Updated Mar 22, 2026 • ~4 min read
Chapter 16: The Explosion
CONRAD
Patrick called me.
Last night.
After the mixer.
“Conrad. We need to talk. About Maren.”
And he told me.
Maren is pregnant.
Has been for months.
Hiding it.
And there are rumors.
About who the father is.
“I don’t deal in rumors, Patrick.”
“Then deal in facts. She’s been taking afternoons off. Medical appointments. And she’s been… distracted. Since Miami.”
Miami.
The conference.
Four months ago.
Where both Ross Agency and King Industries were present.
No.
It can’t be.
***
I make calls.
Hotel security from the Miami conference.
It takes money. Connections.
But I get the footage.
And there it is.
Maren.
Walking into the hotel elevator.
With Jasper King.
Kissing.
Going to her room.
Together.
***
I call Maren into my office.
Saturday morning.
Before she can tell me herself.
She arrives looking nervous.
“Uncle Conrad. I need to talk to you about something—”
I turn my laptop around.
Show her the footage.
Her face goes white.
“Where did you get that?”
“Miami hotel security. You and Jasper King. Four months ago.”
She’s shaking.
“I can explain—”
“Explain? EXPLAIN? You slept with a King. Our sworn enemy. And now you’re pregnant with his baby.”
Silence.
Confirmation.
“Oh my God. It’s true.”
Maren stands.
“Yes. It’s true. But it’s not what you think—”
“Not what I think? What am I supposed to think? That you didn’t betray this family? That you didn’t get pregnant by a KING?”
“I love him.”
Those three words.
They destroy me.
“You LOVE him? Maren, he’s the enemy. His family killed your mother. They’ve been trying to destroy us for forty years.”
“That’s not true—”
“IT IS TRUE. Your mother worked herself to death fighting them. And you’re sleeping with one?”
Tears stream down her face.
“It’s not like that. Jasper is different. He wants to end the feud—”
“Of course he does. Because he’s WINNING. He got you pregnant. He’s infiltrating our family. This is exactly what Kings do.”
“He’s not infiltrating anything. He loves me. He wants this baby—”
“He wants to DESTROY us. And you’re letting him.”
I’m yelling now.
Furious.
Hurt.
Betrayed.
“Get out.”
“Uncle Conrad—”
“GET OUT. You’re off this account. Off every account. You’re suspended pending board review.”
“You can’t do that—”
“I can. And I am. You betrayed this family. You dishonored your mother’s memory. You chose a King over your own blood.”
She’s sobbing.
“Please. Just listen—”
“I’VE HEARD ENOUGH. Get out of my office. Get out of this building.”
She leaves.
And I’m left with the footage.
Playing on loop.
Maren and Jasper King.
My sister must be rolling in her grave.
***
MAREN
I’m in the parking lot.
Sobbing.
Can’t breathe.
Conrad kicked me out.
Suspended me.
Disowned me.
Everything I feared.
I call Jasper.
He answers immediately.
“Maren? What’s wrong?”
“He knows. Conrad knows. Everything.”
“I’m coming to you. Where are you?”
“Office parking lot.”
“Stay there. I’m five minutes away.”
He shows up in four.
Finds me crying in my car.
Pulls me out.
Holds me.
“I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
But I’m not okay.
“He hates me. Conrad hates me. He kicked me out of the agency.”
“Then we’ll start our own agency. Like we planned.”
“You don’t understand. He’s not just my boss. He’s my family. He raised me. And now he thinks I betrayed him.”
Jasper pulls back.
Looks at me.
“Did you?”
“What?”
“Betray him? Or did you choose your own happiness?”
I don’t know.
Both?
“Come on. Let’s get you home.”
“I can’t go home. My apartment is owned by the agency. Conrad will change the locks.”
Jasper doesn’t hesitate.
“Then come to my place. Move in with me.”
“Jasper—”
“I mean it. Move in. We’re having a baby together anyway. Let’s stop hiding.”
Move in with Jasper King.
Publicly.
Openly.
It will be the scandal of the decade.
But what choice do I have?
“Okay.”
***
JASPER
My phone won’t stop ringing.
Board members.
Family members.
Industry colleagues.
Word is spreading.
Jasper King got Maren Ross pregnant.
The feud just became personal.
And my board is furious.
Emergency meeting called for Monday morning.
But I don’t care.
Maren is upstairs.
In my bedroom.
Packing her things from her apartment.
(Security let her in to grab essentials.)
She’s moving in.
We’re doing this.
Publicly.
And if the board doesn’t like it?
They can fire me.
Because I’m not losing her.
Not for anything.
END OF CHAPTER 16
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