Chandria’s POVI didn’t know what to say.I tried pulling my hand away from him, taking a small step to the side, creating space between us. He moved like he wanted to follow, but I stopped him with just a look.I expected him to force it. That’s usually what happens. That’s what I braced for. But instead, he just straightened his back and looked at me calmly. His voice was steady.“It’s okay. I understand,” he said. “I know you’re doubtful. And I know everything feels surreal right now. But I’ll give you some time.”I froze. That wasn’t the reaction I thought I’d get. No anger, no pressure. Just that.Then he turned around, walked slowly toward the door, and closed it behind him. Just like that.I stood there, speechless. My head was spinning, my chest tight. I blinked a few times, as if maybe the room would shift back to normal, as if this wasn’t happening.Is this fucking real?Because it didn’t make sense. Aiden…he was… being weird. Too weird. Acting like he cared, like he was pat
Chandria’s POV“This must be some kind of joke,” I said, shoving him back.My voice came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t care. “What are you trying to prove to me, Aiden?”He just stood there, looking at me with those stupid wide eyes. Innocent. Like he had no idea what I was talking about. That fake expression pissed me off even more.“What?” he said. Then, without hesitation, he dropped the bomb. “I’m declaring that the baby you’re carrying is my child. I know it’s not my flesh and blood. But Daniel doesn’t care about you anymore. That’s why I’m stepping up. I’ll be the father.”My jaw tightened so hard it hurt. Anger bubbled in my chest and I could barely think straight.“You can’t fool me, Aiden,” I snapped. “I don’t care who you are. Mafia boss, kingpin, criminal, whatever! You’ve killed, you’ve shed blood, you’ve built your power on fear. But I don’t care. I’m not scared of you!”I expected him to lash out, to threaten me like he usually does. But instead, he just shook h
Chandria’s POV“My Lady, Lord Serpent is looking for you.”A knock came at the door.I dragged myself up, opened the door, and there stood a butler. His face was blank, polite, and annoyingly calm.I rolled my eyes instantly. “Lord or Black. Stop calling him that. You make it sound so important. He’s not.” My voice came out sharp, but the butler didn’t flinch. He just stood there, stiff as a statue.“He wants you to join him for lunch,” he continued. “You didn’t appear during breakfast earlier.”“Yeah. And I don’t plan on joining him for lunch either,” I muttered. My hand was already on the door, ready to shut him out. “Good play, but I’m not interested.”I started closing the door, but before it could shut, his hand pressed against it. I froze. My eyes went wide because, damn, he was strong.He didn’t even look like he was trying, but the door wouldn’t budge an inch. One hand. That’s all it took, and I knew right then he wasn’t just some regular servant.“You must see him,” the butle
Chandria’s POV“After everything I did for you?!” he said, voice shaking with rage. “After saving your fucking life, this is how you repay me?!”My stomach twisted but I didn’t back down. I forced myself to stand my ground, even though my hands were already starting to shake. I looked him straight in the eyes.“Don’t play stupid with me, Aiden,” I shot back. “I know you’re just using me. Why did you save my life, huh? Just so you could kill me later? Use me against Daniel first and then throw me away?”My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. I waited for him to say something. For a second, he didn’t move, and I thought maybe I’d gone too far. His jaw clenched. His fingers twitched.And then he snapped.He reached for something under his jacket, and before I even processed it, a gun was in his hand.The black metal looked even darker under the dim light.He raised it and pointed it right at me.For a split second, I froze. My stomach dropped. My breath caught in my
Chandria’s POV“Do every fucking thing you can to keep her alive!” a deep voice snapped.It was angry and desperate.“But, Lord Serpent, we don’t know what else—”“I don’t fucking care what else you can do!” the man cut them off, his voice was shaking. “Just keep her alive. I don’t care how. Don’t let her die!”I tried to open my eyes. Everything was blurry, like I was underwater. Bright lights burned my vision. Shapes moved around me, but they all looked like shadows. I blinked, trying to focus. The more I tried, the more my head spun.Where… where am I?I heard another voice. “Lord, she’s responding!”Someone grabbed my hand. It was warm and firm. A grip that felt like it was trying to pull me back.“Chandria!” the voice called, closer now. “Chandria, are you hearing me?!”My lips moved but barely any sound came out.“Who… who are you?” My voice cracked. It was so weak, like it wasn’t even mine. My throat was dry. Everything hurt. My arms, my legs, my chest. It felt like I couldn’t
Chandria’s POV"Please... open the door. I'm begging you!" My voice trembled as I knocked again, pressing my palm against the cold surface. "I’m sorry for what I said. I swear, it won’t happen again. Ever!"I kept shouting those same words over and over. But the silence on the other side of the door was deafening. It had been hours now. My throat burned, my hands were sore from pounding on the wood. I could barely stand. My legs were shaking beneath me, my body cold and drained.Still, I refused to cry.“Please,” I choked out. “If you don’t open this door... I swear I’m going to kill myself!” I screamed the last part, my voice breaking.No footsteps. No response. Just silence.That was when everything inside me gave out. I collapsed to the floor, my back against the wall, my knees pulled to my chest. I felt numb. I didn’t know what I was waiting for anymore. I just knew I couldn’t take this much longer. My eyes fluttered shut as I tried to breathe steadily, whispering to myself, “Calm