Chapter 19: Unwanted Attachment

Julian ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. His mind was spinning, trying to grasp the reality in front of him. His gaze locked onto Sophia, searching for any hint of deception.

“Wait,” he said finally, his voice laced with frustration. “I don’t even know you that well. Why am I choosing to believe you? Why should I just accept that this baby is mine?”

Sophia’s fingers curled into the hospital blanket. She had expected this, but hearing it still made her chest tighten. She met his gaze, steady and unwavering.

“You can run a DNA test,” she said simply. “I have nothing to hide. I haven’t been with anyone else since that night.”

Julian studied her for a long moment, his jaw tightening. His logical mind screamed at him to question everything. To doubt her. To protect himself.

But something in her voice—so firm, so certain—made it hard to ignore.

He let out a slow breath, leaning back in his chair. “Fine,” he said. “We’ll do a test after the baby is born. But until then…”

Sophia arched a brow. “Until then, what?”

Julian’s lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke.

“I’ll take care of you.”

…..

Days passed, and Sophia resumed work at St. Clair Industries. It felt strange to be back, as if nothing had changed, yet everything had. The weight of her mother’s death, the pregnancy, and Julian’s presence in her life made every moment feel heavier.

As she walked into the office, she noticed the way people glanced at her, whispered when they thought she wasn’t listening. She tried to ignore it, but then someone leaned in and murmured, “The boss is so nice to get, I've never seen him this nice with someone”

She froze.

Her heart thudded against her ribs as she turned to the speaker—a woman from the finance department, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

“What?” Sophia asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

The woman smiled knowingly. “Mr. St. Clair. He’s different with you. Haven’t you noticed?”

Sophia forced out a small laugh, shaking her head. “That’s ridiculous.”

But as she walked toward Julian’s office, she couldn’t shake the words.

Yet when she stepped inside, she found him sitting at his desk, staring at her as if he had been waiting. The tension in the room was thick, the air charged with something she couldn’t quite name.

“Sit,” Julian said, his voice calm but firm.

Sophia hesitated before taking a seat across from him. She tried to steady her heartbeat, but the intensity in his gaze made it impossible.

Then, without warning, he slid a document across the desk toward her.

Her breath caught as she recognized what it was.

A marriage contract.

Again.

Sophia looked up sharply. “What is this?”

Julian leaned back, his fingers interlocked on the desk. “A proposal. A contract marriage, officially.”

She let out a humorless chuckle. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

She pushed the papers back toward him. “I already told you—I’m not interested in a contract marriage.”

Julian didn’t move. He just watched her, his expression unreadable. “Why?”

Sophia exhaled sharply. “Because I refuse to be trapped in something that isn’t real.”

He tilted his head slightly. “And what if it could be?”

Something flickered in his eyes—something she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Sophia swallowed, shaking her head. “No.”

Julian exhaled, rubbing his temple as if trying to push back frustration. “Sophia, think about it—”

“I have thought about it,” she interrupted, her voice firm. “And my answer is still no.”

She stood up, ready to leave.

But before she reached the door, Julian’s voice stopped her.

“But you claim you are carrying my child” Julian continued. I won't allow you risk my child's life, alright!....This isn't over”.

Sophia clenched her jaw, refusing to turn back.

She knew that.

Because despite her refusal, a part of her feared she was already too deep into something she couldn’t escape.

As the door closed behind Sophia, Julian let out a slow breath, rubbing his fingers against his temple. He should have expected her reaction. She was stubborn, strong-willed, and not the type to be easily swayed. But still, something about the way she had looked at him before walking out left a strange, unsettling feeling in his chest.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the contract papers she had pushed back at him. He should have just let it go, moved on like he always did with things that didn’t work in his favor. But this was different.

She was different.

Julian found himself thinking about the past few days—how he had spent more time with her than he ever had with anyone. It wasn’t just about the pregnancy or the responsibility he felt toward her. There was something else.

Something that made him restless.

He remembered the quiet moments in the hospital when she had been asleep, how he had caught himself watching her, memorizing the way her lashes rested against her cheeks. He had told himself it was just concern, but even now, he knew it was more than that.

Every time she walked into a room, his attention went straight to her. Every time she looked at him, his thoughts became a little less clear.

Julian exhaled, his grip tightening around the pen in his hand.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

He had always been in control—of his life, his emotions, everything. Yet, with Sophia, that control felt like it was slipping.

He had never thought about any woman the way he was thinking about her now.

He ran a hand down his face, frustrated. He wanted to believe it was just the circumstances—the pregnancy, their past, the unexpected way their lives had become tangled. But deep down, he knew it wasn’t just that.

He wanted to see her.

Even now, with the office door shut and the space between them, he wanted to get up, find her, and hear her voice again.

Julian cursed under his breath, shaking his head.

This was dangerous.

But no matter how much he tried to push the thoughts away, they refused to leave.