The Divorced Military Queen Awakens (by Sadie Baxter) novel Chapter 498

Chapter 498 Fragile Joy

Chapter 498 Fragile Joy

+10 Free Coins

Quinn rose, puzzled by the terror etched across Julius‘ features–so far from the happiness she had imagined.

“Yes, I am. Eight weeks already. Aren’t you happy?”

Julius held his silence.

Earlier–before that meeting with his father, before the old man’s cold warnings–he would have been over the moon. He would have marveled at the tighter bond between them and dreamed of the child who carried both their blood.

Now fear eclipsed everything.

He dreaded the baby might be unhealthy, dreaded Quinn might condemn him, dreaded losing the love he had fought so hard to earn.

Most tragic of all, he lacked the courage even to tell her why terror had replaced joy.

“I… I’m not unhappy. I’m just… shocked. I never imagined you were expecting,” Julius muttered.

“Neither did I. I suspected it yesterday, but didn’t want to celebrate too soon. So I kept quiet, went to the hospital this morning, confirmed it, and planned to surprise you. Then I drifted off.”

Julius pulled her into his arms, hiding the bitterness twisting his features against her hair.

“Are you… truly happy?” he asked.

“Of course. It’s our child. Yes, it came early, but that just means we’ll get the license once we’re home and throw the wedding after the baby arrives.”

“But if the baby isn’t healthy… would you still want it?”

Quinn paused, her lashes lifting as she locked eyes with Julius. “You’re afraid of this? Because of your mother’s mental illness? Julius, that was acquired. It isn’t hereditary.”

A slight tremor rippled through his frame. “I’m only afraid that, what if the child inherits something… unhealthy?”

Quinn offered a soft, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Neither of us carries any genetic curse.”

1/3

14:04 Wed, Oct 22

Chapter 498 Fragile Joy

+10 Free Cons

His brows drew tighter. “But what if someone farther up the family tree or some distant relative left a fault behind? Suppose the baby really…

Quinn kept her tone calm, almost clinical. “We can screen during pregnancy. Blood tests, ultrasounds, even amniotic analysis can confirm the baby’s health.”

“But…”

She lifted her chin, meeting his troubled gaze. “If, heaven forbid, this baby isn’t healthy, we’ll face the decision together then. Right now, the little one has only just arrived. Everything is brand–new. There’s no reason to drown in worry. And you and I are both in good shape. Our child will be fine.”

Words crowded Julius‘ throat, yet none made it past his lips.

Quinn sensed an unfamiliar, almost desperate anxiety vibrating off him.

She broke the uneasy silence. “If something else is gnawing at you, say it. We’re meant to be each other’s closest person for the rest of our lives; what could possibly be too heavy to share with me?”

His voice fell to a whisper. “I’m afraid… that anything bad in me might touch the baby. I fear you’ll blame me. I fear I can’t give you the life you deserve.”

Quinn shook her head, almost amused. “Genetics is a game of odds. No one can promise a baby will be one hundred percent free of every flaw. Near–sightedness, eczema, balding—those are hereditary, too. Have their parents stopped having children? Besides, creating a child belongs to both of us. If I pass on something imperfect, will you condemn me?”

The answer shot from Julius without a beat. “I never would!”

“Exactly, and I won’t either. One more thing…”

She reached up and brushed the stray lock that had fallen over his forehead. “Our future isn’t something one of us hands to the other. We will shape it together, so stop worrying about whether you can give; I’ll be giving too.”

He stared at her, stunned, while her gentle voice seeped into his ears, smoothing every jagged edge of his unease.

Would it truly unfold that way? If the child were sick, if insanity eventually claimed our son or daughter, too, would she still not blame me? And when the investigators return with their findings, if the verdict is worst–case, will she have the strength to end the pregnancy, or choose a life with me even without

children?

2/3

14:04 Wed, Oct 22

Chapter 498 Fragile Joy

Julius lowered her hand and pressed his lips to her palm, like a wild creature offering everything it had for fear of abandonment. “Quinn, I’m sorry.”

+10 Free Con

“There’s nothing to apologize for. Stop tormenting yourself.” Yet a flicker of worry still passed behind her eyes.