SÉBASTIEN
“Mr Cassian already approved the project,” Leo explained.
I nodded, pushing up my glasses.
“When is the signing?”
“Tomorrow evening.”
“Alright.
Arrange everything needed.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“I’ve done everything.
The media are also ready.”
“This still feels like a dream.
Mr Cassian was so difficult to deal with, and there were so many competitors that I thought it was impossible for us.”
“I still find it hard to believe he actually chose us.
It doesn’t feel real.
You’re so wonderful, Sébastien.”
I smiled faintly.
“It wasn’t me.
I got help.”
Leo’s brows raised.
“Help?
From who?”
I lowered my eyes to the laptop before me and typed for a second.
“Elian Sterling.” His profile stared back at me.
21.
Omega.
A fresh graduate, yet he had no job.
No fiancé.
Something that shouldn’t be seen on the profile of an heir.
Every heir of a rich family always had someone betrothed to them or someone they’d been betrothed to ever since they were of age.
But Elian was different.
His parents must really adore him…
I raised my eyes to look at Leo.
“Do you know him?”
Leo paused.
He seemed to be thinking.
I returned my attention to the screen.
He didn’t have much on his profile, yet his popularity seemed to be off the sky.
He seemed even more popular than local celebrities.
My brows furrowed slightly.
Why was this so?
“Mr Sterling’s only son?
Isn’t that the Playboy Omega?” Leo chuckled.
“How could someone like that ever be of help to you?”
“Wait, don’t tell me he hooked up with Mr Cassian?”
“I thought his specs were always the young alphas with top looks and bodies.
When did he begin to settle for old alphas?”
My lips paused briefly.
“He didn’t.”
“How did he help then?”
“I don’t know.
He helped.
That was all.” I pushed the laptop aside and stood up.
“He’s intelligent.
Smart, even.” Picking up my suit, I stepped toward the door of my office.
“I have a lunch date with Karl.
Text me if anything happens.”
I left the office.
************
ELIAN
“Do you need a bath, too?” I asked Noah, who was sitting in bed, staring into space, seemingly lost in thought.
“You have some of your clothes in my closet.
You can put that on and come to the club with me.”
Noah turned to look at me.
“Club?”
“Hm.
I need to clear my head.”
“But you know you shouldn’t go there for now, right?”
“Well, I have to.”
“That would be risking the baby.”
“Like I care.
I want nothing more than to let it go right now.”
“Elian.”
“Don’t call me that way, Noah.
It makes me feel like I’m talking to my old man.”
Noah sighed.
He stood up and walked toward me.
“Let me.” He took the hairdryer from me.
“You know how your health is…” He paused.
The low sound of the hairdryer filled my ears.
My thoughts paused momentarily.
He was right.
My health…
“Abortion would do more harm than good.
It might even lead to death.”
Right again.
My lips pursed.
“Does that mean I don’t even have a choice?”
Silence fell in the room.
My heart trembled.
Noah dried my hair and set the hair dryer aside.
He returned to my bed and arranged the pillow.
“It’s late.
Come and lie down.
I’ll massage your back for you.”
I sighed softly and shook my head.
“No.
You should also go home and rest.
You’ve been with me all day.”
Noah smiled.
“You know I don’t mind.”
“I know.
But…” I lowered my eyes.
“I think I need some time alone to think.”
“The whole thing still feels like a dream to me.
I really don’t know anymore.”
“Noah,” I stood up, slowly walking toward the bed.
“I’ve always believed I could never carry a child.
Like, it felt so impossible.”
“An omega with an undeveloped gland…
how could he ever conceive?”
I paused, rubbing my brows.
A low sigh escaped my lips.
It seemed I’d been getting too sentimental all evening.
“Just leave.
I want to go to bed.” My voice turned casual.
Noah stared at me.
“Leave.
Don’t make me beat you up.”
He smiled softly.
“I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Don’t come.”
“I will.”
I rolled my eyes and sneered.
Noah chuckled.
He closed the door behind him.
