로그인Chapter 281Elowen I took a step back and stared at my hand in disbelief.Not knowing what was going on. Different thoughts ran through my head.What If I had a deadly disease? But deathly diseases don't heal wounds.Or what if I was a vampire or witch? But this is real world and not movie. Such a thing can't exist.I should tell kane and Matteo but I can't, they're going through a lot of stress because of me. And they'll want me to drop whatever is going on if they feel I was stressing myself.Maybe it's stress. Yes, that's it. I came to the realization that I was stressing myself and needed to rest well. So, did what I wanted to do slowly and then went back to bed.I'll be fine after the whole thing Is settled. Nothing is wrong with me. ......By the third day of the trial, all four men were present in the courtroom.Richard Stratton sat next to James Ashton—a man in his mid-fifties with slicked-back dark hair and cold eyes that reminded me of a reptile. Marcus Bellamy was acros
Chapter 280ElowenThe courtroom was smaller than I expected.I'd built it up in my mind as something grand and imposing, with high ceilings and an echo that would make every word feel weighted with consequence. Instead, it was a functional space with beige walls, wooden furniture that had seen decades of trials, and fluorescent lighting that made everyone look slightly washed out and tired.I sat in the gallery behind the prosecution table, with Matteo on one side and Caroline on the other. Her hand squeezed mine periodically like she was checking that I was still breathing, still present, still holding on.Anna was in a side room, waiting to be called. The other six witnesses were scattered throughout the building, protected and separate until they testified.And then there was James Ashton.He sat at the defense table with his legal team, looking exactly like his photograph... gray hair, expensive suit, the kind of casual confidence that came from a lifetime of believing conseque
Chapter 279ElowenThe week before the trial, everything felt like it was moving in slow motion and fast forward simultaneously.Days stretched into nights filled with anxiety and preparation, while the hours seemed to disappear in a blur of final meetings with lawyers, last-minute testimony reviews, and the kind of nervous energy that came with knowing your life was about to change fundamentally.I was six and a half months pregnant now, my belly round and prominent, my body no longer my own. Every movement felt deliberate, every breath conscious. And underneath it all, there was something else...that strange, growing awareness of strength I didn't fully understand and wasn't ready to examine too closely.The cup incident hadn't been the last incident.I'd been holding a ceramic mug while thinking about James Ashton, about what it would be like to sit in a courtroom and see his face, to hear him being called my biological father in front of the entire world. The mug had simply... cr
Chapter 278ElowenKian and Matteo pulled me into Matteo's study five days after the bed incident, and I could feel the weight of something serious hanging in the air between us."What's going on?" I asked, settling into the chair they'd positioned for me. Five months pregnant meant they were increasingly careful about where I sat and for how long."We filed the case," Kian said, sliding a stack of official documents across the desk. "Three days ago. Charges have been formally filed against James Ashton, Richard Stratton, Marcus Bellamy, and Christopher Harding."I felt my breath catch. "Three days ago? Why didn't you tell me immediately?""We wanted to make sure everything was secure first," Matteo explained. "Anna and the six other witnesses are all in protected housing. Declan and Reina have been coordinating with the authorities to ensure they're completely safe. Once we knew everyone was in place, we filed."I scanned the documents without really reading them, my mind spinning. I
Chapter 277MatteoI found Kian in his office, staring out the window with his hand pressed against the glass like he was trying to reach through it into another world."Hey," I said, closing the door behind me. "You've been quiet all evening. What's on your mind?"He didn't turn around immediately. When he did, I could see the weight of something heavy pressing down on him. Confusion mixed with concern mixed with something I couldn't quite identify."The bed," he said making me confused."What about the bed?" My brow raised."Elowen broke it."I blinked. "She broke it? How? Did she fall? Is she hurt?""Not like that." He turned to face me fully. "She was holding onto the frame while we were... and it just splintered under her hands. Matteo, she broke solid wood with her bare hands. She barely applied any pressure and it just gave way."I crossed the room slowly, processing this. "That's not possible.""That's what I said." Kian moved toward me. "But I was there. I felt it happen. And
Chapter 276ElowenI couldn't wait to call Caroline.We were back at the villa, Giuliana napping upstairs, and I was practically vibrating with excitement as I dialed her number.She answered on the second ring. "El! Hi! I was just thinking about you.""I have news," I said. "Big news. We got engaged. Last night, on the beach, both of them proposed and...""Oh my god!" she screamed. "El, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you! But wait, I have news too.""What?" I asked, grinning so hard my face hurt."I'm married," she said simply. "Damien and I went to register yesterday. It wasn't planned. After we discovered I was pregnant, Damian suggested it and I said yes immediately. We just... we didn't want to wait. El, I'm pregnant."I literally gasped. "Caroline! Oh my god! You're married? And pregnant?""I'm married and pregnant!" she repeated, and I could hear the joy cascading through her voice. "El, I'm so happy I could burst. Are you crying? I'm crying!""Yes," I admitted, tears alread
Chapter 64MatteoThe morning sun streamed through Giuliana's bedroom windows and painted everything in shades of gold that made her dark hair shine like silk where it spread across her pillow.And I sat in the chair beside her bed watching her sleep while drinking the espresso Marco had brought up
Chapter 62ElowenI woke to cold sheets and emptiness where Matteo should have been, my hand reaching across the bed automatically before my brain caught up with consciousness, before I remembered falling asleep wrapped in his arms and feeling safe for the first time in days.But he was gone and th
Chapter 58Matteo That permission combined with the way she was still pulsing around me pushed me over the edge and I buried myself as deep as I could go, emptying myself inside her with a groan that came from somewhere deep in my chest.We stayed frozen like that for a moment, both breathing hard
Chapter 59MatteoThe phone vibrating against the nightstand pulled me from sleep and I reached for it automatically, my hand fumbling in the darkness while my brain tried to catch up with consciousness, and when I saw the name on the screen my blood went cold.Casa.Home.The phone nearly slipped







