“Regardless of what you think of us.” She looked at him, surprised by his tone. For the first time, Sarah sensed Michael might be starting to see her as more than a means to an end.
Days later, at another event, tensions reached a boiling point. As usual, Emily seized the chance to needle Sarah, commenting on her past. “I’m impressed at how well you’ve adapted to this world, Sarah,” she said with a fake smile.
“Personally, I’d find it daunting.” Before Sarah could respond, Michael stepped beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders, and fixed Emily with an icy stare. “You’re right, Emily, it’s daunting, but Sarah’s stronger than anyone here—stronger than you ever were.”
The room went still. No one expected Michael, known for his aloofness, to defend Sarah so openly and fiercely. Emily was stunned, her confidence shaken.
Sarah, meanwhile, felt a mix of relief and confusion. In that moment, she realized Michael had changed. It wasn’t just about protecting his reputation—he was protecting her.
On the drive home, Sarah thanked him. “You didn’t have to do that.” “I did,” he said, meeting her eyes.
“I won’t let anyone demean you.” His words touched her, but she still wasn’t sure she could trust him. Still, something was shifting.
They both felt it, but neither was ready to admit it. The game Michael had started was slipping from his control, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face its consequences. Sarah sat on a small couch in the bedroom she occupied in the mansion, staring at the pregnancy test in her hands.
Two pink lines glared back at her, her breath catching as her mind raced to process what it meant. “Pregnant.” She closed her eyes, as if that could alter reality.
A whirlwind of emotions hit her—fear, uncertainty, but also an unexpected spark of joy. Since agreeing to marry Michael, her life had become an endless series of challenges. A child was the last thing she’d imagined, especially given their circumstances.
For hours, Sarah debated how to tell Michael. He was a calculated man, obsessed with control. What would he think, learning he’d soon be a father? She feared he’d see the pregnancy as an inconvenience.
Or worse, as an attempt to tie him to a relationship that was, from the start, just a contract. Later that day, Michael returned to the mansion after a long meeting. He found Sarah in the garden, seated on a wooden bench under a tree’s shade.
Her face was pale, her eyes holding something new, unfamiliar. “Everything okay?” he asked, noting her unusual demeanor. Sarah hesitated, unsure how to approach the conversation.
“We need to talk,” she said finally, meeting his gaze. “Sounds serious,” he replied, his face tightening. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “I’m… I’m pregnant.”
The words had an immediate impact. For a moment, Michael said nothing, as if the news was too sudden to process. His face became a mask of conflicting emotions—shock, doubt, fear, and something else he couldn’t name. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice quieter than usual.
“Sure,” Sarah replied, crossing her arms as if to shield herself. The silence that followed felt unbearable to her. Michael began pacing, his thoughts churning. He’d always prided himself on planning every step of his life, and this was nowhere in his plans.
“What do we do?” he asked finally, stopping in front of her. “I’m going to have this baby,” Sarah said firmly. “But I don’t expect anything from you, Michael. I don’t want you thinking I’m using this to manipulate you.”
The idea that anyone might think otherwise irritated him deeply. “Don’t say that,” he said seriously. “This child is mine too, and I’ll take responsibility.”
Her gaze softened, but her posture remained guarded. She wasn’t sure she could fully trust his promise. In the days that followed, Michael tried to wrap his head around becoming a father.
He didn’t know how to handle the flood of emotions, but he also began to realize that Sarah’s pregnancy brought something unexpected—a new perspective. For the first time in years, he questioned his priorities and the emptiness his obsession with revenge had wrought. But it wasn’t that simple.
Emily, ever vigilant, caught wind of Sarah’s pregnancy through rumors. Seeing an opportunity to destabilize their relationship, she approached Michael at a society event with her usual arrogance. “Congratulations, Michael!” she said, her voice sweet but laced with venom. “Heard you’re going to be a father. Seems Sarah’s smarter than I thought.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What are you implying?” “Oh, nothing,” she said with feigned innocence. “Just curious how quickly she got pregnant.
Don’t you find it… convenient?” “Watch your words, Emily,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “I’m just saying, some women know how to secure their place. A baby always changes the game, doesn’t it?” Michael stayed silent, but his clenched fists spoke volumes.
He knew Emily was trying to sow doubt, but for the first time, he realized how insignificant her games had become. Later that night, back at the mansion, he found Sarah in her room. She sat on the bed with a book, looking distracted.
“Emily knows,” he said bluntly. Sarah looked up, surprised. “How?” “Doesn’t matter,” he replied, sitting beside her.
“What matters is she’ll try to use it against you.” She sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. “Of course she will.
All she wants is to tear us apart.” “She won’t succeed,” Michael said firmly. Sarah looked at him, struck by the conviction in his voice.
Despite all her fears and doubts, she sensed that maybe, for the first time, Michael was committed to protecting something bigger than his reputation. The pregnancy changed everything—it brought challenges but also a chance for a new beginning. And though their path remained turbulent, there was a sense that together, they could face any storm.
The day was overcast when Michael received a message from Emily requesting a meeting. He knew it was risky, but something in her phrasing—“settle unfinished business”—piqued his curiosity. Despite knowing her manipulative nature, part of him hoped this could be the closure he’d long sought to leave the past behind.
They agreed to meet at a refined, discreet restaurant in Midtown, away from prying eyes. Michael arrived first, as usual, taking a corner table where he could watch the entrance. Outwardly calm, his mind raced, analyzing what Emily might want this time.
