Page 175 of Scandalous Contract

“Please keep it down,” I hissed, cutting him off. My eyes darted to the side, to where India had disappeared around the corner. “I don’t want the neighbors to know I’ve been screwing a guy who’s much too young for me.”

He reeled, like the words had physically knocked the wind out of him. “You didn’t say I was too young when I was fucking your throat.”

“Probably because my mouth was full,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

Julian took a step forward, fury mingled with disbelief in his gaze. “Should I fill it now so you can quit talking this nonsense?”

I lifted my hand, placing it between us like a barrier. “Don’t.”

His jaw ticked as he looked away briefly, breathing hard. When his eyes returned to mine, they were shimmering with unshed tears. Still angry. Still confused. But underneath it all, he looked shattered.

“I came to take you home,” he said, voice low and trembling.

“I’m staying to spend more time with my daughter.”

“Is that really why you’re here?” His tone dipped darker. “Because now it just feels like you’re avoiding me.”

I hesitated. “That too,” I whispered.

His face crumpled for half a second before he caught himself. “Why, Stefanie? What did I do wrong? You were just promising to come home and tell me you loved me, and now you’re standing here pretending we were nothing. This makes no fucking sense.”

It didn’t. It never would. But it was the only thing I knew how to do right now. I couldn’t break India just to keep loving Julian. And yet... breaking Julian was breaking me too. Julian was still staring at me, trying to make sense of it all.

I could see it all reflecting back to me in his dark gaze. His confusion, his hurt, the beginnings of a storm starting to build in his chest as he struggled to process what I was saying. I recognized it because I was mirroring those same emotions back at him.

But I had to finish this. I had to break both of our hearts because dragging it out would only make the wound deeper.

“It’s just too much,” I said, voice. “Being with you... It’s too hard, Julian.”

“How is it hard, Stefanie?” he asked. “Just love me. That’s all you have to do, I swear. I can handle any and everything else. All I need is your love.”

Damn it, I was barely holding it together. I had to finish them before I broke completely in front of him.

“Our contract period is ending soon anyway, and maybe that’s the universe telling us it’s time to part ways.”

His jaw clenched. “Fuck the contract,” he said. “I’m not letting you go.”

When he reached for me, I jerked back instinctively, my eyes flicking toward the street to make sure India wasn’t anywhere nearby, watching,

“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be,” I told him, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

He stood there, breathing heavily, his arms falling to his sides like he didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Give me one good reason why we can’t work out,” he said, stepping closer. “And don’t give me a bullshit answer, Stefanie. Just onerealreason.”

“I have several,” I told him, wrapping my arms tightly around myself to keep from falling apart.

“It won’t work because you’re too young for me. My daughter is your sister’s roommate. That alone is a challenge. And your family...” I paused, hating the lie I was about to utter. “Your family is too closely tied to a past I want to keep secret. Being with you could reveal things to India that I don’t want revealed.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed. He was already shaking his head before I finished.

“You’re a Cattaneo,” I said firmly. “Your family’s used to danger, to making enemies and getting into things I can’t have around my daughter. I have a child to protect. I can’t have her connected to a family that promotes violence.”

“Says the woman who killed...” Julian stopped himself from finishing that sentence.

But I took it as my reason to get angry and truly end this. My mouth dropped open. The words cut through me like a blade I didn’t see coming. My knees almost buckled.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, dragging his hand over his face. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just... no matter how upset and confused I am, I shouldn’t have said it.”