30.

Taking a cold shower didn't calm my thoughts as I thought it would. I still felt lost with everything, the sense of loss was slowly creeping in. It seemed like the reality hadn't fully sunk in yet; it was starting to hit me in bits and pieces, forcing me to suppress the growing pain within me.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, noticing the dark, deep circles under my eyes. My eyes were dull, and my skin was pale. Dressed in clothes that could fit two of me, I left the bathroom and headed for the guest room when I heard Klaus approaching.

"Where do you think you're going?" I stopped walking instantly, refusing to look at him.

"To sleep, Klaus," I said seriously, still with my back turned.

"You'll be sleeping with me from now on." I turned slowly in his direction, tilting my head to the side.

"I don't want to."

"You don't have a choice yet, Hailey," he said without hesitation. "And don't make me drag you to that room." I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest, before walking past him with heavy footsteps.

I entered Klaus's room, finding a different scene. It didn't take long for me to feel him pass by me, entering the adjacent bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I let out a deep breath, listening to the shower for a few minutes before Klaus simply appeared, still drying himself.

"Why not put an end to this now?" I looked at him, watching him dry his hair in silence.

"I'm fine like this."

I shook my head from side to side, forcing a smile.

"Forcing someone to stay by your side?" He gave me a half-smile.

"It's the magic of love, Hailey." I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling too tired to argue with Klaus. Lately, he had been demanding too much of my strength, and at that moment, I had none left to give him.

It didn't take long for Klaus to turn off the light and lie down next to me, finally taking a deep breath. In the past, we used to lie in silence when we had nothing to say. Before, I admit that I liked it; even without talking, I felt that she understood me somehow. But Klaus no longer understood me.

"Are you in pain?" He suddenly asked, making me furrow my brow.

"As if you care," I muttered. "You almost killed me with your own hands."

We remained silent for a few more minutes until he broke the silence.

"Is it mine?" I turned my head towards him at that moment, still finding him staring at the ceiling, his hands resting on his chest. "Was the baby mine?"

I took a deep breath, shifting uncomfortably, aware that there was nowhere to run, and if I were to die, it might as well be now.

"Yes. It was yours," I finally said.

Silence prevailed once again, and I imagined him preparing to kill me. However, he just let out a sigh.

"I think I need to sleep," he said, turning away from me.

I furrowed my brow, looking at his back.

"Aren't you going to do anything?"

"What do you want me to do, Hailey?" I had no idea; I was just surprised by his reaction. It wasn't something I was expecting.

I shifted in bed, taking a deep breath and turning to Klaus without realizing where I was. It was only after a few seconds that I felt uncomfortable, opened my eyes, and narrowed them when I saw Klaus looking at me.

He raised one corner of his mouth, leaning on one arm.

"Good morning to you too," he said with an unfamiliar humor. At this point, I believed I was having some kind of nightmare.

He let out a sigh, getting out of bed. Despite everything, I had slept very well, even next to Klaus. After lying down for a few minutes, I reluctantly got up, even though I wished to spend the days in that bed.

I stayed near the kitchen door when I saw Klaus walking back and forth, setting the kitchen table. He was shirtless, wearing only shorts, looking focused on the task at hand. It took him some time to notice me, and when he did, he didn't seem surprised, as if he had been waiting for me.

"Come and eat," he said, tossing a strawberry into his mouth. I walked slowly to the table, seeing fruit, bread, cream cheese, and other items spread all over. A typical rich breakfast.

"Is there a catch?" I fixed my gaze on him, looking back at the food.

"None," he narrowed his eyes.

"Is it poisoned, if you must know," he said seriously. I pulled a chair and sat down, not feeling hungry despite all the food. Klaus remained in front of the stove for a few minutes before placing a plate of eggs next to me.

"Can I feed you if you want?" I rolled my eyes.

"Why do you always have to be like this?" I questioned, looking at him with a serious expression. "Thinking that by force, you'll get everything you want." He smiled.

