Chapter 26
Nadia’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced down her unease.
“All right. What kind of repayment do you want?”
Callum stepped closer, eyes gleaming with unmistakable heat. He reached out, fingers aimed toward her face, but she instinctively took a step back.
Callum’s eyes darkened with something unreadable swirling in their depths.
“What, do you hate me touching you that much?”
His voice held a note of mockery, as well as something softer beneath it. It was almost hurt. “You used to enjoy it.”
Images flickered through his mind–intimate, burning memories.
Truth be told, his body still craved her more than he could ever admit with his pride.
Nadia suddenly turned her head, a cold, biting smile curling on her lips. “Callum, you do have a good memory. Holding on to the past, huh? You might want to remeraber what we are now.”
“And what exactly is that?” Callum let out a short laugh. “Nadia, as long as the divorce papers haven’t been signed, you’re still my wife. Which means you still have obligations.”
He reached for her again, teasingly, just to provoke a reaction, but she jerked away sharply. Her eyes were full of guarded resistance.
“Callum, there’s no need to drag this out. Can’t we just end things peacefully?” she said firmly.
That look of disdain in her eyes made him suddenly laugh.
“Nadia.”
He gently tapped her chin with his fingers, his voice low and deliberate. “Are you saying that you don’t want me?”
In three years, she had never turned him down like this.
Nadia slapped his hand away and said seriously, “Callum, thank you for helping me tonight, but I won’t repay you with myself. If you ever need help in the future, I
won’t say no.”
“Fine. Just remember you said that. I’ll come collect that favor,” he replied, tone laced with pride and just a touch of arrogance.
Nadia opened a drawer and pulled out a small square of blue notepaper. She scribbled something on it, then held it out to him.
“One favor.”
At the bottom, she signed her name in a scrawled mess of loops and curves, barely legible.
“Here you go, Mr. Ford. Don’t lose it,” she said with mock seriousness.
Callum took the paper and glanced at the neat handwriting on top–and the playful signature below.
His eyes darkened, deep and unreadable.
Since when had the richest man in the country ever asked a woman for a favor? Interesting.
Calluin didn’t quite understand what was going on with himself.
Maybe… Maybe he didn’t dislike her as much as he thought.
Nadia could clearly feel something was off about him tonight. He seemed distracted and burdened like something was about to happen.
She poured him a glass of warm water and handed it to him.
Callum’s lips twitched slightly, but he still took the glass and drank.
One sip, then another Only after the second sip did he set the glass down.
Nadia took a deep breath and finally asked, “Callum, it’s been three years. Did you ever think about having a child with me?”
It was a question she had always wanted to ask
But more than anything, it was a test. She wanted to know if that Innocent child had anything to do with him.
Callum paused, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected a question like that.
The truth was, he had never imagined what life would be like if they had a child together.
They’d tried for three years. It wasn’t like they hadn’t made the effort–maybe it was just her body that hadn’t cooperated.
But of course, there was no way he’d say that out loud.
Instead, he gave her a careless smirk, and cold words slipped out of his mouth, “Do you think just anyone is qualified to give birth to the heir of the Ford family?”
The sentence hit like a hammer, knocking Nadia straight into the abyss.
So even if I did have a child. You wouldn’t want him?”
Her voice trembled with rage, fists clenched at her sides.
Callum watched her anger rising, and chuckded like it was no big deal. “I don’t answer hypothetical questions. It’s pointless.”
Suddenly, his pupils shrank. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked, voice sharp and laced with urgency.
