ter

uctan

l

ening the pressure on me, forcing me into a situation I never wanted. He was making me do exactl

verything before Estavon's wor

ever heard. He stood tall, his back straight, hands steepled in front of

unreadable. She hadn't said a word since Estavon entered, but I could feel the tension building, and it wasn'

not just about the baby. It's about keeping our family's name intact. There's already goss

ng more than a problem to be fixed-it made me sick. And the thought of being pulled deeper into his world?

said, my fists clenching at my sides.

as satisfaction there, like he knew

s, Alex. This isn't just about fixing a mistake. It's about makin

el the walls closing in, and there was no way out. But even though my head was spinning, one thin

show the world that you're handling this like a man. No more hiding. No more runnin

-this child, this woman, this life my father had built. But the thought of giving in completel

an

nd me. The silence in the room felt heavier than usual, like

ent I walked into that mansion and laid out my cards. Estavon Lucas? A force to be

de my life my own. And now, things were changing. A baby was growing inside

r anyway, twisting the cap off and taking a long drink. I could still feel the sting of Estavon's sharp gaze, hi

ure and the dust collecting in the corners. It wasn't much, but it was mine.

l

I could already see the way his mind was working-how he was trying to find a way out of it, trying to hold onto the freedom he tho

hing from him except what he could offer-money, security, power. He was ta

ity. It stretched out before me, the lights flickering in the distance, a con

cas name was the most

hey could buy my attention with a few crumpled bills. But I had always known there was more out there

reamed of. Marrying Alex wasn't just about the baby. It was about attaching myself to som

cks. No. I was going to be Shantex Lucas, the woman who had the futur

might think this was some accident, some fluke. But I knew better. This was

cond choice. I wasn't going to b

to be the on

t realize that ye

at I wanted, no one c

I turned, unsure of who it could be-maybe a delivery or a neighbor asking for s

it, I wasn't

thing about his posture-rigid, stiff-that told me this wasn't a casual visit. He was here

to keep my voice steady. "Al

e like he was trying to gauge my reaction.

possibly want now? After everything that happened earlier with Estavon, the conversation about

im and turned to face me, his expres