CHAPTER 92: IT WAS NEVER ABOUT US

Daisy stood frozen as Theo’s voice echoed in every corner of the room, low and sharp enough to make the air feel heavier.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. His eyes, dark and unblinking, were enough to pin her in place.

"I—I need to," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Theo stepped forward, closing the distance until the warmth of his breath brushed her skin. His gaze didn’t waver. "And why?"

"Because..." Her lips trembled. She had never been this afraid of him before, but the way his eyes looked at this moment... It terrified her. "I can’t get pregnant..."

His expression didn’t soften. If anything, his voice grew quieter, heavier. "What’s wrong with getting pregnant?"

Daisy’s throat tightened. "What’s wrong with—? Theo, I..." She shook her head, unable to find the right words. Her hands instinctively clutched at the hem of her night gown, twisting the fabric.

"This isn’t about... us," she whispered. "I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I’m not ready to be—"

"A mother?" Theo cut in, his voice steady but with an edge that made her chest tighten.

Her eyes darted away, searching for anywhere to look but him. "Yes."

He studied her in silence, his expression unreadable. "Or is it me you’re not ready for?"

Her breath caught. "Theo..."

His lips curled, but it wasn’t a smile. "You think I’d be a bad father?"

"That’s not it."

"Then what is it?" He stepped even closer, the air between them almost charged. "Because if it’s fear, Daisy... you should know... I don’t run away from what’s mine."

Daisy shook her head. "No..."

Her gaze dropped to the floor as she swallowed hard. The words ’not ready to become a mother’ sat on her tongue, safe and easy to say but only half true.

The real reason twisted deeper, sharper. She couldn’t bring herself to carry the child of the man she believed had destroyed her father’s business... the man whose actions had left her father broken in a hospital bed.

She could feel his gaze burning into the top of her head, as if he could pry the answer straight from her thoughts.

Her lips pressed together before she forced out, "I’m just... not ready."

Theo’s jaw tightened. He searched her face for a flicker of something like fear, guilt or hesitation but she kept her eyes down.

"Not ready," he repeated slowly, as though testing the words. "Or not willing?"

Her throat worked as she swallowed. ’Both’, her mind whispered, but her mouth stayed silent. She didn’t need him to know that she could never bear the child of the man she believed destroyed her family. The man standing inches from her, whose presence was both her target and her weakness.

Theo leaned in just enough for his voice to drop into something darker, more certain. "You can lie to yourself all you want, Daisy. But don’t think for a second I won’t figure it out."

She’d expected anger, maybe even arrogance, the sort of reaction she’d rehearsed a hundred times in her head before facing him.

But this... this was different.

His gaze seemed to push past her words, digging straight into the thoughts she hadn’t dared to say out loud. And for the first time, Daisy felt her carefully built walls crack.

Her lips parted, trying to put the wall back. "Having a baby needs both consent..." The words slipped before she could stop them. "Just because you want one, do I have to agree?"

She forced herself not to look away, even when her heartbeat stuttered. "And... I never even said I’d stay in this marriage forever."

Theo’s lips curved faintly before his teeth caught the lower one, holding it for a beat. It wasn’t amusement, if anything, it felt like a smile weighed down by disappointment, as though he’d expected better from her and wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sigh.

"I guess my confession doesn’t reach your heart?"

Daisy paused, her expression unreadable, before a faint frown formed.

"Are you sure about your own feelings? Or are you just looking for someone to save you from drowning... and keep her by your side to make sure she’d be a lifeboat you never let go of?"

The air between them tightened, the question hanging heavier than either of them had anticipated.

For a moment, Theo didn’t answer. His gaze stayed fixed on her, steady but dimmed, like someone trying to keep a candle lit in the wind.

Theo’s gaze sharpened, the faint curve of his lips faltering. "Is that what you think of me?" His voice was low, almost raw. "That I’d just... use you to stay afloat?"

His jaw tightened, as if the words had cost him more than he’d admit.

"Maybe... yes, I am drowning," he added, softer this time. "But you’re the only one I want to reach for."

Daisy’s eyes flickered, but the rest of her face stayed guarded. She crossed her arms loosely, more for herself than for him.

"That’s the problem," she said, her tone steady but not unkind. "You make it sound like I’m the solution... when I’m not even sure I want to be part of the problem."

She glanced away briefly, as if to shake off the weight of his gaze, then met it again. "If you really mean it, you’ll have to prove it without pulling me under too."

"So... just wanting to have a baby with you is a crime now?" Theo asked, biting his lower lip. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. "I thought that was us, not just me."

Daisy’s voice was steady, but her eyes didn’t soften. "From the start, it was never us... it was always about you. I never said I’d accept your feelings, and now you’ve decided on a baby? Seriously?"

Theo’s lips pressed into a thin line as he gave a slow nod. His teeth caught his lower lip, but the faint smile he tried to muster collapsed almost instantly. "I get it now... this was never about us."

He turned away before she could read his expression, the sound of his footsteps sharp against the floor. The door slammed shut behind him, the echo lingering long after he was gone.