로그인Chapter Fifty-EightJade’s POVThe silence while he held me was heavier than the night had been.I stared at him.He stared at nothing.Like his mind was already back in court, already fighting battles that hadn’t started yet.“Killian…” I whispered.His jaw tightened.“They won’t stop,” he said, voice low. “They won’t stop until they pull everything apart.”I swallowed.Then I shifted closer, wrapping my arms around him.He didn’t hug me back immediately.For a second, he stayed still, like he was refusing comfort on principle.But then his arms came around me.Slow, strong and tight.Like he was holding on to the only thing keeping him grounded.“They want to come into our home,” I murmured.Killian’s voice was rough. “They want to come into my life.”“And they’ll see you’re a good father,” I said firmly.His eyes flickered to mine.“You still believe that?”I didn’t hesitate.“Yes.”Killian stared at me like he didn’t understand how I could say it so confidently.Like he didn’t und
Chapter Fifty Seven Jades povKillian’s gaze dragged slowly over my body.His eyes darkened.His expression changed.Like something inside him snapped.And I knew instantly that I was in trouble.The good kind.Killian climbed onto the bed with the patience of a predator, his gaze never leaving mine as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt.When it finally fell from his shoulders, he leaned down and claimed my mouth in a kiss that made my thoughts scatter.It wasn’t gentle, It wasn’t careful,It was hungry.Like he had been starving for me all day.He broke the kiss only to remove my robe, then my slip, until I was bare beneath him.His eyes dragged over me like he was memorizing every curve, every softness, every reaction.“You’re magnifique,” he murmured, voice rough.My breath hitched.His mouth found my breasts, and the moment his lips closed around my nipple, I forgot how to breathe properly.I arched into him without meaning to.His hand covered the other one, kneading slowly, teasing,
Chapter Fifty sixLines We Can’t UncrossKillian POVBy the time we walked back inside, the house felt warmer.Not because the temperature had changed.Because I had.Jade’s hand was still in mine, her fingers laced with mine like it was natural, like it didn’t require explanation.Like she hadn’t just seen me unravel.Like she hadn’t just held me together.I hated that I needed her.And I hated even more that it didn’t feel like weakness.It felt like relief.We stepped into the living room and Aurelia’s head lifted instantly.Her eyes lit up.“Daddy!”She ran toward me without hesitation, arms wide.I crouched instinctively and caught her, lifting her easily.She wrapped herself around me like she always did, but today her hold was tighter.Like she was afraid I might disappear again.“You okay?” I asked quietly, smoothing her hair.She nodded.Then her gaze flickered to Jade behind me.And she smiled again.A softer smile.A secure one.The kind of smile a child only gave when they
Chapter Fifty Five Jade sat down beside me slowly, leaving a small space between us, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to come closer.Her voice came out gentle.“Are you okay?”I didn’t answer immediately.Because I wasn’t sure if I could.I wasn’t sure if I deserved comfort.But Jade didn’t push.She just sat with me.The silence between us was different.Not heavy like earlier.Not sharp.This one felt like understanding.I stared at the water and finally spoke.“Do you think I’m a bad father?”The question came out quieter than I expected.Like a confession.Jade’s head turned toward me instantly.I didn’t look at her.I couldn’t.If I looked at her, I might see pity and I didn’t want pity.I wanted the truth.Jade’s voice came out soft but steady.“No.”I let out a low breath.“That wasn’t what I asked.”Jade didn’t hesitate.“You’re not a bad father,” she repeated. “You’re a man who has made mistakes.”Mistakes.The word was too gentle.I scoffed under my breath.Jade con
Chapter Fifty-FourKillian POVThe house had returned to its usual silence, but it wasn’t the kind of silence I preferred.Not the peaceful kind.This one felt haunted.Vivienne’s presence still lingered in the air like poison that had soaked into the walls. Even after she left, even after the front door had slammed behind her, it felt as though she had left something behind.A stain maybe. Aurelia had cried for almost twenty minutes after she was gone.Not because she missed her mother, but because she was scared.Because Vivienne didn’t know how to enter a room without turning it into a battlefield.Camille had stayed longer than usual. She always acted like she came for Aurelia, but I knew the truth.Camille came to check on me.And Jade…Jade had gone upstairs with Aurelia, holding her like she was something fragile and precious, like she mattered more than the entire world.I watched her carry my daughter away and for a brief moment, something sharp stabbed through my chest.Not
Chapter fifty three Killian POVI didn’t sleep.Not because I couldn’t.But because every time I closed my eyes, I felt her again.The way her body had trembled beneath my hands.The way she had sounded when she said my name.The way she had clung to me afterward like she belonged there.Like she belonged to me.It wasn’t part of the contract.That was the first thought that came to mind the moment my body started calming down last night, and it was also the second thought and the third.Because no matter how many times I reminded myself that this was supposed to be a calculated arrangement, my body had responded like it was starving.I had touched her like I had been waiting for it and jade had responded like she meant it. And the worst part?I knew it was only the beginning.Jade lay curled against my chest, warm and soft, her leg tangled with mine. Her breathing was slow and deep, the kind of peaceful breathing that only came when a woman felt safe.That should have relieved me.I







