Chapter 2

June's POV

The girl stood up, her smile flawless. "June, you're even prettier than your pictures."

I looked down at my hands. Dirt from the chicken coop was still trapped under my fingernails, my palms were calloused, and my shoulders were stiff from years of hard labor. I was a stark contrast to her polished perfection.

"Thank you."

"I'm Odette Vaughn," she said, extending her hand. "Elias and I grew up together."

I barely brushed her fingertips before pulling back. Last night, I had noticed a shelf lined with photos in that small bedroom. Ski trips, equestrian clubs, gala nights—Odette was in every single one of them. He looked at her with a warmth he saved for no one else.

Elias sat at the far end of the table, his face expressionless, treating me like a ghost.

After breakfast, Vivienne dismissed the maids and placed the contract in front of me.

"Let's talk about the child."

"Okay."

"Elias is nineteen. His life and career are just beginning. He will not marry you," she said calmly, as if reading an insurance policy. "Once the child is born, they will be raised as Elias's sibling. You, as the birth mother, will receive a luxurious estate, five million dollars in cash, and a fully funded study-abroad program. But you must never see the child again."

Elias spun a lighter between his fingers. He leaned back, a cynical smirk playing on his lips, waiting to see how much I would bargain.

I thought of Margaret's coughing fits and the experimental trial in Houston. I couldn't let my mother die just for my pride. And I couldn't give this child a life of struggle.

"I agree."

The spinning lighter clattered to a sudden halt.

Elias looked up, genuine shock finally cracking his cold facade.

I picked up the pen. Elias suddenly sneered, "You don't have to act so eager."

I didn't look at him. "I'm not acting."

With a swift stroke of my pen, my child’s future was sealed in ink. I didn't even have the right to fight for them.

---

During the summer, I stayed at the Sinclair manor to prepare for my university applications to Edinburgh. Elias spent his days working out or locked in his study. We lived under the same roof but acted like strangers. The maids whispered that they had never seen a colder pair of expectant parents.

One evening, I was sitting in the living room sorting through my essays. Elias passed by with a glass of water and stopped.

"You're sitting wrong. You're compressing your stomach."

I shifted my posture. "Is this better?"

"Still wrong." He pointed toward his study. "Go study in there. The desk is bigger, and the chair has better support."

"I don't want to disturb you."

"I told you to go. I didn't say you'd disturb me."

I followed him inside, deliberately choosing a seat on the single sofa furthest from his desk.

Elias frowned. "Sit closer."

"There's plenty of space here."

"I said, sit closer."

I reluctantly moved to the other side of his desk, still keeping a careful distance. He stared at me for a few long seconds, then pulled out the chair directly next to his.

"Here."

"It's too close."

"The baby needs space. That's no excuse for you to hide from me."

I sat down and opened my books. For the next few hours, I buried myself in mock exams, ignoring the plate of sandwiches a maid had brought in. Elias flipped through his documents, his pen tapping impatiently on the mahogany desk.

"Eat," he commanded.

"After I finish this question."

Ten minutes later, he spoke again. "June."

"I heard you."

"Eat. Now."

I took a small bite of the sandwich and immediately went back to calculating. His pen hovered over his paper for a long time before he finally slammed his book shut.

"Why don't you ever get angry?"

I looked up. "What?"

"You do whatever you're told. You moved in when told to. You signed the contract when told to. Don't you have any demands?"

Of course I did. But he thought I wanted to use this baby to trap him. He thought I was waiting to extort more from him. Boys like him were used to people begging for their crumbs. He was just waiting for me to show my greed.

I lowered my head, my fingers gripping the hem of my shirt.

"I'm sorry. I know I don't belong here," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I never wanted to ruin your life. Don't worry, I won't do anything to make you angry."

Elias's breath hitched.

"Don't cry."

I reached up to wipe my eyes, but the tears only fell faster.

"I told you not to cry. And stop looking at me."

His voice was still stern, but the cold edge was entirely gone. I let out a soft sob, my shoulders shaking.

With a sudden scraping sound, Elias shoved his chair back. He grabbed his phone and muttered, "Unbelievable," before storming out of the study.

The moment the door slammed shut, my tears stopped. I calmly finished my sandwich and went back to my math problems.

A little while later, voices drifted up from downstairs. I packed up my books and walked down, only to see Sloane Ashford sitting on the couch. She was my university classmate and Odette's cousin. She was whispering something to Vivienne.

When Vivienne saw me, her polite smile vanished.

"June, Sloane tells me you had a very... colorful reputation at school."

Sloane looked up, her expression dripping with fake concern. "I'm just worried Elias is being taken advantage of."

Vivienne's cold eyes mapped my belly.

"Is this child really Elias's?"