Chapter 8

POV: Amelie

After making sure Ardhana was fast asleep in his crib under the supervision of the caregivers who had returned, I staggered out of the nursery. My legs felt heavy as I dragged my feet along the dimly lit corridor toward the master bedroom. Every second I spent in this house felt like walking across a sheet of thin ice that could crack at any moment and drag me under.

As soon as I pushed open the door to the master bedroom and closed it tightly behind me, the sight that greeted me made my breath catch in my throat. Reyvano was not sleeping beneath the blankets as I had assumed. The man was lounging against the headboard of the large king-size bed, wearing dark pajamas that revealed his broad neck, while a business book rested on his lap.

When he lifted his head and his eyes met mine, a faint, incredibly captivating smile immediately appeared at the corner of his lips.

“You took so long, Amora,” Reyvano said, his voice soft and strangely intimate in the quiet room.

I froze near the door. My body suddenly stiffened, and my tongue went completely numb. Standing before a man who looked at me with such adoration made my spirit shrink. I was not Amora. I was merely a foolish village woman wearing someone else’s disguise. My nervousness was clearly visible, making my posture tense and awkward.

Reyvano closed the book on his lap and placed it on the bedside table. Without rushing, he rose from his position. His calm footsteps slowly approached me, making my heart pound harder like a war drum.

Before I could catch my breath or step backward, Reyvano’s strong arms swiftly wrapped around my waist, lifting my body effortlessly into his arms as though I weighed nothing at all.

“Rey—!” I cried out in surprise, instinctively wrapping both arms around his neck so I would not fall.

He gave me a crooked smile, carrying me toward the bed while whispering directly into my ear in an incredibly endearing tone, “You’re daydreaming too much, Darling. It’s getting late. Time to sleep.”

Reyvano slowly laid me down on the soft silk sheets. However, before I could move or pull away, the man had already caged me with both arms on either side of my body, leaning his face closer until only a few centimeters remained between us.

His dark eyes bore intensely into mine, radiating a heated intensity that made my chest feel tight. His warm breath brushed against the skin of my face.

“Would just one kiss really be too much?” Reyvano whispered hoarsely, asking for permission in a way that left me no room to refuse.

What?!

My eyes widened in shock at his question. My mind suddenly went blank. Everything inside me screamed in refusal, but my tongue was frozen. I lay completely still beneath his restraint, utterly confused about what I should say. Had Amora and Reyvano always been this affectionate with each other? If I refused too strongly, his suspicions would immediately arise. But if I accepted... this would be a blatant betrayal of the moral boundaries I held.

Because I had remained silent for too long without giving him an answer, Reyvano interpreted my silence as surrender.

A faint smile appeared on his lips once again. His long, warm fingers slowly moved down, gently touching the nape of my neck before softly caressing my earlobe with his thumb.

That small touch suddenly sent an incredibly powerful electric jolt through every nerve in my body. My body stiffened violently, and an involuntary, muffled moan escaped between my lips.

“Eungh...”

The sound made Reyvano’s eyes grow even darker. Without wasting another moment, he lowered his head, pressing his lips against mine in a demanding, deep kiss filled with longing. I gasped, and he took full advantage of the slight opening of my lips to deepen the kiss.

But the overwhelming guilt struck against my common sense. This was wrong. This kiss was not meant for me.

I tried to push against his broad chest, but Reyvano was far stronger. Instead, the man pressed his body even closer, one of his hands moving down to swiftly undo the buttons of my nightgown, causing the fabric to fall open and reveal my breasts, still swollen with milk.

Suddenly, Reyvano’s movements stopped. His breathing grew heavier as he stared directly at my chest with a hungry gaze. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Reyvano lowered his head.

And the next second—the man did something that made my blood run cold with both horror and overwhelming embarrassment.

Reyvano began nursing. Just as the little baby in the room next door had done.

“Rey—! Ah, n-no...!” I screamed hysterically, my body arching upward from the shock and strange sensation that swept through me.

The touch of an adult man’s lips and tongue against a part of my body that should only have been touched by my own baby sent a violent shock through me that I could no longer endure. Disgust and guilt, mixed with a strange sensation that tickled deep in my stomach, made me lose control.

Without thinking about the consequences anymore, I summoned every bit of strength I had left. Both of my hands forcefully pushed against Reyvano’s chest until his head was shoved away.

Breathing heavily, with tears of anger and embarrassment gathering in the corners of my eyes, I immediately grabbed the side of my gown and hurriedly straightened it. I jumped roughly off the bed.

“Rey, please... stop!” I shouted hoarsely, my voice trembling violently.

Without looking back at him, I turned around and ran frantically out of the master bedroom, leaving the door wide open behind me. I no longer cared what Reyvano thought of my sudden escape. All I knew was that my sanity was hanging by a thread, and I had to get away from that man before my greatest secret was completely exposed.