Clementine, a social media manager with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes, was a contradiction. Shy in person, her mind buzzed with fascinating trivia just waiting for the right listener.
Sebastian Montgomery as the tabloids dubbed him, was an...
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The room felt still, yet inside her, everything was shifting.
She hadn't spoken since Sebastian had told her the truth. Pregnant. The word still didn't make sense in her mind. It felt foreign, like something she was hearing about someone else. But it wasn't. It was her.
And Sebastian—he was here. Sitting next to her, quiet but solid, as if his presence alone could keep her from unraveling.
She should have said something. She should have screamed, cried, done something. But she just sat there, staring at her hands, her body suddenly unfamiliar, like it wasn't her own anymore.
Sebastian had been gentle with her. More than she ever thought he could be. He hadn't forced the truth onto her, hadn't overwhelmed her with more than she could handle. But the weight of it sat heavily on her chest.
Finally, she swallowed hard and whispered, "I need a minute."
Sebastian didn't move at first, just watched her like he was waiting to see if she'd change her mind. But then he nodded, standing slowly. "I'll be downstairs," he said, his voice unreadable. "If you need anything."
She waited until she heard the door shut before she finally let out the breath she'd been holding.
Her hands went to her stomach. It felt the same. She felt the same. But she wasn't.
Her mind screamed that it wasn't possible. But her body—her body had known before she did. The nausea. The exhaustion. The way her emotions had been swinging uncontrollably. She had felt different but ignored it.
And the IUD—how?
She dragged herself to the bathroom, her legs weak beneath her, and lifted her shirt, examining herself in the mirror. She didn't look different. But she was.
She pressed her hands against her flat stomach, as if she could somehow feel the life inside her. But there was nothing. Just skin. Just her own breathing, fast and unsteady.
She wasn't ready.
The thought sent a fresh wave of panic through her. She wasn't ready for this. She hadn't planned for this. She didn't even know how to process it.
But Sebastian... he had been calm. Too calm. He had known before her. How long had he kept it from her? How long had he been carrying this knowledge while she had been in the dark?
Her hands curled into fists.
Why didn't he tell me sooner?
A sharp knock on the door made her jump.
"Clem." His voice was deep, steady, but softer than usual.
