I stood in place, unable to take a step forward.
Sébastien stood in the room, cold grey eyes filled with worry.
Noah stood beside him, eyes fixed on me while his lips were still parted.
Evidently, he had been explaining things to Sébastien.
My heart raced violently.
No.
It was impossible.
“Dad?” I called, suppressing whatever was gripping my chest at the moment.
“Son.
Let’s go in.”
He took my hand and led me forward.
Sébastien finally looked at me.
His eyes narrowed.
My steps paused.
I removed my hand from my father’s and turned to him.
“What’s going on here?”
My father sighed.
He was quiet.
My mother was the same.
Noah took a step forward and held my hand.
“We found out, Elian.”
My heart sank.
They did?
When?
How?
“Who told you?” No way they would find out if someone hadn’t told them.
Sébastien wasn’t the first alpha I met, and he wasn’t even the last alpha Noah knew me with.
Only my club friends knew Sébastien was the last alpha I ever slept with…
Wait…
“Lucien.” Noah’s voice was solemn.
My stomach lurched.
“Lucien?”
I smiled bitterly.
Now, it only made sense.
The reason Lucien didn’t respond to my messages and the reason all my friends went mute after I called him out.
It all made sense now.
My fingers clenched abruptly.
“Lucien, I swear I won’t let you go.”
I removed my hand from Noah’s and stepped backward.
“So, you went to him?” I couldn’t look at Sébastien.
Noah’s lips trembled.
“We did.
You know there’s no other choice, Elian.”
My mother.
I turned to face her.
She approached, reaching out.
I took a step back.
“It’s my life.”
“This is my life.
What gave you the right to make the choice?”
What made them think they could approach Sébastien and tell him anything?!
“Elian?” My mother’s expression crumbled.
Tears glimmered in her eyes.
She reached out again.
“No.
Do you know what you’ve done?”
I blinked rapidly.
“This was my business.
This was my mistake.
This was my life!”
“He just happened to be the last person I was with.
Why should you involve a stranger in my life?
Why should you make decisions for me?!”
I looked at them all: my father, who stood with his head slightly lowered.
My mother, whose eyes glistened with tears.
Noah, whose eyes showed unknown emotions as he looked at me.
My temple pulsed.
Then, at Sébastien, whose expression I couldn’t tell.
But did I really need to read his mind to know what he would be feeling right now?
Hell, no.
This was a man whose marriage was only a few days away.
The alpha who had happily introduced his partner to me.
The same alpha I had lured to bed with the deal that I would never disrupt his world.
What was all this about?
“Elian, we are sorry.”
Noah mumbled.
“Your life…”
“Stop, Noah.”
Life.
Life again.
“I’m getting out of here.” I looked at their faces.
“I’m not staying.”
Without waiting for their response, I turned around to leave.
“Elian.”
Deep.
Magnetic…
cold.
My feet stilled.
“We should talk.”
I found myself turning around.
He stood there, staring into my eyes.
“I think we need to.” He repeated, fainter.
I stood rooted in place.
But my anger was no less.
Talk?
Talk about what?
About how I went back on my words and kept the child we made through a one-night stand?
About how unreasonable it was to disrupt others’ lives with my issues?
Or about telling others about our little secret and letting my family contact him just a few days before his wedding to tell him about some irrelevant bedmate’s pregnancy?
I honestly had no idea what it was we needed to talk about.
All I felt was…
Heck.
I really didn’t want to stay here.
However, my legs wouldn’t move.
Pressed down with those eyes, my body became disobedient.
Stiff.
Unresponsive.
It was my first time feeling this way.
“We should give them time to talk.”
My mother’s low voice broke the silence in the room.
I snapped out, forcing my eyes away from him.
My parents glanced at me one more time before they left.
Noah patted my back.
“I’m sorry, Elian.” He whispered.
My lips tightened.
He left, too.
Silence fell in the room.
One minute.
Two minutes.
I couldn’t raise my head to look at him.
My eyes darted around, taking everything in except the alpha before me.
From the couch to the central table.
