Library

Search

Home / Romance / Pregnant After The Contract Ended / Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

All Chapters of Pregnant After The Contract Ended : Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

148 Chapters

Chapter 101

Naomi sat at the back of the room. She looked at the white paper. She thought about the storm in the mountains. She thought about the wind that had almost taken her. She thought about the fear and the cold.She began to draw. She didn't draw a pretty picture. She drew the sharp edges of the rocks. She drew the way the trees bent in the wind. She drew the darkness and the light.By the end of the class, Mrs. Gable was standing behind her. The room was quiet."You've lived this," the teacher whispered. "I can see the cold on the paper.""I have," Naomi said."Don't stop," Mrs. Gable said. "You have a gift, Naomi. Don't ever let anyone tell you to put your pencil down."Naomi felt a giant surge of happiness. It was a "sweet" feeling that had nothing to do with Lucas Ashford. It was the feeling of being seen for who she was, not who she belonged to.Back in the city, the afternoon was gray and rainy.Lucas was in the library, trying to read a business report. But the words were jumping on

Chapter 102

The sun rose over the mountain peak, turning the snow into a sheet of sparkling gold. Inside the stone house, the air was busy. It was no longer the quiet, sleepy house of a year ago. Now, it was a house of purpose.Naomi was standing by the small wooden table. She was wearing a simple white blouse and a dark skirt. Her hair was pulled back neatly. On the table sat her heavy college books and a bag full of charcoal pencils. She looked older, stronger, and more beautiful than ever. The "flower girl" was gone. In her place was a woman who knew the value of a hard day's work."Leo! Come here, my big boy!" Naomi called out.A small boy with messy dark curls and bright, curious eyes came running out of the bedroom. He was wearing tiny blue denim overalls and a striped shirt. He was one year old now. He wasn't a crawling baby anymore; he was a fast, laughing toddler. He had the Ashford chin and a smile that could melt the coldest ice."School?" Leo asked, his voice high and sweet. He had ju

Chapter 103

Back on the mountain, the "Home School" was in full swing.Martha had spread a colorful blanket on the floor. She had a bowl of smooth, round stones from the creek."Okay, Leo," Martha said, holding up one stone. "This is one. Can you say one?""Wun!" Leo shouted, his face full of joy."And if I add this one, how many do we have?"Leo looked at the stones. He touched them with his small fingers. "Two! Two stones!""Good boy!" Martha cheered. She picked him up and swung him around. "You are going to be the smartest boy in the whole world. Your mother is going to be so proud of you."Later, they went out into the garden. The air was cold, but the sun was bright. Martha showed Leo the tiny green sprouts coming up from the dirt."This is life, Leo," Martha whispered. "Even when it's cold, things want to grow. You have to be like these little plants. You have to keep pushing until you reach the sun."Leo didn't understand all the words, but he understood the feeling. He felt safe. He felt

Chapter 104

The Stone House: The Morning of the First AThe mountain air was crisp and smelled like pine needles. Inside the stone house, the kitchen was filled with the sound of a bubbling pot of oatmeal. Naomi was sitting at the wooden table, but she wasn't eating. She was staring at a large white envelope that had her name on it in formal black ink."Open it, child," Martha said, setting a bowl of warm porridge in front of Leo. "You’ve been staring at that paper for ten minutes. It’s not going to bite you."Leo looked up from his high chair, his face covered in a bit of milk. "Open! Open!" he shouted, mimicking Martha. He was growing so fast, his little voice getting stronger every day.Naomi’s fingers trembled as she tore the top of the envelope. She pulled out a thick piece of paper. Her eyes scanned the lines of text quickly. Suddenly, she let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hand."What is it? Is it bad news?" Martha asked, her voice full of worry."No," Naomi whispered. Tears sta

Chapter 105

She turned and floated out of the room, leaving Evelyn alone with her anger. Evelyn looked at her hands. They were shaking. She realized that by trying to control Naomi, she had let a real monster into her home. She had traded a girl with a heart of gold for a girl with a heart of stone.Downstairs, Lucas was sitting at his desk. He wasn't looking at spreadsheets. He was looking at a small, dried flower he had found in one of Naomi’s old books.He felt like a ghost. He went to the office, he signed papers, and he came home. He played the part of the powerful CEO, but inside, he was empty. He had stopped the search because every time the private detective called, Lucas felt like his heart was being squeezed.She is better off without me, he told himself every night. If I find her, I will only bring the Ashford curse back into her life. I will bring Valentina’s hate and my mother’s shadow. Let her be free.He didn't know that Naomi was at the top of her class. He didn't know that Leo wa

