Ties of a Contract のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

SophiaI wake up to a bright light hitting my face. I try to blink, but my eyelids feel heavy, and a constant buzzing hums in the back of my head. It takes me a few seconds to realize that I’m lying in a hospital bed. The smell of disinfectant, the faint beeping of machines, the white walls… everything confirms that I’ve been admitted. I try to lift my torso slowly, but an extreme fatigue weighs down my muscles, and I feel a sharp twinge at the back of my neck.I need a moment to piece together what happened. The last thing I remember is being in the lobby of Alexander’s office building, trying to leave as quickly as possible after the confrontation with my ex and with Leo, my own brother. I felt a strong dizziness, and then everything turned into a blur. Now, I wake up surrounded by tensions I still haven’t resolved.I turn my head to the side and see Alexander standing, talking to a man in a white coat—probably the doctor in charge of my care. They speak in hushed tones. My heart be

Sophia The child. He didn't say "my child." He speaks as if everything is just a move to maintain appearances, not a loving acknowledgment that we’re going to be parents. My stomach churns with frustration. I don't even know if he believes he's the father after everything that happened, and that makes me feel even worse. — Alexander, you're forcing me to go… but you don't even want to talk to me. What if I don't want to come back? — My voice trembles, and the question comes out weak, even though I try to sound firm. He presses his lips together. — I'll arrange for everything to be moved today. I don't want to risk any situation that could harm the pregnancy. I don't want to be the one to blame if something happens. And that's final. My heart races, and I try to insist. — Please, listen to me. We can't just pretend nothing happened. You don't trust me, and these accusations… He raises his hand, cutting me off. — I'm not ready to have this conversation. Right now, my prio

AlexanderThe night feels heavy as I park the car in front of the luxurious building where Olivia lives. The lights from the windows gleam against the dark sky, reflecting a hollow luxury, cold and empty—just like the owner of the apartment. I didn't tell anyone I was coming here. Not Dominic, not my private security, and most importantly, not Sophia.Every fiber of my body is tense. My mind replays Sophia's tearful eyes on a loop, her trembling voice saying she didn’t lie to me. And, above all, the words that have echoed in my head since I found out she’s pregnant."This baby could be mine. It has to be mine."I step out of the car, cross the lobby, and enter the elevator. The silence is deafening as I ascend to Olivia’s floor. Every number flashing on the panel makes my heart pound harder.When the elevator doors open, I walk down the carpeted hallway to her door. I don’t knock. I press the doorbell once and don’t wait more than a few seconds before she opens it.Olivia stands befor

AlexanderThe days following the hospital visit pass like a blur of meticulously planned routine. Every morning, I wake up early and ensure Sophia has everything she needs. Breakfast is carefully prepared, following the nutritionist’s recommendations, and I personally deliver it on a tray, with a rose on the side, every single morning.Sophia looks paler than usual, but her eyes seem lighter. She’s spent so much time carrying the burden of Olivia’s lies, Eleanor’s manipulations, and, above all, the weight of my own doubts. Now, my priority is to ensure nothing else hurts her.Today, I enter the room with the tray while she’s sitting in the armchair near the window, a laptop on her lap. The soft morning sunlight bathes her face, and for a moment, I stop to admire the scene."Good morning," I say softly.Sophia lifts her gaze and gives me a shy smile."Good morning."I set the tray on the side table next to her."I hope you're hungry. I made sure they prepared something light but nutrit

SophiaThe result is still engraved in my mind, like an immutable sentence that echoes endlessly. The cold, direct words on the paper, followed by Alexander's devastated look, still burn on my skin like a branding iron."Another mistake, Sophia? In how many of these mistakes will you be the innocent one?"Each syllable was a blow. Each pause, a knife digging deeper into my chest. I never, never had been with another man besides him after we got married. But now, doubt has poisoned everything we built, and there's nothing more I can do to convince him otherwise.My fingers tremble as I close the zipper of my suitcase for the last time. The room that was once my refuge now feels like a prison. The walls oppress me, the scent of his perfume is still on the pillow, on the clothes, in every corner of this space that, for a brief moment, was our home.A tear runs down my face as I look around one last time. It's funny how, in just a few seconds, a place can transform from a home into a fare