Chapter 35
Brandon totally saw it coming, but when it actually hit him, his heart skipped a beat, as if it got struck by something. That light, floaty feeling was pretty wild.
He couldnât help but start picturing it all, the kiddo cozy in Sophiaâs belly, growing up bit by bit.
Each daydream made the whole dad-to-be thing feel more real, more tangible.
The report Brandon was holding crinkled a bit with the anticipation bubbling up inside.
He glanced at Sophia, âStill puking your guts out?â
The softness in his eyes almost knocked her off her feet.
She dodged the question with a slight turn of her head, âItâs manageable.â
Brandon hummed in response, his gaze lingering on her petite frame before asking, âIâve seen you pregnant before.â
So when he rocked up and saw her suddenly all skin and bones, plus the medical report casually left on the coffee table, the gears started turning, even though he didnât dwell on it much then. But the way Sophia tried to play it off with a routine blood test report made it all too obvious.
Add to that her evasive maneuvers, so it wasnât rocket science to figure out what was up.
Sophia clammed up. From the moment Brandon popped in unannounced, she knew she couldnât pull the wool over his eyes â it was just a matter of whether heâd call her out or not.
âIâm thinking of moving in, Brandon said.
She shot that down without missing a beat, âNo way.â
âThen pack your bags and crash at my place,â He offered her a plan B.
Still, she shook her head, âI donât want to.â
âItâs one or the other, Sophia. I come to you, or you come to me,â he stood his ground, âThereâs no way Iâm letting you go
solo on this.â
She was at a loss for words. Brandon could be pretty stubborn when it came to her or the little oneâs well-being, and she knew it
âDonât be like that, Brandon, Sophia tried to reason with him, âI canât move back in with you.
âMy place has got two bedrooms. We wouldnât have to share,â he was chill about it, Think of it as roomies splitting rent Sophia didnât say anything.
âThis little one is as much my responsibility as it is yours. I canât just leave you two hanging, Brandon said, giving her tiny bedroom a once-over, If youâre not on board, then Iâm the one moving in.)
Sophia kept silent.
âSophia, this is about your and the babyâs safety Iâm not bending on this, Brandon told her, calm but firm, âSo, are you packing now, or shall I?â He added, âIâm staying at the Starlight Hotel, just around the corner, youâve seen it this afternoon.â.
âI donât want to go, and I donât want you here, Brandon,â she tried reasoning again, âBrandon, Iâve finally taken a step forward, donât push me back.â
Iâm not pushing you back, Brandon said, âBut as long as that babyâs in you, itâs my duty and right to look out for both of you. Iâm the father, Sophia,â He pressed on, âItâs my responsibility and my right.â
Sophia didnât say anything.
Brandon pulled out his phone and called Don without missing a beat, âHey Don, can you drop my luggage off at the VIP Condo?
Chapter 35
Don on the other end. âHuh?â
Sophia was fuming. âHey, you canât just do that!â
Brandon hung up, turning to her, âSephia, youâre pregnant. I canât just sit back and let you live alone. Weâre not negotiating on this. If you donât make a decision, I will. Iâm moving in,â He added.
Sophia had seen his stubborn side before. Brandon was not usually like that, only when it came to her or the babyâs health did he pull rank like this. By deciding for her, he was putting an end to a pointless back-and-forth.
When it came to this, she never had room to negotiate with him.
Eventually, Sophia had to concede.
âYou donât have to move in. Iâll go to your place.â
She figured itâs easier to invite trouble in than to send it packing.
âBut, she fixed her eyes on him, âIâm just trying it out. And if it doesnât suit me, I can leave anytime.â
Finally, Brandon nodded, âOkay.â
Sophia packed a few things and was off, not planning on staying long.
Brandon didnât flex his muscles on that front.
They rode the VIP elevator straight to the penthouse suite.
This was Sophiaâs first time here.
The hotelâs decor was all about understated luxury, true to the brand.
Sophia couldnât help but look around a bit more than usual.
âYou seem like youâve never visited the Starlight before,â Brandon noted..
She nodded, âYeah, havenât really done the whole travel thing.â
âIâve never seen you stay at one either.â
Sophia thought for a sec, then said, âYour hotels are a bit too pricey for me.â
The corners of Brandonâs mouth twitched into a brief smile, then disappeared.
No matter how expensive, as his wife, she shouldnât have any issue staying there. But she wanted to keep her independence, to leave without feeling indebted.
Sophia caught the fleeting chill of his smirk and pretended not to, shifting her gaze elsewhere.
Brandon opened the door to the suite and gave it a quick once-over before saying to her, âYou take the master bedroom, Iâll crash in the secondary one. If you need anything, just holler.â
Sophia peeked inside, hesitantly nodding.
Seeing her hesitation, Brandon added, âDonât worry, Iâm just here on a business trip, wonât be staying long-term.â