Julia POV
I pressed myself against the rough wall, knees drawn tightly to my chest, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure Cody could hear it. I tried to control my breathing, to keep my face as neutral as possible, but my mind raced in every direction at once. Fear pulsed through me, but I knew that panicking would only make things worse. I had to stay calm, keep him talking, buy myself time.
As Cody ranted, I tried to listen carefully to his words, to decipher the truth buried beneath his obsession. He spoke with such certainty, painting Ethan as a liar and a cheat, but none of it sounded right. Ethan wasn’t perfect, but he was honest with me—gentle, loving, and fiercely protective. I thought of his steady arms around me, the way he spoke to our unborn baby, the softness in his eyes wh