Chapter 106

The pencil moved across the paper with a soft scratch-scratch-scratch. Naomi didn’t hear the wind hitting the glass. She didn't hear the owl hooting in the trees outside. She only saw the lines. She saw the way her hand looked—strong, with a small scar from a kitchen knife—and the way Leo’s hand looked, soft and full of the future.She was finally, truly free.Naomi stood up and stretched her back. Her neck was stiff, but her heart felt light. She walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The floorboards creaked under her bare feet, but she knew exactly where to step so she wouldn't wake Martha or Leo.She saw a small shadow by the pantry."Martha?" Naomi whispered.The old woman was standing there with a piece of cold chicken in one hand and a smile on her face. "You caught me, child. At my age, sleep is a fickle friend. Sometimes a midnight snack is the only way to get back to dreams."Naomi laughed quietly and sat at the table. "I just finished the drawing for the competitio

Chapter 107

Naomi walked back to her locker. She felt like she was walking on air. But as she turned the corner, she saw Jessica and the red-haired girl standing by the bulletin board. They were looking at the list of students who had entered the competition."Look," Jessica said, pointing to Naomi’s name. "The 'Mountain Mystery' thinks she can win. I heard Mrs. Gable spent twenty minutes talking to her this morning. Talk about favoritism.""It’s because she has that 'sad mother' story," the red-haired girl sneered. "People love a tragedy. She probably uses the baby to get sympathy points. I bet she didn't even draw it herself. How can she draw when she’s busy cleaning a shack in the woods?"Naomi stopped. Usually, she would just walk past. Usually, she would let the words slide off her like rain on a leaf. But today, she felt the "mountain strength" Martha had talked about.She walked straight up to them. She didn't shout. She didn't get angry. She just stood tall and looked them in the eye."If

Chapter 108

The morning in the mountains was different today. The birds were singing, but the air felt electric. Naomi stood on the porch of the stone house. In her hand, she held a letter with a gold seal. It was the invitation. Her drawing, "The Only Thing That Matters," had not just won the local prize. It had been chosen for the National Art Show in the city."They want me to come, Martha," Naomi whispered. Her voice was shaking. "They want the artist to stand by the painting on opening night."Martha came out, wiping her hands on her apron. She looked at the gold seal and then at Naomi’s pale face. "The city. The place you ran from.""I can't go," Naomi said, her heart thumping. "What if I see them? What if a reporter takes my picture and it ends up on the front page of the business news? What if Lucas... what if he sees me?"Martha sat down in her rocking chair. She looked at the tall pines and the blue sky. "Naomi, you have spent a year building a new soul. You are a student. You are a mot

Chapter 109

They didn't know how right they were. In the "House of Glass," everyone was waiting for Friday. For some, it was a duty. For others, it was a secret plan. But for Lucas, it was just a way to escape the golden cage for a few hours.On the mountain, the atmosphere was completely different. It wasn't about diamonds and champagne. It was about love and courage.Naomi was standing in front of the old wardrobe. She pulled out a dress she had hidden at the very back. It was a simple dress of deep midnight blue. It didn't have lace or gold, but the fabric was soft and elegant.She put it on and looked in the mirror."You look like a star, Mama," Leo said. He was sitting on the bed, playing with a toy car.Naomi turned around and smiled. "Do I, Leo? Do I look like an artist?""You look like the moon," Martha said, walking in. She was wearing her best Sunday suit—a dark green jacket and a long skirt. She looked like a proud grandmother. "You look like a woman who has nothing to hide."Naomi sat

Chapter 110

The air in the gallery felt like it was made of glass. One wrong move, and everything would shatter. Lucas stood as still as a statue. His heart was hammering against his ribs. The woman in the midnight blue dress was standing right there. She had the same tilt of the head. she had the same soft glow around her."Naomi?" Lucas whispered. The name felt like a prayer he had forgotten how to say.He took another step. His shoes clicked on the polished floor. The woman turned her head just a little bit. Lucas felt his breath hitch. It had to be her. Who else could have those eyes? Who else could stand with such grace in a room full of sharks?He was only five feet away. He reached out his hand. He wanted to touch her shoulder. He wanted to feel if she was warm, or if she was just a ghost made of moonlight and memory."Naomi, is it really..."Suddenly, a hand touched his arm. It wasn't a soft touch. It was a firm, sharp tap."Lucas? Lucas Ashford? Is that you?"The voice was high and loud.

PREV

...

...

NEXT

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

DMCA.com Protection Status