Chapter 9 A Proposal Too Dangerous

Aurora lay awake long after Damien had gone to bed, staring at the ceiling of the guest room. The dim city lights cast faint patterns across the walls, but they did nothing to settle the storm raging inside her.

Marry me.

His words had replayed in her mind over and over. They didn't sound romantic or heartfelt. They were cold, calculated-a business deal disguised as a proposal.

Damien wasn't asking for love.

He wasn't asking for forever.

He was asking for control.

She turned onto her side, wrapping her arms around her stomach protectively. The baby inside her was still small, still growing, but already changing her life in ways she had never imagined.

This wasn't just about her anymore.

It was about her child's future.

Could she really say no?

The thought of raising this baby alone terrified her. But the thought of being trapped in a marriage with Damien Lexington?

That terrified her even more.

A Morning of Silence

By the time Aurora finally fell asleep, the sun was already beginning to rise. When she woke, the scent of fresh coffee filled the penthouse.

She dragged herself out of bed, her body heavy with exhaustion, and padded into the kitchen.

Damien was there, dressed in a crisp black suit, sipping his coffee like he didn't have a single doubt in his mind.

Aurora, on the other hand, felt like she was walking into a battlefield.

He glanced up as she entered. "You didn't sleep well."

She scoffed. "And whose fault is that?"

A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips. "You were thinking about my proposal."

She pulled out a chair, sitting across from him. "I was thinking about what kind of man expects a woman to marry him after one night together."

Damien leaned back, his expression unreadable. "A practical one."

Aurora sighed. "Damien, marriage isn't a business contract."

"For me, it is."

She shook her head. "You can't seriously think we can make this work."

"I know we can make this work." His voice was steady, unwavering. "Because we both want the same thing."

Aurora arched a brow. "And what's that?"

"Our child to have the best life possible."

Her stomach twisted. Damn him. He knew exactly what to say to make her hesitate.

"I'm not saying yes," she said firmly.

Damien nodded, taking another sip of coffee. "Not yet."

She glared at him. "Don't be so sure of yourself."

He smirked. "I don't believe in uncertainty, Aurora. You'll either marry me, or you won't. Either way, I'm prepared."

She hated how calm he was. How controlled. As if no matter what, he would still come out on top.

Aurora wanted to push back, to prove that she wasn't some pawn in his game. But before she could, a knock sounded at the penthouse door.

Damien glanced at his watch. "That'll be your first doctor's appointment."

Aurora frowned. "What?"

"I scheduled it for you."

She blinked. "You scheduled my doctor's appointment without telling me?"

"Yes," he said simply, standing and grabbing his jacket. "We need to make sure everything is progressing properly."

Aurora stared at him in disbelief.

The audacity of this man.

"You don't get to control my life, Damien."

"I'm not trying to control your life," he said smoothly. "Just ensuring my child is taken care of."

Aurora exhaled sharply. She wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew he had a point. This baby wasn't just hers.

Still, it didn't mean she had to like how he handled things.

A Visit to the Doctor

An hour later, Aurora found herself sitting on an examination table in an upscale private clinic, trying to process just how much her life had changed.

A week ago, she had been struggling to pay rent, trying to figure out how she would make ends meet.

Now?

Now she was in a luxury medical office, wearing a designer maternity dress that Damien had insisted she wear, with a billionaire sitting beside her like he belonged there.

It was surreal.

The doctor smiled as she read over Aurora's chart. "Everything looks good so far, Ms. Sinclair. We'll do a quick ultrasound to check on the baby."

Aurora nodded, her fingers gripping the paper-covered table beneath her.

Damien remained silent, watching everything with intense focus. He didn't fidget. He didn't look away. It was like he was memorizing every word the doctor said.

When the ultrasound began, the room fell into a heavy silence.

And then-

The sound of a tiny, rapid heartbeat filled the air.

Aurora's chest tightened.

Her baby.

She turned her head toward the screen, and there, in the grainy black-and-white image, was the smallest, most perfect shape she had ever seen.

Tears burned her eyes.

Damien didn't move, didn't make a sound, but she could feel the tension radiating from him.

She glanced at him, half-expecting his usual detached expression.

But what she saw instead shocked her.

Damien Lexington, the cold, controlled billionaire, looked stunned.

He stared at the screen, his jaw tight, his hands clenched in his lap. And for the first time since she met him, Aurora saw something that almost looked like vulnerability.

The doctor smiled. "Would you like to hear the heartbeat again?"

Damien nodded.

Aurora's breath hitched.

He hadn't even hesitated.

The doctor replayed the sound, and this time, Aurora didn't watch the screen.

She watched Damien.

His expression didn't change, but there was something different about him now. Something... softer.

For a moment, he didn't look like a man who made calculated decisions, who lived his life by logic alone.

For a moment, he looked like a father.

A Decision to Make

The ride back to the penthouse was silent.

Aurora kept sneaking glances at Damien, but he didn't speak.

Something about that ultrasound had affected him.

She could feel it.

Finally, when they arrived, he parked the car and turned to her.

"You don't have to answer me now," he said quietly.

Aurora frowned. "Answer you about what?"

He met her gaze. "The marriage."

She swallowed hard. "Damien, I-"

"I just want you to think about what's best for our child," he said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. "Not about your pride. Not about me. Just them."

Aurora's heart clenched.

She looked away, staring at the skyline beyond the car window.

This wasn't just about her feelings anymore.

It never had been.

She had a decision to make.

And she was running out of time.