PART 7 - "Reveal and Revenge"
There's a certain kind of magic in knowing your power.
And baby, at nearly five months pregnant, with my bump rounding out every designer outfit I wore like it was stitched in heaven, I wasn't just glowing - I was untouchable.
Especially now.
Because we were planning a gender reveal that wasn't just a celebration...
It was a statement.
A message to the office, to the haters, to the ghosts still circling from Devon's past:
We're still together.
We're still untouchable.
And now we're raising royalty.
Scene: Penthouse Rooftop - Saturday Evening
The city skyline glittered behind me like diamonds tossed across velvet. The rooftop was transformed into a soft blush and cream dream - drapes flowing, candles flickering, live violinist playing "Adorn" by Miguel.
The guest list?
Curated.
Selective.
No Tiana. No Jasmine. No Lisa. And Marcus? Still suspended.
But there were whispers.
Rumors someone new was coming tonight.
An uninvited someone.
I wore a sheer long-sleeve ivory gown, open in the front to show my growing bump, adorned with pearls down the seams. My curls framed my face, lashes long, lips red.
Devon?
Lord.
A cream tux, black velvet loafers, and a watch that screamed generational wealth. His beard freshly edged, his scent - that cologne - still made my knees weaken.
He kissed my belly before the announcement.
"You ready?" he whispered.
"For the reveal?"
"No," he smirked, voice low. "For what's about to go down."
Scene: The Countdown
Everyone circled around the champagne tower. Devon held the saber. One clean slice to the top, the cork shot into the air -
And a burst of confetti exploded from the sides:
Soft blush and gold.
It's a girl.
The crowd screamed.
I laughed, full and warm.
He picked me up, spun me around, pressed a kiss to my lips that lingered longer than appropriate in public.
Our little girl.
She'd grow up knowing her mother never backed down.
That her father would tear through fire for us both.
But just as the music picked up - she walked in.
Her.
Candice.
Devon's ex.
The one from before me.
The one who broke him.
The one who left him wrecked and guarded and cold.
She walked in like a storm. Body banging. Hair slick. Eyes locked directly on me.
"Oh," she said, smiling sweet but venomous, "I didn't get the invite. Thought I'd come anyway. I am family... once upon a time."
Devon stiffened beside me.
I placed a hand on my bump and stepped forward.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Only current family's allowed."
Scene: Rooftop Confrontation
She got close. Too close.
Champagne glass in one hand. Ego in the other.
"You think this will last?" she hissed. "He came back to me once. He could do it again."
I laughed. Loud enough for the guests to turn.
"You really think you're still in the running? He's not just mine anymore - he's a father now. This is legacy. And you?" I stepped forward, face inches from hers. "You're nothing but expired temptation."
Devon stepped between us, tall and still, voice low and dangerous.
"You don't get to show up here and disrespect the mother of my child."
She scoffed. "So this is who you chose over me?"
He looked at me - eyes soft, then turned back.
"No. She chose me. And she's the only one who ever could."
Scene: Later That Night - Our Bedroom
The rooftop was cleaned, the guests gone, and we were tangled in silk sheets and whispered moans.
He kissed every inch of me like a promise, his hands tender over my belly, his mouth wicked on my thighs.
"You handled her like a queen," he murmured, breath hot against my skin.
"Because I am one," I gasped, gripping his curls as he worshipped me slowly. "And queens don't compete with peasants."
His tongue found that spot, and I shattered all over again.