“That’s ridiculous!” Elissa snapped, her frustration rising. “Pregnancy doesn’t turn me into someone helpless!”
“That might be true for most women,” Ernest said, his expression tightening. “But you’re not just anyone. Do you honestly think I’d stand by and watch while you work yourself to exhaustion carrying our child?”
Elissa gave a small shake of her head. Something about his decision felt far too calculated. Determined to get clarity, she asked, “Exactly how long is this ‘extended leave’ supposed to last?”
“I never set a return date,” Ernest answered smoothly, that familiar smirk curving on his face. “Until the baby’s born, at least. Add recovery time—so we’re talking a year, minimum.”
Stunned into silence, Elissa couldn’t move. What he’d just said sounded no different from pushing her out of her job entirely.
Her face turned pale. Words fumbled at her lips. “You… you can’t be serious…”
“There’s more,” Ernest continued, his voice losing its earlier softness. “Starting today, you are not to leave Lion Bay unless I say so. Quentin will assign two bodyguards to you. Any outing, no matter how minor, goes through me. If I approve, they’ll escort you.”
“Ernest!” Elissa sprang to her feet, her whole body shaking. “You’re… you’re putting me under surveillance? What gives you the right to control where I go?”
“I never wanted it to come to this,” Ernest muttered, his tone hardening as he slowly shook his head. “But Elissa, you’ve pushed too far. You’ve done everything possible to get rid of this baby. I’m left with no choice.”
Baby. Baby…
Elissa’s composure crumbled on the spot. Tears slipped down her cheeks while her body shook from the weight of it all.
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“If you’re so desperate for a child, then why not have Linda carry one for you?” Her voice cracked as she shouted, her pain spilling out. “She’s your wife—let her be the one to give you a baby! Oh God…”
A bitter laugh broke through her tears as Elissa looked away. “Oh, that’s right—I almost forgot. Mrs. Flynn can’t have children. So why not pick someone else? I’m sure there’s no shortage of women dying to bear your children!”
“Elissa!” Ernest snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. His voice struck like a whip.
Frustration surged through him, visible in the veins pressing against his skin as he fought to stay in control.
“You think I’m doing this for the sake of having kids? You honestly believe that? Are you really that blind, or are you just pretending not to understand?” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped closer and gently placed both hands on her shoulders, easing her back down onto the sofa.
When he spoke again, his voice had softened. “Please hear me out, Elissa. This isn’t about just having a child. It’s about having a child with you. One that’s part of both of us. That’s what matters to me. It’s you that I care about most.”
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