Chapter 235: Unwanted Devotion

LEITANA

I clutched the fabric of my gown near my bump, feeling suddenly very exposed in this quiet hallway. “Mr. Monroe… I should probably go back to the guests…”

“Please,” he said gently, raising a hand but not touching me. His voice stayed warm, almost kind, but there was something underneath it that made my pulse race with discomfort. “Just for a second. I know this might sound strange, but… I’ve been watching you since that first night at the gala.”

My eyes widened.

“You were standing beside him, looking so out of place among all those vultures,” he continued, his tone soft but steady. “So pure and real while everyone else was playing their games, you were just… you. And even after the truth came out at the press conference, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

He took one small step closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You deserve more than what Ravial can give you, you deserve to be seen. Cherished and worshipped the way a woman like you should be.”

My breath caught in my throat. I felt heat rising to my cheeks, but it wasn’t from flattery, it was from unease. This didn’t feel like a normal compliment. It felt… heavy and possessive in a way that didn’t belong to him.

“Mi… mi am very happy with mi husband,” I said quietly, voice steady even though my hands were shaking slightly. “Mi don’t need anything else.”

Elias smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Of course,” he murmured. “I’m not trying to offend you. I just… I see you, Leitana. Truly see you. And if you ever need someone to talk to, someone who understands what it’s like to be in this world but not entirely of it, my door is always open.”

Before I could respond, the study door opened behind him.

Ravial stepped out.

The air in the hallway changed instantly.

My husband’s presence filled the space like a thick cloud rolling in. He didn’t say a word at first. He simply moved to my side, one large hand sliding around my waist, pulling me gently but firmly against him. His blindfolded gaze was fixed in Elias’s direction, calm but terrifyingly cold.

“Monroe,” Ravial said, voice low and even. “I believe our business is concluded for the evening.”

Elias smiled politely, but I could see the tension in his jaw. “Of course. It was a pleasure, Ashbourne.” His eyes flicked to me one last time. “Mrs. Ashbourne… it was lovely speaking with you again.”

Ravial’s hand tightened on my waist.

I didn’t speak. I just leaned into my husband’s side, feeling safer the moment he touched me.

Elias gave a small nod and walked away, but I could feel his eyes on me until he disappeared around the corner.

Ravial turned me gently to face him, one hand cupping my cheek.

“Are you alright, little lamb?” he asked, voice softer now, just for me.

I nodded, pressing my face into his chest. “Mi fine. He just… he said strange things. Mi didn’t like it.”

Ravial’s arms wrapped around me completely, holding me close as he pressed a long kiss to the top of my head.

“Hmm” he hummed but said nothing, looking at where Elias monroe had gone.

I closed my eyes, breathing in his scent, letting his warmth chase away the unease Elias had left behind.

Hours later

The villa was quiet.

Most of the guests had left, and the grand ballroom had been cleared. I slipped away while Ravial was still speaking with a few lingering businessmen. I needed to be alone.

I found myself in the music room, my favorite place in the entire villa. The grand piano sat bathed in soft moonlight streaming through the tall windows. I sat down on the bench, fingers trembling as they touched the cool keys.

I started playing softly.

A slow, sad melody flowed from my hands, the same piece I had played during the showcase, but heavier now, filled with everything I was trying to hold inside. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I played, my vision blurring.

How much longer?

The thought wouldn’t leave me. My body was failing. The black vomit mixed with blood tonight had terrified me more than I wanted to admit. I could feel it, something deep inside me was breaking down. My time was running out.

I kept playing, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

“Papa God… please,” I whispered between notes. “Just let me stay long enough to hold my baby. Let me give mi Ravial this one gift. Please don’t take me yet…”

The moonlight shone on my hands, on the curve of my belly, on the tears falling onto the piano keys.

Suddenly, a small, soft voice echoed inside my head.

“Leitana…”

I froze, fingers hovering over the keys.

It was a child’s voice, sweet and familiar.

My heart skipped.

“Rosie…?” I whispered, voice cracking.

The voice came again, gentle and pleading.

“Leitana…”

Tears poured down my face. I stood up quickly from the bench, one hand on my belly.

“Rosie? Is that you, baby? Where are yu?”

A sharp, stabbing pain exploded in my stomach, worse than anything I had felt before. It felt like something was tearing inside me.

I gasped, doubling over.

“Ah…!”

My knees buckled. The room spun violently and I tried to hold onto the piano, but my fingers slipped.

I collapsed hard onto the floor, curling around my belly as another wave of pain ripped through me.

The last thing I heard before everything went black was the sound of the music room door bursting open.

“Leitana!”