Chapter 7 AN UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL

When Sebastian reached out to Isabella once more, his desperation was evident. He showed up at her apartment this time without any pretensions or small talk. She saw something else, something raw, behind the frustration mask on his face. It was terrifying to know that he was losing her.

His voice was steady but strained as he said, "I'm not leaving until you hear me out." "For the sake of the baby, we must resolve this."

Isabella crossed her arms and stood in the doorway. The air was heavy with unspoken words, and she could already feel the tension rising. Sebastian, I've heard you. I've heard it all. The argument that prioritizes the baby's needs comes first. The reasoning is logical and detached. I no longer require it.

His face grew serious. His jaw clenched as he stepped forward. "I'm not asking for love, Isabella. I'm offering security. I am offering a secure life for the child we have created together. Currently, that's all that matters. And I'll take care of you both. Nothing will be lacking for you.

As she listened to him, her heart fell. Everything he said made sense, in a way. However, that didn't make it correct.

"Just for the sake of the child, I will marry you. Nothing more," he said in a tone that had grown icier and more decisive.

A lump appeared in Isabella's throat. She wanted to scream, cry, and express her feelings, but she was unable to do so. His words crushed her hope for their future.

With a steady yet brittle voice, she declared, "I've made my decision." Sebastian, I am unable to wed you. I cannot proceed in this way.

Her words caused Sebastian's face to harden. He stood there for a moment, as if he were waiting for her to change her mind. However, his shoulders drooped and the hush between them only deepened.

His voice was low and strained as he said, "You don't know what you're rejecting." "This might be best for the baby and for us both."

At her sides, her hands shook. Once, she had hoped they could work together to create something. But now what he offered felt less like cooperation and more like a chain.

Her heart shattered in two as she whispered, "Maybe I don't." However, I am aware that such an existence is not what I desire. Sebastian, I want more than a life of duty. I'm looking for something genuine.

A glimmer of emotion appeared in Sebastian's eyes, but he quickly covered it up by turning away. "All right," he whispered. "I'll respect your decision if that's yours. However, you cannot alter the reality that you will be working alone on this.

Then he vanished. She was left in the eerie quiet of her flat as the door clicked behind him, the consequences of her choice beginning to weigh heavily on her.

Isabella mustered the last of her courage the following day. She had to face her dad. She could no longer follow his instructions and live in his shadow. He had always been responsible for her life, shaping her into what he believed to be ideal. But that was no longer the case.

Her father's voice crackled over the phone, "Isabella." His voice was piercing and authoritative. "I hope you've changed your mind."

"I haven't," she answered in a firm voice. "Papa, I can't wed him. I refuse to lead a life based on duty.

It was so quiet on the other end of the queue. Her father finally said something. "You're making a big error. You and your child would have had a future if you had married Sebastian. Is it your intention to discard everything?

Isabella stated, "I'm not throwing it away," with a newfound strength in her voice. "I'm going with a different option. Something superior.

Her father said icily, "You've made your decision." "But I'll lose everything I've worked for."

Isabella steadied herself by taking a deep breath. She would no longer compromise. She refused to let him dictate how she would live.

Isabella sat on the couch, the words her father had spoken still weighing heavily on her heart. She had made some difficult decisions in the past few days. She had turned down Sebastian's offer of safety, and now that her father disapproved, she felt even more alone.

But she felt a wave of clarity come over her as she gazed at her baby's sonogram. She wasn't by herself. She had her child, and she had herself. And that was sufficient.

She firmly and resolutely whispered to herself, "I'm not my father's puppet." "I am not constrained by their expectations."

She got to her feet, a fire burning inside her. No one, not even Sebastian or her father, could tell her how to live this life.

Isabella started planning her career first. She had always neglected it, letting other people's goals take precedence. She was taking charge now, though. She and her child had to start over. She forged a new identity, unaffected by the decisions of others.

She turned to her friends for support, which gave her comfort. She started researching how to launch her own company, which would truly belong to her.

However, she continued to feel that her choice had a price even as she went forward. What would she lose? Without the safety nets she had previously depended on, what would her future hold?

She pushed the thought from her mind, but it was there. With a feeling of resolve building in her chest, she muttered to herself, "I'll find my own way."

As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she spoke to the woman she was becoming. "Real love is what I deserve." And no matter what, I'll find it.