Arec's POV:
"And what if I don't want to stay in this... arrangement forever?" Ella looked down at her hands, her fingers tracing the edge of the chair's armrest.
I swallowed hard. "Then we'll end the marriage when it makes sense. But I'll still be in the child's life. We'll make it work."
The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the uncertainty gnawing at her. She was struggling with this just as much as I was. But I had to make her understand, I wasn't going to abandon her or the baby. No matter what.
This is my responsibility, and I don't plan on running away from it.
"Ella," I said quietly, leaning forward. "I know this isn't what you signed up for. It's not what I signed up for either. But we're in this now. Together. And we need to make decisions based on what's best for the child. That has to be our priority."
