Denial and unraveling

Chapter 20: Denial and Unraveling

Sophia's hand brushed over her stomach absentmindedly as she sat in the kitchen, barely touching her breakfast. She hadn't been able to eat much lately; nausea was a constant companion, and the overwhelming fear she felt every day made it worse. She had known for days now that she was pregnant Adrian's child.

But it wasn't something she wanted to accept. Not when the idea of carrying his child twisted her insides into knots. The thought of an abortion had crossed her mind a thousand times, but every time she had tried to push the idea forward, something stopped her. It wasn't fear it was the weight of the decision. She couldn't explain it, but something about the thought of ending it felt like giving up. She didn't want to give him that victory.

Adrian had made it clear the moment he found out. He didn't care if she wanted it or not. The baby was his, and that was that. He was possessive, controlling, and relentless. Sophia had never been sure of anything as much as she was sure she didn't want to be pregnant. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to give birth to his child.

The thought of being a mother in this world trapped in this life with Adrian's grip on her every move sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Sophia's eyes flicked to the corner of the kitchen, where Noah was playing with his toy cars. His innocent laughter was a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her. It had been hard enough watching him grow up in a house filled with luxury and fear, never really able to escape the shadows that hung over them.

Noah looked up, noticing her distant expression. He frowned, walking over to her with the small doll he'd been holding. "Sophia, you okay?"

Sophia smiled softly, ruffling his hair. "I'm fine, Noah. Just tired, that's all."

He stared at her for a moment, his big brown eyes searching her face, but then he let out a sigh and returned to his toys, completely unaware of the internal battle she was fighting.

As the morning dragged on, Sophia found herself increasingly restless. The feeling of the life growing inside her didn't just make her sick it made her feel like she was suffocating. She had barely left the house in the past few days. Every time she looked at Adrian, she saw only one thing: control. He wanted her, and now he had her in ways she never imagined. She couldn't shake the image of him knowing about the pregnancy before she did. He was always three steps ahead of her.

But she couldn't let him win.

At school, she was more distant than ever. The teachers had grown accustomed to her quiet presence, and her classmates seemed to ignore her, too absorbed in their own lives. Liam had been avoiding her more than usual. He had left her a note a few days ago, and the weight of it still hung over her.

"Liam… why do I feel like you're not telling me something?"

The words echoed in her mind as she sat through yet another boring lecture, her thoughts swirling. The note had been simple a list of names, crossed out one by one. Adrian's men. And Liam hadn't said anything else. Just "Evidence." It hadn't made sense then, but now, the heaviness of it was finally hitting her. Why was Liam so involved in this? What did he know that she didn't?

Her fingers itched to call him, to demand answers, but she couldn't. The moment she reached out to Liam, she felt like she would be crossing an invisible line that might lead her down a path she couldn't turn back from.

The bell rang, and she quickly packed her things, heading out of the classroom, her mind foggy from everything happening around her.

As she made her way to the gates, the feeling of being watched crept up her spine. She hated how it felt like eyes were always on her, even when they weren't.

But they were.

Sophia knew she couldn't stay at the school much longer. Adrian was making sure she stayed confined to the house, controlled by his iron grip. She didn't want to admit it, but his constant presence, his constant overbearing affection, had begun to crack the walls she had carefully built around herself.

At home, the evening passed with an eerie quiet. Adrian wasn't home yet, but it wasn't long before he arrived, stepping into the living room as if he owned every inch of it.

"Still not eating properly?" he asked, his voice low, almost amused.

Sophia glanced up, meeting his eyes, but her words were carefully measured. "I'm fine."

She could feel his eyes on her, that familiar weight pressing on her chest. He was watching her, analyzing every movement, every flicker of emotion. She could see the concern in his gaze, but it wasn't real. It never was.

"You're lying," Adrian murmured, stepping closer to her. "You're always lying to me. Don't you know I can see through you, Sophia?"

Sophia clenched her fists. He was right. She was lying. But she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to confront the truth. Not now. Not with everything else falling apart around her.

"I'm not lying," she said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm just… tired."

Adrian's expression shifted. He reached out to cup her face, and for a brief moment, Sophia allowed herself to lean into his touch. She hated that she did, but there was something about the way he touched her something that made her forget everything, even for just a second.

"Are you still in denial about the baby?" he whispered, his voice so soft it almost seemed like a threat.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she pulled away from him, shaking her head. "I don't want it, Adrian. You don't understand this isn't something I'm ready for."

He chuckled darkly, the sound of it making her stomach twist. "You never understand, do you? It's not about being ready, Sophia. It's about what's ours."

She could feel the tears threatening to fall, but she wouldn't let them. Not now. Not when she was this close to losing herself completely.

"Adrian, please…" Her voice broke, but she steeled herself. "I can't do this. I can't have a baby right now."

His gaze hardened, and his grip on her chin tightened, forcing her to look at him. "You don't have a choice in the matter. This is ours. And you'll learn to accept it. One way or another."

---

The next few days were a blur, filled with the routine of living in Adrian's world. Every moment seemed to revolve around him and his demands.

Noah was becoming more distant as well. He could sense something was wrong he always did. But he never asked, never pressed her. He just kept playing, trying to make the best of his young life.

Sophia had to find a way out. But how could she leave when Adrian's men were everywhere? The house, the guards, the cameras she couldn't escape. Not without putting everyone she loved in danger. And that included Liam, who was clearly keeping something from her.

Her eyes lingered on the note again. The names. The crossed-out names. Was Liam really trying to bring Adrian down? Was he working against him?

The uncertainty gnawed at her, but she couldn't ignore the rising dread in her chest. Adrian was dangerous. But so was Liam. She didn't know who to trust anymore.

And the more she thought about it, the more she realized: she couldn't trust anyone not even herself.

---

That night, as she lay in bed, the overwhelming weight of it all settled in. The baby, the lies, the betrayal it was too much. She rolled over onto her side, clutching the pillow tightly against her chest. She was trapped in this world of shadows and lies, and the only thing that kept her from breaking was the faint, soft fluttering she could feel in her stomach.

The baby.

She didn't want it. She didn't want to bring a child into this world of violence and control. But no matter how much she wanted to deny it, this life was a part of her now. And it was a part of him.

Adrian.

And whether she liked it or not, she was bound to him. And to the child growing inside her.