Every decoration I’d seen a million times suddenly became interesting, capturing my interest.
“Come sit.”
My eyes flickered.
I stayed.
“You’ve been standing for too long.”
“Oh.” I stepped forward and had a seat.
Sébastien sat on the other sofa.
His eyes closed.
Swallowing, I tried to suppress the guilt and embarrassment in my heart.
“I’m sorry this happened.”
My voice was a little nonchalant…
well, it was the only way I could hide everything.
“I didn’t expect to suddenly have a baby.
But still, this is my mistake.”
“I know you have your life, too, and I wouldn’t want to disrupt that.”
“Your wedding…”
His eyes opened.
Settling on me for a second, he stood up and looked around.
“Where’s the kitchen?”
Ah?
“There.” I pointed in the direction in a daze.
“Um, yes…” Remembering I was saying something, I decided to continue.
“Your wedding is…”
“A minute, please.” He interrupted again.
My brows creased.
Sébastien walked toward the kitchen.
What was his deal?
I stood up and followed after him.
“You should have rested.
I’ll be out in a minute.” He said with his back turned to me.
His broad back blocked whatever he was doing in front of the freezer.
I stared at him, silently wondering what he was up to.
His voice was too calm.
It made it impossible to understand what his thoughts were.
Was he mad at me?
Hated me for involving him in this?
Or was it something else entirely?
Damn it.
He should really say something.
“Drink this to moisturize your throat.” He handed over a glass of water.
Warm.
I took it in a daze.
“You…”
“Drink.”
“Okay.” I drank the water.
He took the glass and placed it away.
“I heard you haven’t been eating well for days.
How about we get something to eat right now?”
My eyes lifted slightly.
Sébastien walked toward the kitchen’s entrance.
“I haven’t eaten either.
Where would you like to go?”
Seeing him disappear into the distance, I rushed after him.
“Can we talk first?”
Sébastien’s gaze flicked over me.
“We can do that after you’ve gotten something to eat.” His gaze deepened.
“You look pale.”
Pale?
I touched my cheek.
I hadn’t noticed that.
“The earlier restaurant?”
I crossed my arms and shrugged.
“Whatever.”
It felt too strange, so strange that it was hard for me to fully comprehend.
Why was he still so nice to me?
Why did he even care?
Shouldn’t he be mad at me?
Call me names and tell me he would never want a child from a slut?
Exactly as that dream…
“Let’s take my car.”
“Alright.” My voice was barely a whisper.
Sébastien led me to his car, and we got in.
“Is there really no restaurant you want to visit?”
“None.”
“We’ll go with the earlier place then.”
He started the car.
I rested my head on the window, staring out with blank eyes.
The world became fleeting, and buildings disappeared in the corner like they never existed.
My lips involuntarily tightened.
“We’re there.”
His deep voice rang in my ears.
“Hm.”
We entered the restaurant again.
The same place with my dark memory.
It felt like years ago.
Sébastien waved the waiters who approached away and personally led me to a private room.
This time, it wasn’t an open space.
It no longer felt like a banquet either.
The room was large.
Well, spacious enough to fit a big table and several seats.
It seemed like a place workers would use for small events after work.
We barely sat down when we heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
A young lady walked in.
“Mr.
Sébastien.
Mr Elian.”
I raised a brow.
She knew me?
She wasn’t the last lady I met, though…
She revealed a professional smile.
“These are today’s specialties.” She gave me the menu.
I stared at the list of dishes.
None seemed truly delicious.
Well, food hadn’t been appetizing to me for a while.
“Choose for me.” I pushed the tablet to Sébastien.
He raised a brow, seemingly surprised.
“Alright.” He picked up the tablet.
I watched him choose.
The lady left.
“Can we talk now?” He’d been stretching it for far too long already.
“I won’t disturb your life.
When I return home, I’ll tell my parents my decision.”
“You don’t need to bother yourself with me…
I’ve got this.”
He shouldn’t have to take responsibility.
Sébastien’s eyes narrowed.
His gaze settled on me, turning serious.
“I’ve also thought it through.”
Hm?