I pressed another kiss to her belly, then just rested there, listening. No sound but the steady hum of the night and the even rhythm of Mirabella’s breathing. My hand stayed on her, fingers splayed wide across the swell of new life. She didn’t stir. Her face, still streaked faintly from the tears sh
MIRABELLA'S POV After what felt like hours, I finally stopped crying.. He helped me get up with him and wrapped the towel around me while wrapping one around his waist.. He dried off the excess water and dried my hair along with his.. He dressed up first before dressing me up in his clothes and
I tried to stay mad. I wanted to stay mad. I glared at him through soaked lashes. “You lied to me,” I whispered. “You let me walk around thinking you were okay, when you were dying, Alex. Dying!” “I know,” he whispered, voice broken. “I know I should’ve told you. But I couldn’t bear to l
MIRABELLA’S POV I shut the door behind me with more force than I intended. The echo bounced off the walls of my bedroom, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. Not now. Everything inside me was fraying—each breath like a stitch coming undone. My chest felt hollow, aching with a pain I couldn’t name
“I gave him everything,” he whispered, voice splintered. “Even after I cast him out, I made sure he was protected. That no one would touch him. And he… he killed her?” No one spoke. I moved forward, softening only slightly. “Sometimes the people we protect become the monsters we feared in others
MIRABELLA'S POV The room went silent—dead silent. I could hear the faint buzz of the light overhead. I could feel Alex stiffen behind me. The air suddenly felt too thick, too sharp, like I was breathing glass. Delacroix’s eyes narrowed slowly, confusion shifting into something else—something d