"I usually get what I want."

"Not anymore with me," I emphasized.

He spread his hands on the table, leaning toward me.

"That's where you're wrong, Hailey." He let his eyes roam my face, stopping at my mouth. The trance was broken when Lorde started barking incessantly, making the smile disappear from his face, and he quickly left the kitchen. I sighed, giving in to the food and starting to eat. For a few minutes, silence prevailed in the room, which wasn't a bad thing because I couldn't deal with Klaus's new, atypical behavior.

"Hailey," I looked at him over my shoulder when I heard him call me. "The doctor wants to see you." I furrowed my brow but didn't question him, passing by him on my way to the living room, where I found the doctor from the previous day.

"I came to see how you're doing," he said as soon as he saw me. I looked at Klaus not far away, then back at the doctor.

"I got it," Klaus murmured, heading back to the kitchen, leaving me alone with the doctor.

The doctor came closer to me, looking at me carefully.

"Actually, I wanted to know if you were alive," he said in a low voice. "The way you talked yesterday, it sounded like you were going to the gallows."

"I thought so too."

"He...?" I looked behind me, checking if Klaus was really in the kitchen.

"No," he nodded slowly, diverting his gaze to the floor. "Did he really come here just to see how I was?" He smiled awkwardly, still not looking at me.

"He almost killed you in front of me yesterday." Raising his gaze, he held mine, tilting his head to the side. "Anyone would be worried."

"I think he'll wait a bit longer for that." He shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't know what you did to him, and I don't want to know, but are you really going to allow someone to decide whether you live or die?"

I swallowed hard, faced with the question. Surely, at some point, living there, he had already asked himself that question when faced with so much death and

people like me, who showed no reaction to men like Klaus.

"You wouldn't understand," I finally said. Since he had no idea what was driving Klaus, I didn't want to tell him, not even a hint.

"Don't allow yourself to become part of the statistics," he said seriously, moving away from me and heading for the door.

"Do you really think I'm here because I want to be?" I retorted, controlling my tone of voice. "That I didn't fight and still keep fighting? A man died trying to help me." He held my gaze thoughtfully. "Klaus is my sentence," I concluded, finally accepting my fate.

"Then you should appeal this sentence," he said before leaving the house, leaving me standing there, trying to understand what he wanted me to do.

I returned to the kitchen, finding Klaus now sitting at the breakfast table, eating nonchalantly.

"Is everything okay?" I furrowed my brow, approaching slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"I asked if everything is okay with you." I tilted my head, looking at him from top to bottom, still doubting what I was hearing and seeing. Was I asleep, or had they replaced Klaus?

"Don't always expect the worst from me, Hailey," he said suddenly when I hesitated to answer.

"You've made me expect the worst from you, Klaus."

"It wasn't always like this," he folded both arms across his chest.

"It's not like that anymore." I sat not far from him, avoiding direct eye contact. Klaus continued to confuse me, and if his plan now was to make me comfortable with the situation he had put me in, it wasn't working. I couldn't feel comfortable, especially with him trying to show a side of him that I didn't know until that moment.

"It can still be."

I looked at him with a furrowed brow, looking at him from top to bottom once again, still doubting what I had just heard and what was happening. Without a doubt, I was either asleep, in some kind of nightmare, or in purgatory. I couldn't believe I was awake, especially hearing Klaus bring up an issue that had no chance of happening.

"Stop," I said seriously, getting up abruptly and moving away from him immediately. "Stop what you're trying to do."

He furrowed his brow, seemingly confused.

"Hailey..."

I opened my hands in front of me, feeling the irritation within me growing with all the emotional games he was playing.

"This is already too much for me," I muttered, breathing through my mouth. "You acting like this..." I sighed, spinning on my heels, needing immediate distance between us. I needed that. I needed to stay away from Klaus, even if it was just for a few minutes.