Author’s pov
Cecilia closed the bathroom door behind her, eager to rinse off the chaos of the day with a hot shower.
As steam filled the room and water flowed over her shoulders, she tried to clear her mind.
Stalkers. Cryptic photos. Maggie Locke. The Van Horns. It was all starting to blur together, like a movie she couldn’t hit pause on.
anwhile, Sebastian sat on the edge of her couch, elbows on his knees, waiting in silence.
A soft chi pulled his attention to the nightstand.
Cecilia’s phone lit up with a new ssage.
His eyes narrowed. There was no na, just a number.
Given the recent threats she’d received, he didn’t hesitate.
His concern trumped any sense of privacy.
He picked up the phone and tapped into the ssage:
[Cecilia, this pregnancy is already affecting your body. The longer you delay, the more complicated it becos. I’ve already spoken to the doctor. We can take care of it this weekend.You’ll need at least a month to recover after the procedure. If you’re worried about Alpha Sebastian, you can stay at our old place.]
Sebastian stared at the screen.
His expression changed.
Cecilia’s pov
Twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, skin pink from the hot water.
The second I saw Sebastian still in my room, another wave of heat climbed up my neck. Was he planning to stay the night?
I kept my tone casual as I crossed the room to grab my phone.
"No spare towels in here. If you’re thinking about a shower, you’ll have to head back to the master bath."
I moved slowly on purpose.
He pulled into his lap, just like I expected.
But this ti, it wasn’t a ga.
He wasn’t teasing. He looked serious. Like sothing was eating him up inside.
I started to speak, but his warm palm slid over my stomach, heat radiating through the thin fabric of my nightgown.
"Mmm..." The soft sound escaped before I could help it. I lted against him, hands slipping up to his collar. I loosened his tie, fingers drifting to his buttons.
"If you really want to shower here, I an... I could be persuaded," I half-whispered.
Before I could finish the thought, he caught my hands in his.
"You’re thinking about this now?" he asked, voice low but firm.
I blinked."What?"
The look in his eyes made feel like I’d just tried to seduce a priest.
Embarrassnt hit hard.
"If you’re not into it, then forget it," I said quickly, trying to pull away.
Sebastian didn’t let go.
His grip tightened just enough to keep in place.
Confusion twisted in my chest.
He started this. And sohow I’m the villain? Seriously?
"Cece," he said slowly," isn’t there sothing important you forgot to tell ?"
Oh God. This was a trap. A cue. A chance to confess.
"Important?" I echoed." No, I’ve told you everything."
His gaze darkened, sharp and unreadable.
He nodded toward my phone on the table."You got a text from soone not in your contacts.
I was worried it might be like the bloody ssage from last ti, so I checked it.
Might be Xavier. Take a look."
Xavier. Great.
Under his silent stare, I picked up the phone and opened the ssage.
Three seconds. That’s how long the silence lasted after I finished reading. And it was deafening.
"Listen," I blurted out." He’s completely nuts. None of that’s real."
Sebastian’s voice ca quietly, but it was laced with steel." He cornered you in the elevator the other night, didn’t he?"
"Yes! But I am not pregnant," I said firmly.
"Alpha Xavier seems very... thorough," he said."Doctor, hospital, post-op care. Sounds like a well-orchestrated plan."
I groaned. From his perspective, I could see how it all lined up.
It looked like textbook damage control. And Xavier? He knew exactly how to craft a narrative.
"I swear, I’d know if I was pregnant! " I argued, exasperated.
"The other morning I had two iced Aricanos on an empty stomach. I felt nauseous for five seconds. Xavier saw in the elevator and imdiately launched into baby conspiracy mode. I told him no. He didn’t listen. He’s been living with this fantasy ever since! "
Sebastian still didn’t respond. He was reading , weighing everything.
And I knew what was coming next.
The Test.
But then I rembered sothing. "Look, in about five days, my period’s due. I’m not lying."
I said it with full conviction.
Sebastian’s eyes softened, but sothing in him dimd.
Disappointnt, maybe. Or doubt.
Noticing the shift, I added quickly,"Besides, we’ve always been careful. Except for that one ti."
He gave a short nod."Maybe it was that one ti. Protection isn’t foolproof. That night in London... maybe I wasn’t as careful as I thought."
"No. Absolutely not," I said, shaking my head hard.
I turned back to my phone, scrolling down, then hit ‘Block’ on Xavier’s number again.
Sebastian watched quietly. "You’ll probably be seeing more of him soon. If you don’t want that, I can make sure you don’t have to."
I waved him off. "Don’t bother. He’s harmless. Just... obsessive. This is my city too. I’m not going to hide."
Sebastian dipped his head, a slow smile tugging at his lips.
His hand slid back to my stomach, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder. "Earlier, you ntioned sothing about showering here..."
I was still glaring at my phone when I felt his breath brush my ear. Warm. Intentional.
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