NINE

SIENNA’S POV. 

I stared at Harper, not taking my eyes off her as she spoke. 

“It’s yours. That child inside of you. Nothing, nobody matters, it's just you and the child.”

And just there, I thought, just maybe those were the comforts I needed. I adjusted my sitting position on the chair I sat on, opposite Harper. Maybe they weren’t just words. I really needed to give this child a world. 

That's easy. I mean, that would have,. but I was left in this desolate world, in a loveless marriage and now, it was just me and her. I wrapped my hands around my bowel - I was going to hide her until I found out who the father was.

“Sienna..” 

Someone was calling my name repeatedly and it felt so annoying that he had to be jerking me off by my arm. I snapped my eyes wide with fury laced on my face and it only softened as my gaze found Harper calling unto me. I had been lost in thoughts that I had left her mumbling her own words to herself and she was calling back my attention. 

“I’m sorry. Need to go.” I muttered, clutching my bag immediately not waiting to hear any words from her despite hearing her call me back. 

The stranger was weird, he could feel a child inside of me, how could he be so sensitive to have studied my body in our almost drunken position? So what if he thinks it was his child and comes knocking at the door. I shook my head in disapproval at the thought that lingered in my head while I walked out and strolled the streets, still buried in my thoughts. 

My tummy started to rumble in the middle of the night. I almost dismissed it as I wasn’t some person with the urge to always eat dinners when I remembered I was growing a baby inside of me. I took out my hands and placed it down there as if I could already feel my tummy swollen. My lips curled into a smile as I walked into the kitchen to get some cereal. I sat on the kitchen counter with the plate in my hands as I giggled while eating.  

Suddenly, my body starts to tremble, hands fidgeting with no pause and somehow I felt I wasn’t alone. It all felt creepy especially when the hands hit the table. I gasped, jumping off the counter with my hair strands falling onto my face. I placed them behind my ears trying to wrap the situation around me as Julian showed up to my face still knocking those fingers to the counter. 

I hissed, I got frightened for no reason and he stood there with hands pocketed and eyes unreadable fixated on mine, making me wonder whatever passes through his mind at the moment. 

“I didn't realize there was a late night rat in this building.” His voice didn’t spell sarcasm as you’d expect, it dripped with mockery and with how he stared intently at me,it was deliberate. 

I shifted uncomfortably as he walked slowly as if counting every step and finally, he got to me. His eyes were void of hints, now there was no gap between us, it was just I and him standing too close with his breath running on my face and mine on his as our nose wasn’t even apart from each other. In some ways, it felt really uncomfortable and intimidating that I staggered backwards but he pressed on and was not giving in until my back hit the kitchen’s counter. I placed my hands on both sides to ready my stance on it.

I saw his gaze flicker as he bent low, his head almost to my bowel, I stiffened as I felt him rub my thighs with his cold hands and then, those fingers went high and high until it got to my panties. He raised his hands and smirked as he scooped me off my feet and aggressively threw me on top of the counter. I winced in pain as I felt a sharp pain down there, I instinctively wrapped my hands to my bowel and once I felt his unwelcoming gaze on me, I trembled and returned my hands back to the kitchen counter.

‘Had he found out?’ The way he stared at me was like a predator sizing up its prey.

“Just checking if my little bride has gone out frolicking with other men.” he said with a smirk, I shuddered once I felt his hands holding up my knees and suddenly, he yanked them off, opened and revealed to him.  

As if examining, his eyes don't leave my down part, he sighs, raising his head to meet mine that was so confused. 

“Good thing, yeah?” he muttered. 

“It is really disrespectful that you accord me this in this manner.” I whispered

“like what?” His voice is sharp like a razor. 

“A call girl?” I added, softly, but he wasn’t having it, instead he smirks. 

“what else to think of a woman I met and sexed in a club?” My shoulders dropped in embarrassment, he was right, my gaze faltered. I wouldn’t have looked at him especially now I didn’t know who the baby's father was.

“There's a charity gala tomorrow, 3pm. You must make a presence.“ He said, this time not with any humor but dominance. He said them with so much entitlement that my body went rigid at the thought of what could happen if I didn't go. 

I sucked for a while, drowning cups of water before going into the bedroom. I didn't see Julian, probably working on his iPad. I walked up to the bed and lay on it, letting peace engulf me in this little rest. 

I hadn't shut my eyes when the alarm woke me up, I grunted in frustration as I grabbed my phone from the light stand when I saw the time. Twas 2:50pm.

My eyes widened, I slept this long and it felt like I hadn't slept for ages? It was the baby, I sighed. I heard footsteps approaching, I couldn't dismiss or even confront it and so I laid back there, pretending I was never awake even when he walked in — his cologne naming his presence and stilling the air as if to denote authority. 

“It's time and you're still sleeping.“

“I can't go, Julian, for some reasons, I feel really tired.“ I muttered, eyes still shut, I dared not to look at his face and then swiftly, without warning, he walked up to my face and lifted my jaw — roughly — “don't you dare try to defile my rules.“ He pressed his grasps on me, it hurt but I sat still trying to wriggle from his grip.