Chapter 16. Shocker

Evelyn

The soft sound of someone shifting and moving around the room pulled me from the depths of sleep. My eyes blinked open, heavy with lingering grogginess, and I saw Jacob getting ready—probably for the office, judging by his sharp suit.

Dragging myself up despite the weight of sleep threatening to drag me back into the sea of the mattress, I yawned. Maybe it was just another side effect of pregnancy—this constant, consuming need to rest.

“What are you doing?” I mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Jacob froze mid-motion, his hand hesitating as he fastened his watch. He turned toward me, his gaze softening as he abandoned the task and approached the bed. “Sorry, baby, did I wake you up?” he murmured, leaning down to caress my cheek.

“Not really.” I let out another yawn. “But why are you leaving so early? You usually head out much later than this.”

A small chuckle escaped him as he caught my hands, preventing me from rubbing the sleep from m