Julian froze entirely, as if turned to stone by her words. The sudden shock struck him like a bolt of thunder. In a violent, panicked recoil, he yanked his hand away from her abdomen, his face twisting in rigid, terrified tension.
"This is no time for your twisted jokes, Cecilia," Julian rasped, his voice tight and uneven.
The fragile, bittersweet smile on Cecilia's face vanished, replaced by a cold, hollow look of profound disappointment. "My love... do I look like I am in a position to joke?" she whispered, her golden eyes locking onto his with painful gravity. "Of course I am speaking with absolute seriousness."
"But... how?!" Julian burst out, his eyes wide with rising hysteria. He paced backward, shaking his head in denial. "I took every single precaution to ensure this would never happen! Are you... are you absolutely certain that it is mine?!"
