Chapter 7 — The Offer She Refused
1343 Words
Olivia stood on the sidewalk long after Adrian’s car disappeared into the traffic.
Her heart was still beating too fast.
She slowly exhaled and pressed her palm against her stomach.
“That man is going to drive me insane,” she muttered under her breath.
But deep down, she knew the truth.
Adrian Kingsley never chased something without a reason.
And now… he believed the baby was his.
That meant he wouldn’t stop.
Olivia picked up the coffee she had abandoned on the bench earlier, but it had already turned cold.
She threw it into a nearby trash can.
“So much for breakfast.”
Her appetite had completely disappeared.
The only thought in her mind now was one thing.
I need to leave this city.
And she needed to do it quickly.
—
Back in her small apartment, Olivia immediately opened her laptop again.
Her inbox had one new notification.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It was from the marketing company she had applied to earlier that morning.
She clicked it open quickly.
Dear Miss Bennett,
We have reviewed your application and would like to schedule an online interview with you tomorrow afternoon.
Olivia’s eyes widened.
“That was fast.”
Hope filled her chest again.
Tomorrow.
If the interview went well…
she could have a job in another city within days.
A fresh start.
A life where Adrian Kingsley had no power over her.
Olivia closed the laptop with a determined expression.
“Just a little longer,” she whispered to her stomach.
“We’re almost free.”
But fate clearly had other plans.
Because twenty minutes later—
there was a knock on her door.
Olivia frowned.
“I didn’t order anything.”
She walked toward the door cautiously.
Another knock followed.
This time louder.
“Miss Bennett?”
Her body froze instantly.
She recognized that voice.
Daniel.
Adrian’s assistant.
Olivia slowly opened the door halfway.
Daniel stood outside, looking as professional as always in his dark suit.
“Good afternoon, Miss Bennett.”
Olivia crossed her arms.
“What do you want?”
Daniel remained calm.
“Mr. Kingsley asked me to deliver something.”
“I don’t want it.”
He held out a white envelope.
“Please take a look first.”
Olivia hesitated.
Her instincts told her to slam the door immediately.
But curiosity won.
She grabbed the envelope quickly.
“Fine. Now leave.”
Daniel nodded politely.
“I’ll be waiting downstairs.”
Olivia frowned.
“You’re waiting?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“In case you have questions.”
Olivia rolled her eyes and shut the door.
She walked back to the table and opened the envelope.
Inside was a single document.
She pulled it out.
Then her eyes widened in shock.
It was a contract.
A very thick one.
Olivia flipped through the pages quickly.
Her expression changed from confusion… to disbelief… to pure anger.
“What the hell is this?”
She grabbed the phone number printed on the first page and dialed it immediately.
The call connected after one ring.
“Miss Bennett,” Daniel answered calmly.
“Are you serious right now?” Olivia demanded.
“I assume you’ve read the document.”
“Yes!”
“Then you understand it.”
“I understand that Adrian Kingsley has completely lost his mind.”
Daniel didn’t react.
“Mr. Kingsley believes this arrangement is reasonable.”
“Reasonable?!”
Olivia almost laughed.
“He wants me to move back into his house!”
“Yes.”
“He wants full medical supervision during the pregnancy!”
“That’s correct.”
“He even included a private doctor!”
“Yes.”
Olivia flipped to the last page again.
“And this part—”
Her voice rose sharply.
“—he wants legal confirmation that the baby belongs to him after birth!”
“That is standard for inheritance protection.”
Olivia slammed the contract onto the table.
“I’m not signing this.”
Daniel spoke calmly.
“Mr. Kingsley expected that response.”
“Then why send it?”
“Because he also included compensation.”
Olivia opened the document again.
Her eyes scanned the numbers.
Her breath caught slightly.
The amount was enormous.
More money than she had ever seen in her life.
“You think money solves everything?” she asked bitterly.
“No.”
“Then why offer it?”
“Because Mr. Kingsley understands responsibility.”
Olivia laughed harshly.
“He didn’t understand responsibility when he divorced me.”
Daniel stayed silent.
Olivia’s voice hardened.
“I’m not selling my baby.”
“You misunderstand the contract.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Mr. Kingsley is not buying the child.”
“Then what is he doing?”
“Ensuring the child grows up with proper resources.”
Olivia picked up the document again.
Her eyes landed on a specific sentence.
The mother will reside at Kingsley Estate during the pregnancy to ensure safety and care.
Her chest tightened.
That house again.
Those cold halls.
Those lonely dinners.
Victoria’s constant insults.
Adrian’s distant silence.
“No,” she whispered.
Daniel heard her through the phone.
“Miss Bennett—”
“I said no.”
Her voice was firm now.
“I will not move back into that house.”
Daniel spoke carefully.
“You might want to reconsider.”
“Why?”
“Because Mr. Kingsley will not give up easily.”
“I don’t care.”
“He believes the child is his.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
“That doesn’t give him the right to control my life.”
“No.”
“Then tell him to stop.”
Daniel paused before answering.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
Olivia let out a long breath.
“Fine.”
“What will you do?”
“I’m tearing this contract up.”
“Mr. Kingsley expected that as well.”
Olivia frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means he prepared a second option.”
Olivia’s stomach dropped.
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
Daniel’s voice remained calm.
“If you refuse the agreement…”
He paused slightly.
“…Mr. Kingsley will request a court-ordered paternity test.”
Olivia felt her blood run cold.
“That’s not possible.”
“It is.”
“You can’t force a pregnant woman to take a test.”
“Not immediately.”
“Then what are you threatening me with?”
“Once the child is born, Mr. Kingsley can legally request confirmation.”
Olivia’s hands began shaking.
“If the baby is his…”
Daniel continued.
“…he will pursue full parental rights.”
Her chest tightened painfully.
“And if the court agrees,” Daniel finished quietly, “shared custody will be unavoidable.”
Silence filled the apartment.
Olivia’s mind raced.
She had tried to avoid this exact situation.
She had tried to escape before Adrian discovered the truth.
But now…
he was already planning legal action.
“Miss Bennett,” Daniel said gently.
“Mr. Kingsley is not your enemy.”
Olivia laughed bitterly.
“He divorced me.”
“Yes.”
“And now he wants control over my baby.”
“He wants responsibility.”
Olivia looked down at her stomach again.
Her voice softened.
“This baby is the only thing I have left.”
Daniel didn’t respond.
“Tell Adrian something for me,” she said quietly.
“What?”
Olivia’s eyes hardened.
“I will never let him take my child.”
Daniel sighed softly.
“I’ll deliver the message.”
“Good.”
Olivia hung up.
The apartment fell silent again.
She looked down at the thick contract on the table.
Then slowly—
she tore it in half.
Then again.
And again.
Pieces of paper fell onto the floor.
But the fear in her chest didn’t disappear.
Because she knew something now.
Adrian Kingsley had officially declared war.
And this time—
the battlefield was her child.
- Writer
