Oops! My Secret Baby Is Caught By His Top-Lawyer Daddy! Novel

---- Chapter 12: Partners Night had fallen deep and heavy, but maybe it was the excitement from a full day at kindergarten-Leo showed zero signs of sleep. He tossed and turned in his little bed, babbling nonstop, eager to share every little thought with his mom. Clara lay on her side in the big bed, watching her son's carefree grin light up the room, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction settle over her. All those months of anxious waiting during pregnancy, the gut-wrenching pain of labor, the exhausting grind of raising a kid on her own-every bit of it had been totally worth it.

Yep, she promised herself, she'd give him a childhood filled with happiness. "Leo, do you want a dad?" she asked softly. Leo's eyes lit up. "Is Aaron my dad?" "Yes," Clara answered without hesitation. ---- Leo nodded seriously. "Okay, then I like him. He's kind of grumpy, but I still like him." Clara thought, maybe that's just the magic of blood ties. "But you know what?" Leo added with a grin. "I love Mommy the most! I have the best mom in the whole world. I don't even need a dad." That made Clara smile big, her heart swelling with warmth and joy.

She felt like she could conquer anything for Leo. Soon, Leo was softly snoring, but Clara still couldn't drift off. She couldn't resist opening WhatsApp and checking her chat with Aaron. "Are you sure you don't want to think it over?" she typed and erased several times before finally hitting send. Aaron replied almost immediately: "Nope. No need. Just adding another partner." She chuckled quietly. Maybe she was making a ---- mountain out of a molehill. Right-life partners. That sounded... decent. Her own parents had such a great marriage, and yet it fell apart in a mess.

A marriage certificate was just paper. Life was what you made of it. So why make things so complicated? Clara stopped fighting it, relaxed her body and mind, and soon sank into sleep. Aaron stared at his phone screen for a long moment. The contact named "Leo's Clara," with a photo of Leo as the avatar, hadn't sent another message. So he clicked on her posts. Every single photo was of Leo-running wild on the grass, bouncing a tiny basketball on the court, splashing in a creek with a little girl, flipping through picture books, feeding rabbits at the zoo...

Scrolling further-sunbathing with his diaper off, clutching a bottle, splashing in the bathtub, wobbly first steps... ---- Aaron's fingertip brushed the screen over that radiant smile, and his heart softened instantly. It was clear Leo was in good hands. This kid's mom? She was doing a great job. And I, Aaron, am a dad now. He calmed the storm inside him and felt even more confident about his plan. He couldn't afford to miss any more of his son's life. If he could make this work quietly, without a fight-that would be perfect. Threatening custody battles was just a bluff.

Even the best lawyers wouldn't give it more than a 80% chance. Besides, with his hectic schedule, he could never be there 24/7. Clara was definitely better at taking care of Leo. Decision made, Aaron put down his phone and organized his paperwork. The next morning, at 9:30, Clara's phone ---- buzzed with a new message from Aaron-just two words: "Come down!" She took a deep breath, opened her door, and headed downstairs. Aaron sat in the back seat of the car, watching Clara step out the front door through the window. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He'd worried she might change her mind last minute. Girls were unpredictable like that-one minute yes, the next minute no. Clara walked closer, tall and slender, graceful in a crisp white blouse, beige wide-leg pants, and clean white sneakers-fresh as a college student. Her long, silky black hair swayed gently with her steps, almost like it was teasing the hearts of everyone nearby. She wasn't a fiery red-lip bombshell, but she had a charm all her own. Aaron rolled down the window and waved. Matt ---- quickly jumped out and opened the back door for her. "Thanks!" Clara said.

"No problem," Matt replied with a polite smile. The door shut, and for the first time, the two shared the cramped space. Clara felt a sudden flutter of nerves she couldn't explain. Aaron's black suit was perfectly pressed-simple, yet commanding. His stone-cold, unreadable expression made it impossible to look him in the eye. Clara thought wryly to herself, it felt less like going to register a marriage and more like attending a funeral.