Staring at the closed door, my eyes darted around the room.
From the small white couch to the glass table at the center of the room.
Then, to the makeup mirror by the wall…
my room had never felt so empty in my life.
Everything felt so unreal.
It felt so much like today wasn’t real.
I sighed wearily.
Pregnancy?
Even the word sounded so ridiculous that it made me want to laugh.
I lay down in my bed, brought out my phone, and went online.
Staring at Sébastien’s picture on my screen, my lips tightened.
He had indeed won the contract.
He must be really happy right now.
With the contract, he would become even more powerful, and his position on the international wealthy board would rise significantly.
A smile appeared on my lips.
Sébastien seemed to have fulfilled a dream, whereas I seemed to be drowning in one.
Staring deeply into those deep, cold grey eyes, my heart turned cold.
There was no way I would ever let him know about it.
No, I wouldn’t.
I threw the phone aside, pulled over a pillow, which I hugged to my chest, and closed my eyes.
The pregnancy could wait.
No, every thought about it could wait.
At least…
for tonight.
My eyes felt heavier every second.
“No pregnancy,” I muttered as my consciousness blurred.
Silence.
“Sébastien, I’m pregnant.”
Sébastien turned around.
His cold grey eyes settled on me, and he sneered coldly.
“Pregnant?”
Seeing the mockery in his eyes, my heart sank.
I took a step back.
My eyes darted around the room.
Brown walls.
Brown paintings.
It was my room at the club.
The same room I had the one-night-stand in.
“You were the last person I slept with.” Yes, he was the last person I brought into this room.
Heck, that night was the last night I ever entered this room.
Ever since that night, no alpha had ever looked pleasing to the eye anymore.
It was as if he had cast some kind of spell on me; I could no longer bring myself to even flirt with alphas anymore.
Who else would be the father of the child then, if not him?
“You can investigate this if you want.
But this child is really yours.”
Sébastien’s eyes darkened.
“Are you listening to yourself?
Do you make any sense at all?”
He stepped closer.
I took a step back.
“You’re a whore, a dirty slut who sleeps with any A who comes his way.
How do you want me to believe the child is mine?”
“Even if it is, do you think I would want a child from someone like you?”
My eyes turned cold.
“Sébastien…” I stressed each syllable.
“What?
Pained?” He sneered.
“Do whatever you want with that thing in your belly.
I don’t want it and don’t you ever talk to me about it anymore.”
“Thing?
That’s our child!”
“Shut up!”
My fingers curled.
My chest heaved heavily.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I took a step forward, standing right before him.
“You can say whatever you want, Sébastien.
But don’t you ever call our child a thing anymore.”
He laughed.
“Well, it’s a thing.”
SLAP
My fingers trembled as I lowered my hand.
“Fuck you, Sébastien!”
His face swept to the side abruptly.
He looked at me, eyes reddened with anger.
“How dare you raise your hand at me?”
“Well, I did.”
“Elian!”
I flinched.
My eyes snapped open.
Sweat damped my bangs, turning my forehead wet.
The sweat rolled down my face, dripping down my chin.
Gripping the blanket, I tried hard to steady my breathing.
A dream…
It was all a dream.
I closed my eyes, exhaling loudly.
Fortunately, it was nothing more than a dream.
I climbed down from the bed and walked into the bathroom, where I had a quick shower.
After that, I returned to my room, covered myself up, and closed my eyes again.
It was nothing more than a stupid dream.
There was no way I would ever go to Sébastien, and it was even more impossible for me to watch any man speak to me that way.
The dumb Elian in the dream wasn’t me.
I wouldn’t talk to an alpha that way…
even if that alpha was Sébastien.
No alpha was worth that much care and respect.
My eyes soon grew heavy again, and I fell asleep.
Morning came too fast.
A yawn escaped my lips.
Staring through the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the sunlight spill across the sky, brightening the world and my spirit alike.
I stretched and yawned.
Looking toward the beautiful sky, a smile formed on my face.
I’ve made a choice.