Arec’s POV:
I at there, staring at the contract in front of , the one that was supposed to be my safety net, my blueprint for how to navigate this situation. I’d read over it a hundred tis since Ella told she was pregnant, hoping to find so loophole, so escape hatch that would allow to keep things under control. But the words blurred together, the lines aningless now. None of this made sense anymore.
A baby. My baby.
I hadn’t planned for this. I wasn’t ready. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a father. Not now, not like this. The contract had been so simple, marry Ella, keep my grandmother off my back, secure the CEO position, and go back to my life, free and clear. No strings attached. No complications.
But a child? A baby wasn’t part of the deal. And yet, here we were.
I let out a long breath, rubbing my hands over my face. The truth was, I could feel my carefully laid plans slipping through my fingers, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get them back. It was terrifying, the loss of control. I had always prided myself on being the man with the plan, the one who could outthink, outmaneuver, and outlast any situation. But now, I was stuck.
"What am I supposed to do?"
The thought nagged at , over and over. Part of wanted to walk away, to stick to the original terms of the contract. Finish the marriage, keep up appearances for the board, and once it was all over, part ways like we’d planned. But could I really do that? Could I just walk away from my own child?
I stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on . My whole life, I’d been taught that family ant sothing, that blood was thicker than water. And now, that very idea was staring in the face. I couldn’t abandon my own child, not even if I wasn’t ready for fatherhood. The idea of my son or daughter growing up without knowing their father, it made sothing twist inside , sothing primal.
No. I couldn’t just walk away.
But that left with another problem: the contract. It was useless now, a relic of the plans I had before this baby changed everything. I couldn’t go through with it as it stood, not when the stakes had changed so drastically. I needed to figure out how we were going to move forward, not just for , but for Ella, and more importantly, for the baby.
I knew we had to alter it. The thought of raising a child wasn’t just a distant future worry anymore. It was real. Tangible. And I couldn’t just leave that up to chance.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to say to Ella. She probably thought I was still focused on my career, on my grandmother’s expectations, on the CEO position. And part of was, if I was honest. But this wasn’t just about business anymore. It was about family. It was about responsibility.
There was no way around it: I had to talk to Ella. I had to sit her down and explain that this baby changed everything. We had to rewrite the contract, make new plans, ones that accounted for a child, for our roles as parents. It wouldn’t be easy. Hell, it was going to be one of the hardest conversations I’d ever had.
But I had to do it. Because I couldn’t abandon my blood.
My phone buzzed on the desk, snapping out of my thoughts. It was a ssage from Ella: "We need to talk."
Speak of the devil and it will appear.
I stared at my phone for a mont, trying to push down the swirl of anxiety building in my chest. I knew we needed to talk. I’d been thinking about nothing else since she told she was pregnant.
I picked it up and typed back: "Co to my office. We’ll talk here."
An hour later, Ella arrived, looking as unsure as I felt. She hesitated at the door, her hand lingering on the handle before finally stepping inside. Her eyes t mine, and for a brief mont, there was a shared silence, one where neither of us knew what to say.
Her face was pale, her eyes tired. I could see the emotional toll this was taking on her, and I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. She hadn’t signed up for this either.
"Ella," I said softly, gesturing to the chair across from my desk. "Have a seat."
She sat down, her posture stiff, as if she were bracing herself for sothing unpleasant. I knew this conversation was going to be difficult. But it had to happen. We couldn’t keep avoiding the reality of the situation.
"I’ve been thinking," I began, leaning forward, trying to find the right words. "About the contract."
Her eyes flickered, a mix of confusion and wariness crossing her face. "The contract? Arec, I..."
I held up a hand, stopping her. "Just hear out. I know this isn’t easy. For either of us. But the reality is... the contract no longer makes sense. We can’t keep pretending like nothing has changed, because everything has changed."
Ella’s lips pressed into a thin line, and I could see the tension building in her. "What are you saying? That you want to end it?"
I shook my head. "No. I’m saying we need to and it. We need to figure out what this ans for us moving forward, especially with the baby."
She let out a shaky breath, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "I’m listening."
I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. "Look, this contract was originally about appearances, right? We agreed to stay married long enough to et my grandmother’s ultimatum, and once that was over, we’d part ways. Simple. But with the baby... we can’t just walk away from this. Not without making sure everything’s clear. Not without considering what’s best for the child."
Her eyes softened, though uncertainty still lingered. "So, what are you suggesting?"
"I think we need to redefine the terms. We need to figure out how long we’re staying married. For appearances, we’ll need to stay together longer than originally planned. We can’t just get divorced right after the baby is born. People will talk. The board will question my ability to lead if it looks like I’m shirking responsibility. We need to show stability."
Ella bit her lip, clearly considering my words. "And how long are we talking? Two years? Three years?"
I hesitated. "Maybe longer. We need to stay together long enough that it looks... natural. That the marriage wasn’t just a convenience for the sake of the CEO position."
Her expression hardened at that, and I could feel the shift in her mood. "So, you’re still thinking about your career."
I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Ella, this is about more than just my career. It’s about the baby. Our child. I’m not going to be an absent father. I’m not going to just use this as a way to save face and walk away once I’ve secured the CEO position. We need to think about what kind of parents we’re going to be."
She crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "So, what’s your plan? We pretend to be happy until the kid is old enough to notice the cracks in our fake marriage?"
I winced at her words. They hit harder than I expected. "I’m not asking for a fake marriage, Ella. I’m asking for a real partnership. We’re going to be parents, and that’s going to tie us together for the rest of our lives, whether we like it or not. We need to decide what our roles are going to be. How we’re going to raise this child together."
She stared at , her jaw tightening. "And what happens after the contract ends, Arec? Are you going to stay in the baby’s life, or are you planning to disappear once the dust settles?"
The question hung in the air like a weight. It was the crux of everything. How could I promise her sothing I wasn’t even sure of myself? I had never planned to be a father. I never wanted to be tied down by anything, or anyone. But now, I was. And there was no going back.
"I’ll be there," I said, my voice steady. "Even after the contract ends. I’m not walking away from this, Ella. I’m not walking away from my child."
Her eyes softened, but there was still a lingering doubt in them. "And how do we make this work? What’s your vision for us?"
"We’ll stay married as long as it’s necessary for appearances," I explained. "We’ll co-parent. Share responsibilities. But we don’t have to pretend to be sothing we’re not. This isn’t about us trying to make a perfect, happy family for the child. This is about being responsible. About doing what’s right for the child."
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