Chapter 21

(contract marriage)

A heavy silence filled the room as everyone's eyes widened in shock. Tiara, my stepmother, gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth.

Gustavo looks away, his face masked with disgust and disappointment.

My dad's face turned Ashen, his confusion slowly melting into anger. “What nonsense are you sprouting, Gemini” he growled, his voice dripping with disbelief and anger.

“It's truth, Papa” I replied firmly, my voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at me from within. “I'm pregnant”

Finally, my father broke the silence, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disappointment. “How can this be, Gemini, we raised you better than this! I have given you everything, and this is how you repay me,?”

Hot tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “Papa, please, listen. I didn't plan for all this to happen. It just did. I need your support now more than ever.”

His face contorted with rage, and I saw the familiar fire