Ditched the Cheater, Pregnant by Mr. Righ novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196 What She Admits

Finished

Quinn tried to convince herself that once Julian got what he wanted, whatever this tension was between them would burn out on its own, and that the curiosity, the intensity, maybe even the obsession, would fade just as quickly as it had appeared.

But the moment her thoughts drifted to what he might actually do, how far he might go, and what it would feel like when he did, heat crept up her neck before she could stop it, and she had to fight the instinct to look away.

What unsettled her more was not the embarrassment, but the quiet realization underneath it.

Ever since she admitted to herself that her feelings for him had crossed a line, the idea of being close to him, physically close, no longer felt like something she needed to resist, and in some unguarded corner of her mind, it had even begun to feel like something she was waiting for.

If there’s no future for us anyway, then maybe this is the only part I get to keep.

And if that’s true… then why does it feel like I’m the one walking toward it?

Julian’s voice pulled her back. “You’ve been quiet for a while, so I’m guessing that means you’re not objecting?”

Quinn lowered her gaze, but this time it wasn’t just avoidance, it was because she couldn’t quite face what she was thinking.

He had said he wasn’t as upright as she believed, but every memory she had of him told a different story, because on the yacht, when she had crossed every possible boundary, he had still held himself back, and later, when she lost control twice after drinking, he had never taken advantage of her vulnerability.

She had seen what someone like Maddox was capable of in the same situation, and that contrast made Julian’s restraint stand out even more.

She didn’t remember clearly what had happened in the car the night before, and because of that, she had unconsciously placed all the blame on herself, convinced that she had been the one who crossed the line again.

And maybe that was why, even now, she couldn’t completely reject what he was offering.

She understood perfectly well that there was no real future between them, that their lives moved in completely different directions, and that at some point, he would step into a world where someone like her would never belong.

But if there could be even one moment, something real that existed only between them, then she found herself wanting it, even if she would never admit that out loud.

Because right now, at least, he wasn’t engaged.

And as long as that was true, she could still tell herself that she wasn’t crossing a line she could never come back from.

She kept her eyes lowered, her voice soft but steady. “I don’t have a problem with it.”

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Chapter 196 What She Admits

Finished

Julian didn’t respond right away, and when he did, his tone shifted just enough to make her look up.

“Well, I do.”

She blinked, caught off guard. “You do?”

He held her gaze, calm but firm. “What exactly gave you the impression that just anyone gets that from me?”

The words landed harder than she expected, and something in her chest tightened before she could stop it, because of course someone like him would never lack options, and it was almost ridiculous that she had even entertained the idea that any of this was simple.

For a brief moment, her thoughts spiraled in a direction she didn’t want to examine too closely.

“I don’t treat that kind of thing casually,” Julian continued, his voice even, almost deliberate now. “If I kiss someone, if I hold someone, if I get close to someone like that, it’s because she’s my girlfriend.”

Quinn didn’t say anything, but under the blanket, her fingers curled tightly into her palm as something sharp and unfamiliar settled in her chest.

She didn’t need to name it.

She already knew.

And she refused to let it show.

In her mind, an image formed on its own, someone like Clara, someone who fit into his world without effort, someone who wouldn’t have to stand here negotiating boundaries just to stay in his life.

“Until you’re divorced,” Julian said, watching her closely, “don’t expect anything from me.”

That was enough to make her look up again, confusion breaking through everything else.

“What does that even mean?” she asked before she could stop herself.

Julian leaned slightly closer, one hand braced near her, his voice lowering just enough to make the space between them feel smaller. “What, were you hoping for something else?”

“No,” she said quickly, her ears warming as she leaned back, trying to put space between them. “That’s not what I meant.”

He let out a quiet laugh, not mocking, but not entirely gentle either. “That’s funny, because it sounds like something I should be saying to you.”

“It won’t happen again,” she rushed to say, the words coming out faster now, as if saying them would fix something. “I mean it, I won’t cross any lines like that again, I won’t-”

Before she could finish, Julian reached out and covered her mouth.

Her words stopped instantly.

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Chapter 196 What She Admits

Finished

Her lips pressed lightly against his palm, and for a second, neither of them moved.

He didn’t want to hear that,

He didn’t want her drawing a clean line where he wasn’t ready to let one exist.

“Don’t say things like that,” he said quietly, his voice steady again. “Right now, your only job is to get better, and once you’re healthy, you finish the divorce, and after that, we can talk about everything else.”

Quinn looked at him, her thoughts tangled, her voice gone, and after a moment, she nodded.

Only then did he pull his hand away.

The air felt different after that, quieter, heavier, like something had shifted without either of them fully acknowledging it.

It took her a moment before she spoke again. “So… when are you leaving?”

Julian sat back down beside the bed, glancing at the monitor as if the question didn’t carry much weight.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Her head snapped toward him. “But we already talked about this.”

“No,” he said calmly, without looking at her, “you assumed. I told you to rest and recover, I never said I’d leave.”

“That’s not appropriate,” she said, her voice tightening again, because now that he said it so plainly, she couldn’t ignore how complicated it sounded. “You said it yourself, I’m still married, and you staying here, taking care of me like this… it doesn’t make sense, especially when I’m not even properly dressed half the time.”

The more she explained, the more flustered she became, as if the situation only grew more embarrassing the longer she talked about it.

Julian finally turned to look at her, completely unfazed. “That’s not exactly new.”

She froze. “What?”

“I’ve already seen you like that,” he said, as if it were the most straightforward thing in the world.

The heat rushed to her face instantly, so fast and intense it felt like she might actually disappear if she tried hard enough.

Julian watched her reaction for a second, then looked away slightly, as if even he realized that pushing her this far might have been a little too much, even for him.

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