Ditched the Cheater, Pregnant by Mr. Righ novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152 No Ties

Finished

Lucy set her fork down and stood up abruptly. “Quinn, I just remembered I have a package to pick up. You guys keep eating. I’ll be right back!”

Quinn looked up, surprised, and put her fork down as well. “A package? I’ll go with you.”

“No, no, you eat,” Lucy said quickly, waving her off. “I just remembered and the pickup counter’s about to close, so I need to hurry. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Before Quinn could say anything else, Lucy had already rushed to the door, slipped on her shoes, and left.

“Go ahead and eat,” Julian said.

He filled a bowl with soup and placed it in front of Quinn.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

She lowered her gaze to her plate, picking up her fork again, but her appetite had already faded.

“While Lucy’s out,” Julian said, “let’s talk about your court hearing.”

The moment they were alone, Quinn felt her shoulders tighten.

She looked up at him. “The hearing?”

“About your parents testifying,” Julian said. “I gave it some thought. If you’re willing, I can have Maddox come back and testify for you.”

If Maddox showed up, he could confirm exactly what happened on that yacht, that Chase had intended to hand his wife over to another man and had actually acted on it.

That alone would make the divorce process much easier.

But it would also mean owing Julian again. Only someone like him could make Maddox do something like

that.

No one else could.

The debt would only keep growing.

Quinn knew she might be overthinking it. To Julian, this was probably nothing.

But to her, nothing he did felt without purpose.

Curiosity, interest, control… or something else entirely. Whatever it’s, I can’t accept it.

“I really appreciate it,” she said carefully, “but I don’t need that.”

Julian frowned slightly. “You don’t need it? So you’re just going to let them lie in court and drag this out?”

“I’ll get the divorce eventually.”

1/3

12:09 pm

Ppp.

Chapter 152 No Ties

Finished

“Eventually, how long?” His tone cooled. “A few years? A decade?”

“It won’t take that long…”

“It won’t?” His voice sharpened just a little. “If there’s a faster way, why refuse it? Or do you not actually want the divorce?”

“How could I not want it?” Quinn’s voice rose before she could stop herself. “I want out of that marriage more than anything!”

“Then you should be more than willing to accept my help. So why refuse?”

Because I don’t want to owe you. Because I don’t want anything tying me to you. Because I don’t want this to turn into something I can’t walk away from.

She couldn’t say any of that out loud. Being indebted to him felt dangerous.

She had never wanted any kind of connection with someone like Julian. And yet somehow, again and again, she kept ending up right in his orbit.

If she didn’t draw a line now, there would be no getting out later.

Julian watched her in silence for a moment, then asked, “Is it that you can’t explain it, or you just don’t want to?”

Was there really a difference?

Because she didn’t want to, she couldn’t.

Even with her head lowered, she could feel his gaze on her, steady and impossible to ignore.

She tightened her grip on the fork, then finally forced the words out.

“Because I don’t want any connection with you,” she said, meeting his eyes. “That’s why I won’t accept your help.”

The room fell completely silent. Even the air seemed to stop moving.

Quinn suddenly felt like breathing had become harder.

The fork in her hand felt like the only thing keeping her grounded.

A soft clink broke the silence. Julian had set his fork down.

Her lashes trembled slightly, a heavy tension settling in her chest.

“You don’t want any connection with me,” he said slowly. “What exactly does that mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like,” Quinn replied, forcing herself to hold his gaze. “I think you understand.”

“I don’t,” Julian said, his eyes fixed on hers. “If you don’t want any connection with someone, it usually

12:09 pm ppp.

Chapter 152 No Ties

means you don’t like them. If that’s the case, why did you draw me?”

Silence settled over them again.

Quinn turned her head, unable to keep looking at him.

Finished

There was something about his gaze, too deep, too intense, like it could pull her under if she stayed there too long.

She had to look away.

“Give me an answer,” Julian said.

He wasn’t going to let this go.

Quinn slowly set her fork down. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “Not wanting a connection usually means you don’t like the person.”

Julian’s breathing paused for just a fraction of a second.

She had said it.

She said she didn’t like him.

508