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CHAPTER 12: JEALOUSY
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2026-10-25 15:59:32CHAPTER 12: JEALOUSY
The morning was bright and quiet as I walked through the estate gardens. I was wearing an oversized knit sweater over a high-collared shirt—mostly because my usual fitted pants were getting a little tight around my waist. "Well, look who’s enjoying his stolen victory." I stopped. Tyla stepped out from behind a hedge, his face twisted in pure spite. His usual sweet, helpless Omega act was completely gone. "Walking pretty tall today, aren't you, Soren?" Tyla sneered, stepping closer. "Enjoying playing the grand corporate heir next to James?" "The land belongs to my family, Tyla," I said coolly. "If you have a problem, talk to the lawyers." Tyla scoffed and suddenly lunged forward as if to shove me. My instincts instantly took over. I took a quick step back, my hands jumping down to cover and protect my stomach. Tyla froze. His eyes darted straight to my hands, then to my high collar and my heavy sweater. "What's wrong with you?" Tyla murmured, narrowing his eyes. "You're acting jumpy. And why are you wearing clothes three sizes too big in warm weather?" "I don't owe you any explanations," I said coldly, stepping around him. "Stay away from my room, Tyla." He didn't follow me, but I knew his suspicious mind was already spinning. Meanwhile, at the office, James was having a bizarre morning. He sat at his heavy desk, feeling completely exhausted out of nowhere. On top of that, he had a crazy craving for sour pickles. His secretary, Arthur, walked in and paused. "Sir? Are you okay? You look pale." "I'm fine, Arthur," James grunted, holding his lower stomach. "Just tired." "Sir, you've been tired and moody for a week," Arthur said, trying not to smile. "Maybe you should see your family doctor, Dr. Stone?" Two hours later, James was sitting in Dr. Stone’s office. The old family doctor ran a quick scan and laughed softly. "Well, James, physically you're fine. But your hormones show Couvade syndrome." James frowned. "What's that?" "It happens to Prime Alphas when their partner is pregnant," Dr. Stone chuckled. "Your body is copying your partner's symptoms—nausea, fatigue, and cravings. So either you have a weird virus, or you have a pregnant Omega." James froze. "That's impossible. I'm just overworked." He left the clinic in total denial. Soren? Pregnant? No way. Soren was focused on revenge. When James got back to the estate, he found me in the study. He stood in the doorway, staring at my baggy sweater. "Soren... is there something you want to tell me?" I looked up calmly. "About the company?" "No," James said, stepping closer. "About why you're wearing huge clothes and refusing wine." "I just like big sweaters, James," I lied smoothly. "And my stomach is still sensitive." James stared at me, unsatisfied, but nodded and left. Determined to clear his head, James walked into his bedroom to grab his watch from the nightstand drawer. But tucked in the back, he found a small velvet box. Inside were scent-blocking patches and a small white plastic stick. Two pink lines glowed on the screen. James stopped breathing. He’s pregnant. With my baby. A rush of pure joy hit his chest, followed immediately by confusion and worry. He grabbed the test, walked straight back into the study, and slammed it gently onto the desk in front of me. My heart dropped into my stomach. I looked down at the stick, my mouth going completely dry. I knew I was in trouble, and there was no way I could lie out of this anymore. "Are you going to explain this, Soren?" James asked, his voice low and strained. I swallowed hard, pulling my sweater tighter around myself. "Fine. Yes, I'm pregnant. But James, you should just stay out of it. We signed a contract. Our deal is about corporate revenge against Matthew and Victor, nothing more. We just need to focus on that." James stared at me as if I had just struck him across the face. "Stay out of it? It's my child, Soren!" "It doesn't change our business plan," I insisted, keeping my guard up. "Don't get involved." James didn't yell. He just closed his eyes, his smoked cedar scent darkening with intense heartbreak. He slowly backed away and left the room without another word. Deep down, James was devastated. He felt completely rejected, concluding that I simply didn't want him—that I saw him as nothing more than a temporary tool for revenge. What I didn't realize was that James had loved me ever since that first night we spent together. He had been falling deeper for me every single day, and hearing me reduce everything to a business contract crushed him. Feeling deeply moody and defeated, James drove straight back to the office. He slumped into his chair, staring blankly out the window. Arthur walked in a few minutes later, setting a cup of coffee on the desk. He took one look at his boss's miserable expression and sighed softly. "Sir... what happened?" Arthur asked gently. James rubbed his face, his voice quiet and heavy. "Hypothetically... what do you do if a friend loves his partner, but the partner doesn't feel the same way? What if the friend just found out the partner is pregnant, but kept it a secret because they only care about business?" Arthur listened quietly, but he couldn't help a small, sympathetic smile from forming on his face. Arthur knew his boss far too well. He knew James wasn't talking about any "friend." He had seen the way James looked at me, and he remembered how endlessly James had searched for me after that night. "Well, sir," Arthur said softly, "if this 'friend' truly loves his partner, he shouldn't give up so easily. Sometimes people build high walls when they've been hurt before. Maybe the partner is just scared." James looked up at Arthur, silent for a long moment, as the words slowly sank in.
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