lynn stepped closer.

“You will introduce me as the woman carrying your child. Otherwise, I will make sure every secret your family has buried comes to light.”

Richard's jaw tightened.

The woman standing before him was no longer the Lynn he thought he knew.

The war between them had officially begun.

Meanwhile, Veronica was trying to rebuild her life in a small apartment she had rented with the little money she had left.

She had recently secured a job as a cleaner at a reputable company. The work was not easy, especially because she was pregnant, but she refused to complain.

She needed money.

She needed independence.

And most importantly, she needed to stay away from Richard.

That morning, she was busy cleaning one of the offices when another employee laughed.

“She is sweeping so well because she is expecting something great from the CEO,” the woman joked.

Veronica smiled faintly and continued working.

That day was special because the company's owner was finally returning.

Mr. Alex Thompson, a sixty-year-old billionaire businessman, had been away for nearly three years. He had spent most of the time overseas handling international investments, expanding his business empire, and allowing his son, Mikel, to manage the company.

The entire staff gathered outside to welcome him.

A convoy of expensive vehicles entered the compound.

Everyone stood in silence as Mr. Alex stepped out of the main car.

His presence alone was enough to command attention.

Mikel stood beside him, ready to introduce the staff.

But before he could say anything, Mr. Alex's eyes suddenly landed on Veronica.

He stared at her.

Something about her face seemed strangely familiar.

“Who is she?” he asked.

Mikel turned.

“That is Veronica. She is one of our new employees.”

Mr. Alex continued staring.

“I feel like I have seen her somewhere before.”

Veronica's heart began beating faster.

She also recognized him somehow.

But she could not remember where.

Mikel approached her.

“You look familiar,” he said. “You seem to be connected to the Williams family.”

Veronica immediately shook her head.

“No, sir. I am new in this town. I don't know that family.”

Mikel studied her for a moment but did not press further.

“Nevertheless, that is not why I called you. My mother wants you to start cleaning our residence. Your work here has been excellent, and this will give you an opportunity to earn more.”

“As long as it pays more, I don't mind,” Veronica replied.

Mikel nodded.

“Good. You can leave immediately after my father finishes welcoming the staff.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Veronica lowered her head and prepared to leave.

But before she could take more than a few steps, Mr. Alex's voice suddenly stopped her.

“Wait.”

Everyone became silent.

Mr. Alex stared at Veronica with a strange expression.

“Aren't you Mr. Thompson's daughter?”

Veronica froze.

Her heart nearly stopped.

“Yes, sir,” she answered with a trembling voice.

Mr. Alex's expression changed instantly.

“And what is she doing with that on her body?”

His voice suddenly rose, shocking everyone around him.

“Father, what is going on?” Mikel asked worriedly.

Mr. Alex did not answer.

“Both of you,” he ordered, pointing toward Veronica and Mikel. “Come to my office immediately.”

Veronica's hands began to tremble.

She followed them slowly, desperately trying to remember where she had met Mr. Alex and why he had reacted so strongly upon seeing her.