Chapter 16

The weather in June shifted in an instant, rain hammering against the glass in a relentless rhythm while lightning tore through the sky and thunder shook the ground.

Inside the bedroom, the air turned heavy and damnp,filled with Julian's deep, uneven breaths mingling with Yvonne's stifled sobs.

Her wrists were trapped above her head, and she trembled,tears streaming down her cheeks. His rough,calloused palm slid beneath her clothes, grazing the delicate curve of her waist in a slow, sensual stroke.

Her mind spun into chaos, an icy tremor sliding along her spine as goosebumps prickled her skin.

Julian bent close, teeth working loose the first button of her dress before his mouth trailed lower.He kissed and nipped along the line of her neck to her collarbone, leaving a faint sheen in his wake. Yvonne arched involuntarily, her cry breaking free-raw,breathless, and desperate.

Gone was the fury that had consumed him moments earlier. Now his touch was calculated, patient, every movement designed to provoke, as if determined to prove she still wanted him.

Yvonne's joy shimmered faintly beneath her pain. No matter how deeply she had been wounded, her feelings for Julian burned stubbornly on, and even the faintest brush of his hand could awaken a dangerous longing inside her. When he finally let go of her wrists,she didn't even remember to fight back.

His lips captured hers, and his fingers wove tightly with her own, mirroring that night that had been seared into her memory.

The images overlapped-then versus now. Back then,their encounter had been reckless, rough, fueled by alcohol and desperation. Tonight, his touch carried an unfamiliar tenderness, so careful that her lashes fluttered closed, her defenses dissolving as she yielded to the heat of the moment.

Julian's mouth trailed lower, brushing against the delicate spot that made her shiver. But before she could surrender completely, a sharp cramp twisted her stomach. A dull ache radiated from her lower belly,as though the child within her rebelled against what was happening.

Startled, Yvonne shoved Julian away and clamped a hand over her lips. She lurched toward the bathroom,retching violently. From where he lay, Julian froze, the only sound reaching him the harsh echo of her convulsions as she bent over the sink.

The rain's steady drumming dulled the spark between them, and Julian's expression grew as heavy as the storm outside. He fixed his gaze on his hands,his mouth clamped shut in a tight line.

The atmosphere had been flawless only moments ago,so there was no way Yvonne's sudden recoil meant she found his kisses repulsive. Her reaction felt eerily reminiscent of the last awkward scene at the family gathering.

When Yvonne stepped out of the bathroom,her complexion was drained of color, and unease flickered across her features. Julian wasn't the type to overlook things-he was sharp, far too sharp. With her bouts of nausea coming one after another, how could she possibly keep concealing her pregnancy?

As the thought crossed her mind, a glass of water slid into view. Julian's long fingers held it steady,his eyes locking on hers with unnerving certainty. "You're pregnant."

There was no question in his tone, only assertion.

Everything seemed to halt, leaving only the deafening drum of her heart. Julian's voice dropped lower, each word weighted with certainty. "You didn't take the pill that night, and every reaction since then screams pregnancy."

He moved closer, his calm intensity cornering her until there was nowhere to retreat.

Yvonne's throat tightened, words slipping away. After a silence that stretched like forever yet lasted only a heartbeat, she forced herself to answer, her tone carefully measured, "You're imagining things. Why on earth would I ever be carrying your child?"

His gaze sharpened, suspicion flickering in the narrow set of his eyes. "Is that so? Then why does it feel like you're hiding the truth from me?"

She lifted her chin, meeting his stare with stubborn defiance. "If I were ever pregnant with your child, I'd end it without hesitation. I refuse to bring a child into this world who'd grow up without a father's love."

Julian's face hardened into ice, the blow of her words cutting deeper than any betrayal ever could. Fury surged through him, and before he could think, he drove her back against the wall, his restraint splintering.

Just as his temper threatened to break loose, a firm knock shattered the moment. Sebastian's voice filtered in from outside. "Sir, the international conference is about to begin..."

Julian's jaw tightened, emotions warring across his features before he forced them back under control.At last, he stepped away, cold composure sliding back into place like armor.

He cast a frigid glance down at Yvonne and spoke with brutal detachment. "Good. It's for the best if you're not pregnant. You know damnn well there can't be a child between us." Without sparing her another look, he turned on his heel and strode out.

Yvonne's legs gave way the instant the door shut behind him. She sank to the floor, the echo of his voice replaying mercilessly in her mind. A hollow laugh escaped her, and as it bubbled up uncontrollably,tears spilled down her cheeks, streaking her face in a mix of grief and bitter irony.