Two Offers

Ivy stared at him, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected proposal. The atmosphere hung heavy with anticipation as she processed his words.

"Marry you?" she finally echoed, her brows furrowing in disbelief.

Killian maintained a small smile. "Yes, marry me. It's the only way to change the situation."

"Why would you ask me to marry me?" Ivy blurted out, her mind unable to comprehend his plans. "I mean, you barely even know me! For all we know, I may have lied to you about the fathership of the pregnancy."

"Did you?"

"No! I did not!" Ivy responded immediately.

Killian nodded, unfazed. He thought for a second before saying, "You do not expect me to walk away after knowing that you are carrying my child, do you?"

Ivy ran a hand through her hair. "Well, I thought that."

Killian frowned. His expression turned even more serious as she said, "Just so you know, I do not intend to do that. Neither do I intend to be an irresponsible adult. The child is mine and I will take responsibility for it."

"You don't have to do that. How about this? You will have visitation rights to the child in the future. Is that a deal?" Ivy suggested. In her head, giving him visitation rights was as good as giving him the child for keepsake but the man simply glared at her.

"Are you out of your mind?" Killian found himself losing his patience. "Just… how old are you?" He asked, unable to overlook the fact that the woman before him was behaving like a child.

"Twenty-seven," Ivy replied, looking at Killian's face. She could have sworn she saw his eyes widen but it did not last.

Killian was surprised. He did not think she would be twenty-seven, but why was she acting like a child? Was it the pregnancy or what? When they first met, she had been a lot more mature than now.

All the same, he nodded, took a deep breath, and went on to convince her. "Miss Rhys, I believe you know that a child without a father is labeled as a bastard, right?"

Bastard…

Ivy felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of that word. The bitter memories of her father and Cammie calling her unborn child a bastard came rushing before her eyes.

Killian seemed to notice the dimming of her eyes, even though the light from the moon was limited. He could vaguely guess that the child had already been labeled a bastard, causing his expression to darken too.

Gathering her emotions, Ivy lifted her head with a small smile. "Mr. Montgomery, that isn't enough reason to marry you, is it? Marriage is a serious matter, not a child's play. I expect you to understand that much.

"As much as I am tempted to jump on your proposal, I'm sorry, Mr. Montgomery, I will have to say no to you. Nevertheless, you will have visitation rights to the child and trust me, I will never stop the child from knowing its father," she finished with a deep sigh.

Killian was taken aback. He did not expect her to outrightly refuse his proposal. He had expected her to jump on it. Especially with the fact that he was an heir and a billionaire.

"Why?" He couldn't help asking.

Ivy exhaled, she was about to say something that she had not told anyone. Not even Kendra, he'd best friend. She turned to Killian and confessed, "To be honest, Mr. Montgomery, I have plans of leaving the city before my pregnancy becomes glaring."

Killian squinted. "Are you running away from what people will say? If that's the case, I can take you somewhere else," he declared.

Ivy smiled. "People will always speak, Mr. Montgomery, and they never speak about the things that matter to them. They only speak about the things that have no attachment to them, and when they do, they don't speak well.

"I have, since long, gotten used to what people say. So, I am not running away. Instead, I am going to look for my future."

Ivy paused, looked at the man, and smiled before continuing. "I've always wanted to be a fashion designer with my own brand. I've always wanted to have my own fashion line, too. However, things were easier said than done. I even began to give up.

"However, when I found out I was four weeks pregnant, I had a rethink. I am good at what I do and I have been letting it waste. But, not anymore. So, I applied for a fashion school and last week, I got accepted.

"You're the first one to know and I'm telling you because I don't want you to think that I am running away from what people will say."

When Ivy finished speaking, Killian did not reply. He did not know why, but hearing that she wanted to go back to doing what she loved the most, he could not help feeling proud for her. However, that did not take away his proposal.

"Miss Rhys, what if I make two offers?" He suggested, once again, piquing Ivy's interest.

Ivy looked at him. "You are very generous, Mr. Montgomery," she teased. "What offers?"

"I'll sponsor you throughout your study in the fashion school. I will even set up a business for you, if you impress me with your performance. However—" Killian met Ivy's blue eyes. "—My proposal still stands and we can get married after you return."

Ivy paused momentarily before chuckling. "Now, why would you want to sponsor me?" Although the offer was tempting, she was still wary.

Killian shrugged. "Let's just say I'm not the kind to shy away from responsibilities," he retorted calmly. "So, what do you say?"

Ivy's eyes dropped to the ring on her index finger. She fiddled with it, letting her mind run free in contemplation. Honestly, marrying the man was not a big deal as she had already taken a liking to him since their first time. However, she did not have any idea about his feelings towards her.

Secondly, she was in need of funds. Even though she had planned to work two jobs or three in a day to pay her fees, Ivy doubted it would be possible as the school was quite expensive. Plus, it would be almost impossible to overwork once her bump starts to grow.

However, she was not used to taking favors from strangers. But, the man before her was no stranger. He is the father of the life growing inside her. So, that made him, more or less, family.

Ivy hissed, completely confused. She wanted to refuse but the will to accept was stronger than the former. She sighed in resignation and turned to the man who was quietly waiting for her reply.

"I hope I don't regret this," she whispered.

Killian chuckled. "You won't," he promised. "I take it that you accept my offers?" He asked.

Ivy nodded slowly. "Yes, Mr. Montgomery, I accept," she said, sealing her fate with her own lips.