She arrived minutes later, exuding confidence in a dress that seemed chosen to impress. Her smile was familiar, but it stirred nothing in Michael. “Michael,” she said, sitting without invitation.
“Thanks for coming.” “Speak, Emily,” he said coldly, with no intention of dragging this out. Emily leaned forward, elbows on the table.
“No need to be so icy. I thought after everything, we deserved an honest talk.” “Honest?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Honesty was never your strong suit, Emily.” She laughed, trying to keep her composure. “I know I made mistakes, but… we’re human, aren’t we? We mess up, yet we can make amends.”
“Is this a speech, or are you justifying something?” he shot back, crossing his arms. Emily paused, studying him. For the first time, she noticed Michael wasn’t playing her game.
He didn’t look hurt or angry—just indifferent. “I still care about you,” she said, softening her tone. Michael scoffed skeptically.
“If you cared, you wouldn’t have betrayed me.” “That was a mistake,” Emily exclaimed, her voice cracking for the first time. “I was lost, and you were so consumed by work, so distant.”
“It’s not about what I did or didn’t do,” Michael cut in, his voice low and sharp. “You chose to betray me.
And it wasn’t just me—it was what we had, what we were building.” Emily looked away but quickly regained her usual expression. “And now you’re with Sarah, a woman who has no clue how to navigate this world.
She…” “Enough.” Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t talk about her.”
“Why not? Because you know it’s true?” She pressed, leaning closer. “Michael, look at me. You and I are the same.
Sarah doesn’t get your ambitions, your need for control. She won’t last.” A heavy silence fell.
Emily expected her words to spark doubt, but to her surprise, Michael smiled—a cold, almost pitying smile. “You know what’s funny, Emily?” he said, leaning back. “For so long, I thought I needed you.
I thought your betrayal proved I wasn’t good enough.” Emily tensed, unsure where this was going. “But now I see my obsession with you wasn’t love.
It was ego.” He continued, locking eyes with her. “I wanted to prove something because I couldn’t handle losing.
But now, you mean nothing to me.” The words hit like a hammer. Emily tried to hide her dismay, but her trembling hands betrayed her.
“You can’t mean that,” she whispered, almost desperate. “I’m as serious as I’ve ever been,” Michael said calmly, standing. “Our past is done, Emily.”
“And my present is with Sarah.” Emily sat frozen as he pulled out his wallet to pay. But before he could leave, she made a final play.
“What if everyone learns the truth about your marriage?” she said, her voice dripping with venom. Michael paused but didn’t turn. “Think what’ll happen when people know it’s all a deal? That Sarah’s only with you because you bought her?” Michael turned slowly, his eyes colder than ice.
“If you think you can threaten me with that, you’re more desperate than I thought.” “You have something to lose, Michael,” she said, trying to regain confidence. “And you have nothing to gain,” he replied, walking away without looking back.
Emily sat alone at the table, the weight of her defeat sinking in. For the first time, she realized Michael was no longer the man she knew. He had changed, and the control she once had over him was gone.
Back at the mansion, Michael found Sarah in the garden. She was watering flowers but noticed the tension in his shoulders. “Something wrong?” she asked, setting down the watering can.
He hesitated briefly before stepping closer. “Emily tried to threaten us.” Sarah crossed her arms.
“What does she want now?” “Nothing she can have,” he said, his gaze softer than usual. “I told you I’d handle this myself. I don’t need you to…” “Sarah,” he interrupted, his voice quieter.
“You don’t have to handle it alone.” She froze, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. Despite all her doubts, she felt there was something real in his words.
That night, reflecting on the day’s events, Michael realized something had shifted within him. For the first time, he wasn’t consumed by the past. For the first time, he wanted something real. And that “real” was starting to take shape with Sarah.
Morning at the Sullivan mansion was surprisingly quiet. Sarah sat at breakfast, flipping through a gardening magazine, trying to shake the unease that had lingered for days. Something felt off.
The silence was broken by a sudden ring from Michael’s phone on the other end of the table. He answered quickly, his tone alarmed, catching Sarah’s attention. “How did this get to the press?” he snapped, standing.
“Find out who leaked it and fix it now!” Sarah watched with growing concern. Michael ended the call and looked at her. His face was taut, his eyes worried.
“What’s going on?” she asked hesitantly. “It’s about us,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Someone leaked our contract to the press.”
The words hit like a blow. Sarah tried to process what it meant, but before she could speak, her phone buzzed. Notifications for texts, missed calls, and news links flooded the screen.
Tycoon Michael Sullivan’s Sham Marriage to Former Gardener Sarah Mitchell: “Financial Deal” or “True Love”? Sources Reveal It Began with a Contract. Sarah felt dizzy.
Details of their agreement were exposed in a crude, humiliating way, filled with vicious speculation about her motives. “Was it Emily?” Sarah said quietly, her voice steady with certainty. “All signs point to her,” Michael confirmed.
“But we’ll sort this out. I’ll handle the lawyers and the media.” “Sort it out?” Sarah echoed, incredulous.
“You think you can control what people say about me? About this?” Michael tried to step closer, but she backed away. “You knew this could happen,” she continued, her voice shaking. “From the start, you played with my life like I was just a pawn in your game.
I never wanted this to happen,” Michael said sincerely. “I’ll protect you and the baby, whatever it takes.” “Protect?” She laughed bitterly.