chapter 135
Sebastian's POV:
The night air was heavy with her scent—lavender from the bath oil she'd used, mixed with something uniquely Elena.
I'd been awake for the past hour, simply watching her sleep in my arms, her breath warm against my chest, one hand splayed protectively over her belly even in slumber.
The birthday celebration had been everything I'd hoped for.
The look on her face when I'd walked—actually walked—into that dining room pushing her cake... Christ, I'd live a thousand lifetimes just to see that expression again.
Pure, unfiltered joy mixed with tears of relief.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand. Marcus.
Rebecca Sterling has deceased. Official cause: cardiac arrest secondary to renal failure.
My fingers found the ring on my left hand, still warm from where Elena had slipped it on just hours ago.
After I'd clasped the necklace around her throat as a birthday gift, she'd surprised me completely. "I have something for you too," she'd said, producing a small velvet box.
Inside lay the wedding band she'd been designing—I'd known she was working on something, catching glimpses of her sketches, but I hadn't expected the finished piece so soon.
I twisted the ring absently, feeling the weight of it, the subtle engravings she'd incorporated that told our story in symbols only we would understand.
Tomorrow, Elena would receive this news. Would she grieve for the woman who'd made her childhood hell? Feel relief? Worry for her father despite everything?
Elena stirred against me, mumbling something incoherent. Her hand found mine in the darkness, fingers interlacing with practiced ease.
"Go back to sleep, love," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She smiled against my chest, already drifting back under.
---
When morning finally came, pale light filtering through the curtains, Elena's eyes fluttered open to find me already awake, watching her.
"Mmm, why are you up so early?" she murmured, arms tightening around me in a sleepy embrace.
I kissed her forehead gently, then her nose. "There's something I need to tell you, love."
The tenderness in my voice must have alerted her.
She pulled back slightly, sleep vanishing from her eyes as she studied my face. "What is it? What's wrong?"
I took a breath, my hand finding hers. "Rebecca died yesterday."
Elena went completely still, her eyes widening. "What? How—"
She stopped, then the more urgent question burst out: "My father? Where's my father?"
"Safe. At the hospital, handled arrangements." I paused, watching her carefully. "He's also transferred a significant sum to your accounts. About ten billion."
That got her attention. She sat up fully now, alarm replacing confusion. "Ten billion? That's Rebecca's money, isn't it?" Her voice turned sharp. "I don't want it. Why is he giving me this? Why is he settling accounts like—"
She stopped abruptly, a memory flashing across her face.
"Oh God. When Mom died, he tried to..." Her hands gripped my arms. "He only stayed alive because Rebecca threatened me. Used me as leverage. But now Rebecca's gone, there's no threat anymore, and he might—"
Elena was already trying to get out of bed, moving with surprising speed for someone eight months pregnant. "I need to find him. I need to—"
"Elena, stop." I caught her gently but firmly, keeping her from standing. "You're in no condition to go anywhere. You're eight months pregnant, love. That kind of stress, that environment—it's not safe for you or the babies."
"But my father—"
"I've already got people with him. They won't let him out of their sight, and they have orders to intervene if he tries anything."
I cupped her face, forcing her to meet my eyes. "I promise you, he won't be able to harm himself. But you need to stay here, stay calm. For us." I placed my hand over her belly.
But Elena was already trembling, her face draining of color.
"Sebastian... Sebastian, you don't understand. The only reason he stayed alive was that Rebecca threatened me."
Her breathing became shallow, rapid. I felt my blood run cold as she swayed slightly.
"Hospital. Now." I was already lifting her, carrying her to the car.
The drive was a blur. Elena sat beside me, eyes unfocused, not seeing the city rushing past, not hearing my attempts at reassurance. She was lost somewhere in her own fear, her own memories.
At the hospital, doctors swarmed around her, checking vitals, murmuring about stress levels and whether she'd need medication to prevent early labor. I'd never felt more helpless, watching them work while she lay there, pale and distant.
Then my phone rang. Robert.
I grabbed it immediately. "Elena, love, it's your father!"
Life flickered back into her eyes as she took the phone with trembling hands. "Dad?"
Through the phone, I could hear traffic noise, horns blaring. My blood chilled. A highway.
"Elena, did you get the money I sent?" His voice was too calm, too final.
"Yes, Dad, where are you? I'll come to you right now!"
"No. Don't come looking for me. I told you before—if you're happy, I'm happy. How can I rest easy knowing you fall apart like this?"
Tears were streaming down Elena's face now, dropping onto my hand as I held hers. "Dad, please... please don't do this. I'm scared."
"Dad, I know you loved being a professor. Now that Rebecca's gone, you can go back to the university. Everything's getting better now... Please, please don't do anything rash!"
"Elena, don't make decisions for me." His voice was gentle but firm. "My beloved was murdered, my career destroyed, and now I have blood on my hands. I can't think of a reason to keep going."
The sound of traffic grew louder through the phone. Horns. Engines. The screech of brakes.
"But you have a bright future ahead. You can't have a murderer for a father. This is for the best."
"Dad—DAD!" Elena screamed, but the line had already gone dead.
Her body went limp in my arms, the phone slipping from nerveless fingers to clatter on the hospital floor.
"Elena? Elena!" I caught her as she collapsed, her face deathly pale, eyes rolling back. "Doctor! DOCTOR!"
For the first time in years, real panic clawed at my throat.
"Get her on the bed! Now!" The doctors said, pushing me aside. Numbers were shouted—blood pressure, heart rate, fetal monitors.