Ditched the Cheater, Pregnant by Mr. Righ novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170 Too Close

Chase used to be gentle too. And that didn’t stop him from being a complete mess of a person.

Maybe all that softness had been reserved for Rosalie.

At the end of the day, personality traits didn’t define someone’s character.

What mattered was whether they had boundaries, whether they knew right from wrong.

And compared to Chase, Julian, for all his distance and restraint, had never crossed those lines.

When Chase set her up. Julian had stepped in.

That much was real.

Julian noticed them the moment they walked in.

Finished

Side by side, they stood out without trying. One had a soft, polished charm, the other carried a bright, effortless energy.

People turned to look.

Back when they used to go out together, it wasn’t unusual for strangers to walk up and ask for their numbers.

“Julian,” Lucy said as she looped her arm through Quinn’s and walked over, smiling, “I came with Quinn. We’re heading out after this.”

Julian glanced at her, then at Quinn. There wasn’t much he could say to that.

Quinn spoke next. “Mr. Sterling.”

She said it again. So formal, so distant.

Julian’s eyes flickered slightly. She had no problem calling his name when she was drunk.

Or when she was leaning into him, reaching for her sketchbook.

Now suddenly, she was all boundaries and etiquette.

Julian kept his tone even. “Have a seat.”

They were already here, Sending Lucy away now would only make things worse. He had arranged things before so Lucy would leave on her own.

Trying that again would probably backfire.

Besides, he didn’t have any agenda today.

He just wanted to see her, talk to her. Lucy being there didn’t really change that.

12:15 pm

PPP.

Chapter 170 Too Close

The moment Quinn sat down, she pulled out her materials and shifted into work mode.

Focused, composed, professional.

Finished

Julian went through everything carefully and gave detailed feedback. Lucy, despite sharing the same major, had no interest in any of it.

After scrolling through her phone for a while, she stood up. “I’m gonna hit the restroom.”

Julian nodded lightly, then looked at Quinn. “Go ahead.”

Now it was just the two of them.

Not fully private, but the booth created enough separation that it felt like their own space.

That subtle tension returned.

Quinn’s fingers curled slightly as she adjusted her hand on the edge of the sketches, instinctively putting a bit of distance there.

上

Julian noticed.

And for reasons he didn’t question, he leaned forward.

Closing the space between them, he pointed at a section of the design. “Can this part be adjusted?”

His presence came with it. Clean, cool, unmistakable.

It cut through the café’s ambient scent and settled around her.

The distance between them shrank instantly. Their breathing nearly overlapped.

Quinn froze for half a second, then leaned back, pressing into her chair as if that space alone could steady her.

Only then did she feel like she could breathe again.

Julian stayed where he was, still leaning in, his gaze lifting to meet hers.

“What’s wrong?”

There was a faint hint of amusement in his eyes. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Quinn caught it.

That subtle, almost hidden smile.

He’s doing this on purpose. He knows I’m uncomfortable, and he’s still pushing it.

A flicker of panic rose in her chest.

Why isn’t Lucy back yet?

12:15 pm Ppp.

Chapter 170 Too Close

Julian tapped his fingers lightly against the table. “Where’d you go just now? You spaced out.” “No.” Quinn said quickly. “If there’s anything you’re not happy with, we can adjust it”

Finished

Julian held her gaze. “You don’t like me, but you’re still making this for me. That doesn’t bother you?” Quinn looked up at him, caught off guard. Why would he bring that up so casually?

It had taken everything in her to say those words. And now he said them like they didn’t carry any weight at all.

Worse, the way he said it didn’t match what she meant. When she said it, she was serious, certain, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

But coming from him, it sounded lighter, almost teasing.

Like he had rewritten her meaning into something else. Did he think she was just being emotional?

Or that this was some kind of push–and–pull he was used to?

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She couldn’t even imagine what it would look like for him to comfort someone.

But whatever this was, it didn’t sit right with her.

A quiet frustration built in her chest.

Why does he get to twist what I said like that? Why does he get to decide what I meant?

This wasn’t what she wanted.

She shook her head. “No. I made a commitment. I’m going to follow through.”

Julian didn’t look away.

“Then who was it,” he said calmly, “that promised to stop avoiding me, and then did exactly that?”

Quinn felt the pressure close in. He wanted a real answer.

But she didn’t have one she could give.