Rejected While Pregnant. Claimed by His Ruthless Brother

Chapter 4: The World He Owns

The drive was silent.

Not awkward.

Not uncertain.

Just… controlled.

Like everything around Sebastian Laurent.

I sat in the passenger seat of a car that felt more expensive than anything I had ever touched.

Leather. Clean lines. Soft lighting.

Even the silence felt expensive.

I kept my hands folded in my lap, trying to ignore the weight of what I had just done.

Married.

No.

Not yet.

But close enough that my heart refused to settle.

Beside me, Sebastian drove with one hand, his attention fixed on the road.

Calm.

Unbothered.

Like tonight hadn’t changed anything for him.

“Do you regret it?”

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

His eyes didn’t move.

“No.”

No hesitation.

No consideration.

Just certainty.

I swallowed.

“That was fast.”

“It wasn’t.”

Now he glanced at me.

Brief.

Sharp.

“I don’t make decisions on impulse.”

A chill ran through me.

Of course he didn’t.

Everything about him felt… deliberate.

Calculated.

Planned.

Which meant—

This wasn’t random.

This wasn’t pity.

And somehow, that made it more unsettling.

The car slowed.

Then turned.

Through tall black gates that opened without a sound.

My breath caught.

The estate beyond them was—

Massive.

Lights stretched across a wide driveway, leading toward a house that looked less like a home… and more like something out of a magazine.

Or a world I didn’t belong in.

“This is your house?” I asked quietly.

“No,” he said.

My heart skipped.

Then

“It’s ours.”

The words settled heavily between us.

Not comforting.

Not warm.

Just… real.

The car came to a stop.

Before I could move, Sebastian stepped out.

Walked around.

Opened my door.

I hesitated for a second.

Then took his hand.

The moment my fingers touched his

Something shifted.

Steady.

Firm.

Unyielding.

He didn’t pull me.

He didn’t rush me.

He simply waited.

Like he knew I would step out.

And I did.

The night air felt cooler here.

Quieter.

Like the world outside didn’t exist beyond those gates.

As soon as my heels touched the ground

The front doors opened.

Two staff members stepped forward immediately.

“Good evening, Mr. Laurent.”

Their voices were respectful.

Measured.

Used to him.

“Prepare the guest wing,” Sebastian said.

My chest tightened slightly.

Guest.

Of course.

This wasn’t real.

Not yet.

“Also,” he added calmly, “inform legal I want the contract finalized tonight.”

Contract.

The word echoed louder than it should have.

“Yes, sir.”

They disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

I stood there, unsure.

Out of place.

“You can still walk away.”

His voice came from beside me.

Quiet.

Unexpected.

I turned.

“What?”

Sebastian was watching me again.

Not intensely.

Not coldly.

Just… watching.

“Nothing has been signed yet,” he said. “You still have a choice.”

My heart tightened.

This again.

Choice.

The illusion of it.

I let out a small breath.

“And go where?”

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

It wasn’t defensive.

It wasn’t emotional.

It was honest.

For a moment

Something flickered in his expression.

Gone almost immediately.

“Inside,” he said instead, stepping back slightly.

Giving me space.

But not distance.

Never distance.

I hesitated.

Just for a second.

Then walked past him.

Into his world.

The inside was worse.

Or better.

I couldn’t decide.

Everything was… perfect.

Polished floors.

Soft lighting.

Minimal but expensive furniture.

It didn’t feel like a home.

It felt like control.

Like every detail had been chosen.

Every corner intentional.

“This way.”

I followed his voice, my heels echoing softly as he led me down a long hallway.

My chest tightened slightly with every step.

This was real.

This was happening.

“You’ll stay here,” he said, opening a door.

The room inside

Was bigger than my entire apartment.

A king-sized bed.

Floor-to-ceiling windows.

A bathroom that looked like something out of a luxury hotel.

I stepped inside slowly.

Overwhelmed.

“You can rest,” he continued. “We’ll finalize everything in the morning.”

Morning.

That soon.

“And you?” I asked quietly.

“I have work.”

Of course he did.

He always would.

He turned to leave.

Then paused.

Just at the door.

“Don’t overthink it,” he said.

Easy for him.

Before I could respond

He was gone.

Just like that.

Leaving me alone.

In a world that didn’t feel like mine.

In a life I hadn’t planned.

I stood there for a long moment.

Then slowly walked toward the mirror.

The woman staring back at me looked the same.

Same face.

Same eyes.

But something had changed.

Something deeper.

Something irreversible.

My hand moved to my stomach again.

“I hope I didn’t make a mistake,” I whispered softly.

The silence didn’t answer.

But somewhere, deep inside

I already knew.

This wasn’t going to be simple.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

And Sebastian Laurent…

Wasn’t the kind of man who gave anything without a reason.