Chapter 80

Was this really Nicole? The girl he'd practically watched grow up like a little sister? She actually had the guts to switch the meds without asking him. Seriously? Wait a sec... if that's how it happened, then Ariella probably had no clue the pills were fake. Which means... the baby? The baby's his? Lucian froze, deep in thought. Nicole stood there, her nerves stretched taut like a string about to snap. Would he forgive her? She grew up in the Sterling house-this place was more home to her than anywhere else. The thought of getting kicked out scared her stupid. Yeah, she'd crossed a line, and deep down she knew it. She wrestled with it for a long time before doing it. But in her mind, she really thought she was helping him-helping them. She believed he loved Ariella, and maybe this would fix things. But what she thought didn't matter. What mattered was how he saw it. "Sir..." Nicole's voice trembled, "I know I screwed up. If you're gonna punish me, take my salary forever. I'll treat yo