The CEO's Unplanned Heir novel Chapter 25

"Mr. Leopold, he's just a friend to me. I'm a woman, and I have the right to make friends with anyone I choose. Whatever grudge you have with him, it has nothing to do with me. Respect our agreement and stay out of my personal life." Aurelia said.

Each word was like pouring gasoline on the fire to Leopold. He clenched his teeth, and his forehead veined pulsing. A chilling aura seemed to radiate from him, cooling the air around them to a near freezing point. "Are you testing my patience?" Leopold asked.

"I'm just sticking to our agreement. Didn't you draft all the clauses yourself?" Aurelia replied, questioning him. Aurelia had lost her rationality, her wounded pride overriding her fear. She was ready to stand against the unfair dominance.

Leopold drew in a sharp breath through his gritted teeth. Damn, he had overlooked that. He should have included a hundred more clauses, forbidding her from having any contact with other men, maintaining a ten-foot distance at all times!

"Clause five of our agreement, you shall not engage in any behavior that could harm the child. Your association with Arnold could put the child in danger at any moment." Leopold said.

Aurelia's heart skipped a beat. Could Arnold harm a child? Impossible! She did not believe he was capable of it. When they had encountered a bunny caught in a trap during a trip, he risked his life to save it. If he was so kind to a bunny, how could he possibly harm his own nephew?

"I don't know what misunderstanding you have with your own brother, but I trust that he would not harm a child. And I have no intention of telling him about my pregnancy." She paused, shifting her tone, "In my opinion, the greatest threat to the child is your fiancée Elowen. She has always suspected that I did not have an abortion and has tried to trap me more than once. She already cannot tolerate the child’s existence, can we expect her to treat them kindly in the future? Why don’t you break off your engagement with her?”

She said this deliberately, applying the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

As the boss, he should lead by example, not hold others to standards he himself could not meet.

A nerve twitched in Leopold's heart. He had never planned to marry Elowen. He would have to break off the engagement someday, but not now. "Are you negotiating with me?" Leopold asked.

"Yes, the condition for me to stop associating with Arnold is for you to break off your engagement with Elowen. This way, what we both perceive as threats would be removed, and everyone would be happy. Please consider it, Mr. Leopold." Aurelia said.

With that, she yanked her hand free from his grip and ran out. She was certain that he wouldn't be able to do it, so he had no right to demand the same of her.

Leopold's fury was uncontrollable. He punched the wall violently, then made his way to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of iced water and pouring it over his head in an attempt to cool himself down.

She negotiated with him! Had she given up on him after hitting too many walls, and was now turning her sights on Arnold? Or was she intentionally provoking him with Arnold, forcing him to break off his engagement and make her his legitimate partner?

He decided it was the latter. How could he possibly lose to Arnold?

Thinking of this, a cold, cynical smile played on his lips. What a schemer. He almost fell for her trick!

……

When Aurelia arrived home, Laura had already prepared dinner. She took a sip of the soup, then casually asked, "Arnold came to the office today to order a necklace, and I noticed that he and Mr. Leopold don't seem to get along. Is there something going on between them?"

Since Aurelia asked, Laura saw no point in hiding it. It was essential for her to know some of the Stirling family's affairs, to better plan for her and her child's future.

"Sibling rivalry is common among half-brothers. Chad was a notorious womanizer, and had countless affairs. His wife bore him four daughters, but no son, which gave him all the reason to seek comfort elsewhere. Despite this, his affairs never threatened his wife's position, until he met Arnold's mother." Laura said.