Chapter 109. Regret

**109\. Regret**

***Third Person's POV***

Sabrina awoke with a serene smile gracing her lips as soft sunrays streamed through the curtains, warming her face.

Her gaze fell on Travis, still sound asleep beside her. Gently, she brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead and lightly caressed his cheek. He stirred, letting out a soft groan before pulling her closer as if unwilling to let her go.

A small grin tugged at Sabrina's lips as she admired how naturally protective and possessive he had become. Carefully, she untangled herself from his embrace, mindful not to wake him, and wrapped herself in a cozy quilt to ward off the morning chill.

As she stood by the bed, flashes of the previous night overwhelmed her senses. The memories sent a shiver down her spine-not one of regret but of uncertainty. What if Travis had acted purely out of drunken impulse? What if, when fully sober, he blamed her for taking advantage of him?

The thought made her chest tighten. No matter how genuine and beautiful the connection had felt between them, she couldn't silence the nagging doubt. She berated herself for giving in so easily. He had been vulnerable, trusting her in his inebriated state. She should have been the voice of reason.

But even as those fears plagued her, she couldn't bring herself to regret it. When she had asked him last night if it was the alcohol talking, Travis had vehemently denied it. He told her he'd wanted her all day. Those words, coupled with the raw intensity of their passion, had melted away her self-control.

Despite everything, Sabrina resolved to stay positive. She'd wait for him to wake up and gauge his reaction. His response would guide her next steps.

For now, she stepped into the bathroom, letting the warmth of a hot shower soothe her nerves. Afterward, she stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her reflection as flashes of last night replayed in vivid detail. Her cheeks flushed at the memory.

Back in the room, Sabrina gathered her clothes from the floor and folded them neatly before turning to dry her hair.

She was mid-motion when she heard a groggy groan. Turning around, she saw Travis stirring awake.

Her heart raced. How would he react?

"Ugh," he muttered, clutching his head with one hand and rubbing his temples.

Sabrina quickly grabbed a glass of citrus punch she had prepared earlier and hurried to his side.

"Here," she said softly, holding it out. "Drink this. It should help with the hangover."

He took the glass with a faint smile, his tired eyes meeting hers.

"Thanks," he murmured before taking a sip.

"Feeling any better?" she asked tentatively.

"A little," he replied with a faint nod, offering her another small smile that sent a wave of relief washing over her.

Travis leaned back against the headboard, trying to steady himself.

His eyes drifted downward to his bare chest, then to the blanket covering him. Slowly, he moved it aside and froze when he realized he was completely naked beneath it. A wave of agitation swept over him.

"Please tell me nothing happened between us," he said, his voice laced with tension. Deep down, he hoped she would confirm his suspicions, yet part of him dreaded the idea of having done something impulsive while he was intoxicated.

Sabrina's breath hitched at the sight of his distressed expression. Guilt churned in her stomach, and she struggled with what to say.

"No... nothing happened!" she blurted out, her voice tinged with sorrow.

Travis's eyebrows knitted together at the sadness on her face. Sabrina had intended to be honest and gauge his reaction. But his panicked demeanor made her change course at the last moment.

He let out a deep sigh of relief, and she convinced herself that sparing him the truth was the right decision. The last thing she wanted was for Travis to feel guilty about something he wasn't fully in control of.

"You seem awfully relieved," she said, trying to mask her unease.

"Well, yeah," he murmured. "I'm glad I didn't... do anything to hurt you." He avoided her gaze, his thoughts a swirl of self-recrimination. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I'd crossed a line in that state.

"Right," Sabrina said softly, her voice almost inaudible.

Travis glanced at the blanket again and frowned. "But, uh... why am I naked?"

Sabrina's mind raced for an explanation. "Because you spilled a drink on your clothes," she said matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes for added effect. "I helped you change, but you were too out of it to bother putting anything else on."

His face twisted into a skeptical frown. "I was?"

"Yep, you were," she replied, crossing her arms.

She hesitated, then added, "Nio, what if I had told you something different?" Her tone carried a mix of curiosity and frustration.

"Let's not go there," he said quickly, shifting under the blanket.

Sabrina nodded, though a hint of disappointment lingered in her expression. "Fine. Now get up and go deal with that witch," she said, referring to Helen with barely contained disdain.

"Not again," he groaned, sliding further beneath the covers.

"Nio, get up, or I'm ripping that quilt off you," she warned, her hands poised at the edge of the blanket.

Peeking out from under the covers, he narrowed his eyes at her. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Wanna bet?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

With a resigned sigh, he threw off the blanket. "Fine, I'm getting up," he grumbled. "But turn around."

Sabrina smirked but complied, turning her back to him.

While Travis showered, Sabrina busied herself changing the linens. Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. She wished she could tell him the truth right now, to get it off her chest once and for all. But the weight of everything else they were dealing with held her back.

She decided it was better to wait until they were home and had settled things with Travis's company. Once the dust settled, she'd find the right moment to explain everything.

As the water stopped running, Travis's voice cut through her thoughts.

"So, what's the plan when we leave this room? Are we walking out together or what?" he asked, emerging from the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

Sabrina glanced up and shrugged. "Guess that depends on what kind of show we want to put on for Helen and her minions," she said with a smirk.

"I don't know," Sabrina replied, her frustration evident. "I told you earlier we needed a solid plan to deal with Helen, but no, you wanted to take it one step at a time."

"Oh, come on. Don't pin this entirely on me," Travis countered. "Let's just go together. If anyone questions it, we'll claim we were faking it all along."

"Fine," Sabrina whispered, adjusting her Bluetooth earpiece.

"Hold on, let me connect the call first," Travis said, pulling out his phone.

She nodded. "Alright."

"And remember," he added, looking directly at her, "don't believe anything she says."

Sabrina gave him a determined nod. "Got it. I won't."

"Did you check on Wynter?" he asked as they began walking down the corridor.

"Of course I did," Sabrina replied. "It was the first thing I did this morning."

"How's the puppy doing?" Travis asked with a smirk.

Sabrina huffed in exasperation. "You're still calling him that?"

"Well, we don't need another Wynter causing chaos," Travis quipped, rolling his eyes.

"Don't start with me," Sabrina warned. "We'll end up arguing again."

He smirked. "I'm fine with that. At least Helen will think it's real."

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you care more about convincing her than anything else," Sabrina shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're on my side? Or is it the other way around?"

Travis threw his hands up dramatically. "How did you figure it out? Yes, I'm secretly working with Helen, and she's been spying on us all along!"

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. "You're terrible at acting. How are you even convincing Helen?"

"Speak of the devil," Travis muttered under his breath as Helen approached them from down the hall.

Sabrina froze in place as Helen strode over confidently. The woman's eyes darted between the two of them before she wrapped her arms around Travis in a hug, completely ignoring Sabrina.

"Boo," Helen cooed, smirking as she turned to Sabrina. "I have some amazing news."

The way Helen's eyes glimmered with malice sent a shiver down Sabrina's spine. Whatever this "amazing news" was, it wasn't going to be good for her.

"What is it?" Travis asked in a monotone voice, his lack of enthusiasm palpable.

"Act," Sabrina hissed through clenched teeth, her voice crackling in his earpiece.

Travis straightened, quickly switching his tone. "What is it, baby?" he repeated, this time in an exaggeratedly sweet voice.

Helen began walking toward Sabrina, a folded piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand. Sabrina stiffened as Helen stopped in front of her.

With a triumphant smirk, Helen unfolded the paper and held it up for Sabrina to see.

"I'm pregnant!" Helen declared, her voice ringing with feigned excitement.

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