Nathan said he wouldn’t agree to a divorce.
Ivy froze. She had been sure he couldn’t wait to end this. She had imagined him dragging her straight to the courthouse to file the papers.
Instead, he said no.
“Why?” she asked, her voice tight. “Do you want me to get rid of the baby?”
Nathan’s jaw clenched. “Listen carefully. I might not have planned on being a dad, but the baby’s already here. That’s my child, and I want it.”
Her mind went blank. “You want to fight me for custody?”
“Yes. I want the baby.”
She had always thought he didn’t care about kids. She never expected this.
“No. That’s not happening. I’m not giving you this baby.”
“Why not?”
“Because this baby is mine. I’m the one carrying the baby. Of course I won’t give it.” Her voice shook now. “You can remarry. There are plenty of women out there who’d love to have your kids. But I only get this one.”
Nathan grabbed her chin lightly, forcing her to look at him. “What do you mean, you only get this one? After we divorce, you can remarry, too. You can have more kids.”
“I won’t.” Her eyes were steady. “I won’t get married again. And I won’t have another child.”
He studied her face, searching for hesitation. The storm in his expression eased just a little. “You mean that?”
“Yes. If you’re worried, we can write it into the agreement. I won’t remarry. I won’t have another baby. Just don’t fight me for custody.”
The tension in Nathan’s chest loosened. It finally clicked. She wasn’t choosing another man over him; she was choosing no one.
“Still not happening,” he said. “There’s only one solution.”
“What?”
“We stay married. No divorce, no custody battle.” His tone hardened. “If you insist on divorcing me, I’ll fight for the baby. Anyway, my grandfather won’t let a Lowe heir grow up outside the family.”
Ivy felt her heart sink. He was right; Keith would never let her take the child away.
But what stunned her most was that Nathan refused to divorce.
“You really don’t want a divorce?” she asked softly. “Why? You don’t even love me.”
He gave a cold laugh. “If there’s ever a divorce, I’ll be the one to bring it up. As long as I haven’t said the word, you don’t get to. Understood?”
She didn’t have much of a choice.
And truthfully, she didn’t want to leave either. Staying married was better for her in every practical way.
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Chapter 1165
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But what would this look like? Would he actually try to be a good husband? A good father?
Ivy didn’t dare hope. She had lied to him. He had every reason to resent her.
“Okay,” she said at last. “I won’t bring up divorce again.”
“That’s more like it.”
He reached over and finally clicked her seat belt into place. “I’ll take you to your studio.”
“Thank you.”
He pressed the gas, and the car rolled smoothly down the road.
Thirty minutes later, they pulled up outside her office building. Nathan stepped out first and opened Ivy’s door.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said as she got out. “I’ll head up.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
Ivy walked inside and went straight to her office.
A minute later, Madge slipped in with a teasing smile. “So, Mr. Lowe dropped you off?”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
