Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dangerously mine: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

At thirty-seven weeks pregnant, getting ready for date night felt less like romance and more like an Olympic sport.I stood in front of the mirror, one hand pressed into the small of my back, the other resting instinctively over the curve of my belly.“You’re doing great,” I muttered to my reflection.The woman staring back at me still surprised me sometimes.Soft, Glowing and Loved.A year ago, I wouldn’t have recognized her.A year ago, I was surviving.Now I was living.I adjusted the strap of the black dress and exhaled slowly, letting the memories settle the way they always did when I paused long enough.The night I told him about the pregnancy still played in flashes.My grandmother’s kitchen.The tremble in my hands.The way my voice cracked when I said the words.And the way Flavian didn’t even blink.That night had ended with dinner at my grandparents’ house; laughter, awkward questions, my grandfather sizing him up like he was interviewing him for the role of my entire futur

Petite, poised, striking, with dark hair that mirrored his own and eyes that held a mischievous glint. The kind of woman who could fill a room without making a sound, and whose presence demanded attention, whether you wanted to give it or not. that was Cheryl Navarro. Flavian’s mother.I didn’t know what to expect from meeting her. I had never met her before. I didn’t even know she existed in my daily life outside the vague stories Flavian had hinted at: an abusive father, a distant mother, trust issues that had taken years to unravel. And now she was here, in my home, with that smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.She moved with an almost theatrical grace into the living room, placing herself carefully among the half-emptied dishes and the faint scent of the flowers still lingering on the table. “Fiona,” she said, her voice smooth, honeyed with just a hint of steel, “we’ve never met. How… interesting.”I forced a polite smile. “Yes its a pleasure… to finally meet you”Her eyes f

I woke up before the sun fully rose.For a moment, everything felt still.Peaceful.The kind of quiet that used to comfort me; the soft hum of the house, the faint rustle of curtains shifting with the early morning breeze, the warmth of the sheets wrapped around me.It almost made me forget.Almost.Then I turned my head slightly.And the memory settled back in.Cheryl Navarro.In this house.In my space.I exhaled slowly, staring up at the ceiling as the weight of it pressed down on my chest again.It was strange how one person could change the entire feeling of a place overnight.This house had always felt safe.Like a world Flavian built where nothing could reach me.But now It felt watched.Criticised.Different.I shifted carefully, one hand instinctively moving to rest over my belly. The small, grounding motion steadied me, even if just a little.“You’re okay,” I whispered softly.This time, it sounded more like a reminder than a fact.Beside me, Flavian was already awake.I did

The bathroom door opened a few minutes later, steam spilling into the room as Flavian stepped out, a towel slung low around his waist.I didn’t turn immediately.I stayed seated at the edge of the bed, my hands clasped tightly in my lap, staring at nothing in particular.I felt him pause.Like he was trying to read the room.Trying to figure out which version of me he was walking into.“Fiona…”I exhaled slowly before finally looking up at him.“Do you believe me?” I asked.No build-up.No softening.Just the question.It caught him off guard.I saw it in the way his brows pulled together slightly.“Of course I—”“No,” I cut in, my voice steady. “Not what you think you’re supposed to say. I’m asking what you actually believe.”Silence.He ran a hand through his damp hair, tension settling across his shoulders again.“Because your first instinct wasn’t to ask me. It wasn’t to trust me. It was to look at me like I had done something wrong.”His expression shifted at that.Guilt.“I was

“My back! Oh my God—my back!”The sound echoed through the room, sharp and jarring, cutting through the silence like glass shattering.For a moment I couldn’t move.Couldn’t think.Couldn’t even breathe properly.I just stood there, staring at Cheryl sprawled on the floor, her body twisted slightly, one hand clutching her lower back as she let out another cry.“She broke my back!” she wailed. “Flavian—she attacked me!”Attacked.The word hit me like a slap.I blinked.Once.Twice.Trying to process what was happening in front of me.Because this didn’t make sense.None of this made sense.I hadn’t pushed her that hard.Had I?My chest tightened.My heart began to pound, fast and uneven, like it was trying to catch up to something my mind hadn’t fully grasped yet.“Mother—”Flavian’s voice cut in, low and urgent as he moved past me quickly, dropping to his knees beside her.That movementThat instinct...It did something to me.Something small.But sharp.I watched as he reached for her