Divorcing My Cold Hearted Celebrity Husband.-Chapter 152 --. (I Am Pregnant).

When I finally pushed open the study door again, the air inside felt heavier than before.

It was thick, almost suffocating. I could hear the faint hum of the air conditioner and the low ticking of the clock above Matteo. Everything else was still.

Sophie sat on the edge of the couch, her hands clasped tightly together, eyes unfocused on the patterned rug. Edward sat beside her, arms folded, his posture protective.

Matteo leaned against the desk, his expression unreadable, the very picture of patience that was about to run out.

I took a few cautious steps in, the sound of my heels soft against the marble floor. Everyone’s gaze flickered toward me for a second...then back to silence.

I could feel my pulse beating in my ears. This conversation wasn’t over, not yet.

"Sophie, can we talk?" I said softly, breaking the quiet.

Her eyes slowly lifted to me, calm but distant. She didn’t answer right away.

I hesitated, glancing at Edward, who looked ready to step between us again, but before he could say a word, Sophie raised a hand, stopping him.

"It’s fine. Let her speak," she murmured.

Edward exhaled, still frowning, and leaned against the arm of the sofa, clearly not happy, but letting it happen.

I took another step closer until I stood right in front of her. My voice came out low and uncertain. "I... I know you said no before, and I respect that, but I just want to understand. Why?"

Sophie blinked, her expression unreadable. "Elena, you don’t have to take everything as a personal rejection. I just," she began, choosing her words carefully.

"I’m not. I just... I thought you’d want to protect Emm, too. That’s all this was ever about." I interrupted quietly, shaking my head.

Her lips parted as if to respond, but then she closed them again. For a few seconds, she said nothing. The silence stretched out painfully.

Matteo’s voice finally cut through it, sharp, measured.

"We don’t have all night," he said, his tone clipped. He looked as if he wanted to say something harsher, but stopped himself when I shot him a warning glance.

I turned back to Sophie, ignoring him. "Please, if there’s another reason, I just want to hear it. From you." I whispered.

Edward shifted, clearly uncomfortable, but Sophie placed a hand on his arm again to quiet him.

Her gaze softened a little as she looked at me, not angry, just... conflicted. She gestured for me to sit beside her.

I hesitated before taking a seat, the leather couch creaking slightly under my weight.

Up close, I could see how tense she was; even her knuckles were white where she gripped her own hands, her chest rising and falling unevenly.

"I know this is all too much. Believe me, I never wanted to drag you or Edward into this, but if Matteo’s problem is not fixed soon, then it might make me a little guilty as I took his help." I said quietly.

"I know. If he did not, then he would have to...marry someone else," Sophie finished for me, her tone firm but not cold.

The way she said it made me freeze for a second. Calm, clear, like she had already thought this through more deeply than I expected.

"Then you understand why...?"

"I do, and that’s exactly why I’m saying no," she interrupted gently.

I blinked. "What?"

Her voice was steady, but her eyes looked almost sad.

"Because the moment you involve Emma...even in name, even in pretend, you are putting her in that world, Elena. The world that Edward fought so hard that he had to escape."

The words hit me hard. She was right, of course. Deep down, I knew that, but hearing it out loud made the truth sting. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I know, but she would be safe with you and Edward. I trust you both more than anyone." I admitted softly, staring at the floor.

Sophie smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "I know you do. And that means a lot to me. But even if I could protect her, what happens when Matteo’s enemies find out she’s supposed to be his heir? Do you know what they’d do to a child like her?"

Her voice cracked slightly, just for a second. The image she painted made my stomach twist.

I opened my mouth but could not form words. All my arguments suddenly felt flimsy, naive even.

Sophie sighed deeply and leaned back, rubbing her temples. "You have been through enough, Elena. You don’t deserve to keep living in the guilt, but involving Emma will not end it, but will just pass it on to her."

Her words lingered like smoke in the air. Edward nodded quietly behind her, his expression thoughtful but grim.

I wanted to respond...to say she was wrong, that this was the only way, but my throat felt tight.

I could feel Matteo’s gaze on me, watching silently from the desk, his expression hard to read.

Sophie took another slow breath, then glanced at him briefly before returning her attention to me. "You see, this is not about not wanting to help you, Elena. It’s about not wanting to put a child in danger."

I nodded faintly, my shoulders slumping. "I get it," I murmured, though my heart still felt like it was caving in.

For a while, none of us spoke. The silence was heavy, suffocating. Matteo’s phone buzzed once on the desk, but he ignored it.

Then Sophie’s tone shifted slightly. Softer, more personal. "You know, when I first met you," she said, "you reminded me a lot of myself. The way you tried to handle everything alone. The way you kept smiling even when you were breaking inside."

I looked up in surprise. It was the first time she actually said something about me. That she just did not think of me as some loser, but as a person.

She smiled faintly, though her eyes glistened. "But this...this is too big for you to carry alone. You don’t have to save everyone."

"I’m not trying to..."

"Yes, you are. You think if you can make everything right, you will finally stop hurting," she said gently, cutting me off.

Her words were too precise, too honest. I swallowed hard and looked away.

Then she fell quiet again. The ticking clock filled the silence between us.

Finally, she exhaled, and her expression shifted...she was nervous now. "And honestly, there’s another reason too," she added quietly.

My head snapped up. "What?"

Sophie hesitated, glancing at Edward, then back at me. He gave a small nod of reassurance, though his expression was unreadable.

She adjusted slightly in her seat, her hand resting on her lap...or rather, on her stomach.

And that’s when I noticed it. The small, almost unconscious gesture.

My breath caught. "Sophie..."

She looked up, eyes glimmering. "I was going to tell you all soon," she said softly, looking at me and then at Edward. "But since we are here... I might as well say it now."

Her voice trembled slightly, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I am pregnant, Elena."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The words echoed in my head...I am pregnant.

I stared at her blankly, trying to process it. My mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Edward stepped closer, resting a hand on her shoulder. His expression softened instantly, pride flickering across his face.

Sophie reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I just found out two days before. I was not sure if it was the right time to tell anyone, but now, I think it explains everything," she said.

It did. And it didn’t. My thoughts were spinning too fast.

"You’re... pregnant," I repeated numbly, as if saying it out loud would make it make sense.

She nodded, a gentle smile blooming fully now. "Yes. So you see, you don’t have to offer Emma for this. Matteo doesn’t need an heir anymore...not when there’s already a child on the way."

I blinked rapidly, my throat tightening.

I should have felt relieved, and part of me did, but another part, a smaller, quieter one, just felt hollow. Like something inside me had deflated.

All this time, I had been bracing myself to protect Emma from Matteo’s shadow. Fighting for her, planning for her, worrying every moment about what might happen.

And now, just like that, she was free of it.

Free of me, too, in a way.

"That’s..." I whispered, my voice barely audible, "...that’s wonderful, Sophie."

Her expression softened. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but I wasn’t sure how. I didn’t want to distract you from what you were trying to do," she said.

I smiled weakly, forcing my lips to move. "I’m glad you told me now."

On the other hand, Edwrad stayed still...to still. He sat there, emotionless, as if he could not yet process the news.