Alessia and Pamela barely made it to the parking lot before Christian followed them, his voice ringing out as he caught up. “Alessia, stop!” he called, his tone sharp and insistent.
Pamela instinctively stepped between them, her protective side flaring. “She doesn’t have to talk to you, Christian,” she said coldly, glaring at him.
“I’m not talking to you,” Christian snapped, his eyes locked on Alessia. “I’m talking to her.”
Alessia sighed, rubbing her temples. She was exhausted—emotionally, mentally, and now physically. The last thing she wanted was a scene in a busy parking lot, but Christian’s persistence wasn’t giving her a choice.
“Christian,” she said, her voice firm but low. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want,” he said, stepping closer. “Is the baby mine?”
Pamela’s eyes widened, but she stayed silent, letting Alessia take the lead. Alessia bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the cart for support.
“Yes,” she admitted finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “The baby is yours.”
Christian froze for a moment, as if the words hadn’t quite registered. When they did, his expression shifted to a mixture of disbelief and something Alessia couldn’t quite place—anger? Regret? Hope?
“You’re carrying my child?” he asked, his voice softer now, almost vulnerable.
“Yes,” Alessia repeated, her jaw tightening. “But that doesn’t change anything, Christian. You made your choices.”
Before Christian could respond, a new voice cut through the tension. “What’s going on here?” Ava’s sharp tone sent chills down Alessia’s spine. She had followed Christian, her arms crossed and her face twisted in annoyance.
Christian turned to Ava, his face hardening. “Ava, stay out of this.”
“No,” Ava snapped, stepping closer. “I won’t stay out of it. What’s she talking about, Christian? Is she… are you saying she’s pregnant with your baby?”
The silence that followed was deafening. Alessia looked away, her hands tightening on the cart. Pamela shifted uncomfortably, glancing between the three of them.
Finally, Christian nodded. “Yes. She’s pregnant with my child.”
Ava’s face twisted in anger and disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This—this is insane. I thought you were done with her! We’re supposed to be building a life together, Christian, and now you’re telling me you’re having a baby with her?”
“Ava, it’s not like that,” Christian said, his tone defensive. “I didn’t know—”
“You didn’t know?!” Ava interrupted, her voice rising. “That’s your excuse? You think that makes this better?”
“Ava, calm down,” Christian said, reaching for her arm, but she pulled away.
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she shouted, her voice breaking. “I wanted to be the one to give you your first child, Christian. I thought we had something real. But now? Now, there’s no room for us—not with her and this baby in the picture.”
“Ava, listen—”
“No,” she said firmly, cutting him off. “I’m done, Christian. I don’t want this. I don’t want you.” She turned to Alessia, her eyes blazing. “You can have him. Good luck.”
Without another word, Ava stormed off, leaving the three of them standing in stunned silence.
Pamela let out a low whistle, breaking the tension. “Well, that was… dramatic.”
Alessia glared at Christian, her voice icy. “She’s right. You should go after her. You made your choice, remember?”
But Christian didn’t move. His eyes were fixed on Alessia, and for the first time in weeks, they weren’t filled with anger or indifference. They were filled with something raw, something desperate.
“I don’t care about Ava,” he said quietly, stepping closer to her. “I care about you. I care about us. I made a mistake, Alessia. A huge mistake. But I want to fix this. I want to be there for you—for the baby.”
Alessia let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Now you want to be there? After everything? After the lies and the betrayal?”
Christian flinched but held his ground. “I know I messed up. I know I don’t deserve another chance, but I’m asking for one anyway. I want to be a part of this—of your life, of our child’s life.”
Pamela stepped in, her voice cutting through the tension. “Christian, you can’t just show up and expect everything to be fine. Alessia doesn’t owe you anything.”
“I’m not asking for everything to be fine,” Christian said, his gaze never leaving Alessia. “I’m asking for a chance to make it right.”
Alessia stared at him, her emotions swirling. She wanted to believe him, but the scars of his betrayal were still fresh. Finally, she shook her head. “I don’t know if I can trust you, Christian. And trust is everything.”
Christian’s face fell, but he nodded slowly. “I’ll prove it to you,” he said softly. “I’ll prove that I can change, that I can be the man you and this baby deserve.”
Alessia didn’t respond. Instead, she turned to Pamela. “Let’s go.”
Pamela nodded, pushing the cart as they headed toward the car. Christian stood there, watching them leave, his shoulders slumping as the weight of his actions finally seemed to settle on him.
In the car, Pamela glanced at Alessia. “Are you okay?”
Alessia took a deep breath, her hand resting on her stomach. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I’m not making any decisions right now. My baby comes first.”
Pamela nodded, her voice firm. “And we’ll make sure this baby has everything they need, with or without Christian.”
Alessia smiled faintly, her resolve strengthening. “With or without him,” she repeated.