Stop Running Love, I Found Our Child novel Chapter 4

"If you need something from her, just text her directly. Her name is Ivy."

"Thanks."-

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he added her contact.

But the moment he did, regret washed over him. They had absolutely nothing in common. He was just about to delete her number.

Unexpectedly, Ivy texted him first.

[Hey there! I do package pickups, proxy attendance for lectures, and essay tutoring. Affordable rates. Drop a message if you need anything, and I'll reply ASAP!]

He furrowed his brow, then let out a low chuckle.

[With all those side hustles, you still have time to work at the bar?]

Once again, driven by impulse, he replied.

Ivy: [Who is this?]

He paused for a moment before typing back: [I'm Cole. I was at the bar the other night.]

Ivy: [Oh, I see. Hi, Cole. Is there something I can help you with?]

[No. Just saying hi.]

Looking back, it was completely absurd how such an aggressively mundane conversation had eventually ignited into nights of wild, breathless passion.

Raised in high society, he had been molded to exhibit total restraint. He was a creature of logic—cold, calculated, and terrifyingly pragmatic.

But with her, he had shredded every ounce of that facade.

He had been entirely irrational, wildly out of control.

Ivy had her own breathtaking contradictions. Sweet and shy in public, yet behind closed doors, she surrendered to him completely, eager to explore the depths of their chemistry.

After those first few hesitant times together.

They had spiraled into an intoxicating, obsessive rhythm, their bodies perfectly attuned as they drowned in the scent of their shared passion.

He had to admit that the time he spent with Ivy had been the most thrilling, chaotic, and fiercely vibrant chapter of his entire life.

He genuinely cared for her.

He never tried to deny that.

But three years ago, he was twenty-three. Now, at twenty-six, it was time to officially take the reins of The Donovan Group and lock down a strategic marriage.

Ivy frowned in confusion. "I don't need it. I haven't even touched half of what you transfer me every month."

"The lease is paid up for the next two years. If you stay in Newport City after graduation, you'll have a place to live while you figure things out."

A suffocating wave of panic began to rise in Ivy's chest. Something felt horribly wrong.

He kept talking, his voice flat. "I don't do long-distance. So..."

"Wait."

The sudden whiplash made her dizzy. She cut him off immediately, terrified of what he was about to say.

She stared at the man she loved.

And suddenly realized how chillingly distant he looked.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the air in the room had turned suffocatingly cold. She tried to find her voice multiple times, but the paralyzing dread twisting in her chest choked the words back down.

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Growing impatient, he finally shattered the quiet, delivering the final blow. "We're done."