“It’s clear that we both don’t want this—”
“We don’t have a choice.”
“Let me finish.”
Silence.
He locked eyes with me, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
“If this marriage is gonna work, then we need to be intentional about it,” I continued. “That said, I have some conditions.”
The air in the room shifted, and he studied me with that smirk retained on his face. “Conditions?”
“Yes.”
He scoffed. “I like how you think you’re in control here.”
My expression turned ugly. “This isn’t about control. It’s about understanding each other.”
“Understandingyou,you mean.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Are you gonna listen or not?”
He exhaled softly, arms folded across his broad chest.
I took a breath. “First, I keep my career.” After a pause, I continued, “Being your wife doesn’t mean I have to put my life on hold. After the baby’s born, I’ll return to work, keep my name, and maintain my autonomy outside this house.”
A quiet laugh spilled from his lips.
I frown at him. “Did I say something funny?”
“You want to go back to work?”
“I didn’t stutter, did I?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and began walking toward me. “You do realize we’re on opposite sides of the law. How can I let you get back to work when your work interferes with my affairs?”
I swallowed hard when he halted before me, closing the distance between us. “That’s the price for making me your wife. It’s either I get back to work, or we don’t get married at all.”
A pause.
“You’re not doing me a favor, you know.”
“Yeah, neither are you,” I shot back, staring right into his eyes.
After a moment of hesitation, he took a few steps back. “Fine. You will work.”
I cast a suspicious gaze at him, sensing a catch.
“But….”
I knew it. I knew he wasn’t just going to let me have my way.
“…you will only take on the cases thatIchoose.”
“What? That’s ridiculous!” I protested.
“You have your conditions, I have mine.”
