Novel-novel oleh GiftGreat

Lena POV: Sleep eluded me.Even with the curtains tightly closed and the dim light from the hallway lamp Dominic insisted on leaving on “just in case," I couldn’t find rest. I wasn’t sure what he was preparing for, he never struck me as someone who feared nightmares.I lay on my side on the bed, my fingers gently resting on my stomach. Though there was no movement inside yet, I liked to imagine it was happening. I found comfort in the thought that even amid the stillness, something within me was pushing ahead, while the chaos outside felt like it had come to a standstill.Earlier that evening, he had handed me a folded note without a word. He simply placed it in my palm and stood there, arms crossed, as if bracing himself for something.It turned out to be a list. He had written it down by hand—neatly, with his precise, controlled script. Names like “Isla,” “Arden,” “Luca,” “Sera.”He didn’t ask me to choose. He didn’t express any preferences. He just left the list with me and walke

Dominic’s POV:The nursery was filled with the scent of fresh paint and new wood, a subtle fragrance that was soothing rather than overwhelming. That was the intention. I had requested a calm, neutral color scheme, nothing too bright or distracting. Just gentle beige walls, soft lighting, and clean lines. I wanted it to feel serene, like a space from one of those parenting magazines that promise peace to new parents.Peace. It was the one thing I still hadn’t managed to create for Lena.Not yet.I stood there with my hands in my pockets, once again surveying the room, even though it felt like I had already done so a dozen times. The crib was in the middle of the room, untouched and gleaming white. The rocking chair by the window was perfectly positioned to catch the early morning light. Above the crib, a mobile swayed gently, its little animals turning slowly as if they had all the time in the world. The silence was thick, almost sacred, yet it didn’t bring me any comfort. Instead, it

Cane POV: ---I hadn’t slept in two days.The ticking of the warehouse clocks was almost deafening. The air felt stagnant and heavy. It was as if the very walls were whispering secrets to one another. I remained glued to the same chair I’d been in for hours, replaying that old video of Lena yet again. She was just sitting there, staring into space. Her elbows rested on her knees, one hand laid across her stomach. A stillness that drove me crazy.“She’s too calm,” I murmured.“Maybe she’s just exhausted,” Luke chimed in from across the room, casually munching on a bag of peanuts as if we weren’t on the brink of chaos.“Don’t be ridiculous,” I shot back. “That’s not calmness; that’s giving up.”He raised an eyebrow, unbothered. “Or perhaps she simply wants peace, Cane.”I ignored him and turned the volume up a notch. The recording had no sound; it was just quiet. Still, I watched intently. I noticed the way her eyelids blinked slowly and how she ran her thumb over her knee, as if she w

Lena POV: ---I sat on the edge of the bed, still dressed in the same clothes from the day before. The morning had dragged on with little to do, just me staring at the walls and glancing at the open nursery door across the hall. The lullaby record had stopped playing ages ago, yet the silence felt like a lingering echo.A soft knock interrupted the stillness. I didn’t bother to respond, but Dominic entered anyway.He looked sharp in his suit, as always, but his face bore a weariness that was new. He paused by the door for a moment before speaking.“I brought someone for you,” he said.I blinked slowly, trying to process. “Who?”“A doctor. A private one, just for you and the baby.”My chest squeezed tight. “I didn’t ask for that.”“I understand,” he said, his tone steady. “But I needed to make sure.”“Sure of what?” I pressed.He didn’t reply; instead, he stepped aside to let a middle-aged woman enter. She was well-dressed, without a lab coat, just carrying a leather bag. She had an a

Lena POV: ---I found myself wandering aimlessly once more. The west wing felt too silent, a stillness that always made my heart race. My feet moved further and further away from where I had meant to go, past the study, past the hallway with the cracked mirror, past the locked room I had sworn never to enter again.Then I noticed something.A door stood ajar, a door I’d never seen before. No guards, no cameras. Just… open.I pushed it open cautiously.It was the nursery.The room was bathed in a soft, warm yellow light. The walls were a gentle cream, decorated with tiny painted stars that twinkled in the dimness. A shelf filled with children’s books rested neatly beneath a large window. These weren’t brand-new; they were worn and well-loved, as if they had been thoughtfully selected rather than hastily purchased. I stepped inside slowly. In the corner, there was a rocking chair with a neatly folded blue blanket draped over it. The crib was exquisitely hand-carved. Real wood. No mass-

Cane POV:Tone: Menacing, obsessive, possessive---I sat on the edge of the motel bed, my gaze fixed on my phone. The air in the room was thick with the smell of dust and cheap bleach, and the curtains hung askew, letting in slivers of light. I hadn’t eaten all day, but it didn’t bother me.A video popped up on my screen, sent by someone without a word of explanation. I pressed play.It was Dominic and Lena, and they were outside in a garden. She walked alongside him, moving slowly. He had his jacket slung over one arm, and he leaned in to say something. She didn’t smile, nor did she pull away.She looked worn out, while he appeared self-satisfied.There was a look in his eyes that said he felt a sense of ownership over her.I gritted my teeth and stopped the video.I replayed it.The same expressions, the same quiet exchange, the same uncomfortable space between them. She wasn't resisting; she wasn't shouting. She was merely... present.I watched it a third time.By the end, my res