The hospital room was quiet, save for the soft beeping of the monitors. Sunlight was just beginning to creep through the blinds, dust motes floating lazily in the pale light. I was still wrapped in blankets, the ache in my body duller but persistent, when Kaelen sat beside me, fussing over the pillows, making sure I was propped comfortably.
"Eat a little," he urged, lifting a spoonful of soup. His expression was tender, careful, like I was made of glass.
"I'm fine," I said, though my fingers instinctively brushed my abdomen. The baby's presence — small, steady — made me feel a little braver.
He watched me quietly, lips pressed into a thin line, then finally said, "I'm going to make sure nothing, no one, comes near you. Or the baby."
Before I could respond, the door opened. The scent of perfume hit the room first — sharp, familiar — and then voices.
"Elara dear," Diana's voice floated in, honeyed, polite, false. "We came as soon as we heard. We wanted to make sure you're… alright."
Chloe followed, smiling faintly, her eyes cold beneath the facade. "It's such a relief to see you conscious, after… everything."
I stiffened, straightening in bed. The warmth of Kaelen's hand on mine anchored me. "Thank you for checking," I said evenly, keeping my voice calm.
Diana tilted her head, glancing at Kaelen. "Kaelen.. You're here instead of dealing with the Island Residence issue. Oh dear.. Does this mean.. How bad is her condition?" Her tone was casual, but her gaze was sharp, measuring.
Kaelen's hand tightened around mine subtly. "She's fine," he said evenly. His jaw flexed.
Chloe stepped closer than was polite, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "You must be exhausted, Elara… but imagine how much worse it would be if he weren't here to shield you. You really are lucky, aren't you?" Her tone was syrupy, but the edge was unmistakable.
I remained silent, my posture rigid. I could feel Kaelen coiling beside me.
Undeterred by my lack of response, Chloe's eyes flickered over me with mock sympathy. "It must be so frightening," she purred, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper meant only for us, "to do all this after that happened. You know? To know there are men out there who can just... snatch you off the street. To be so vulnerable. I heard what happened in that warehouse was just... savage. It's a miracle you're still in one piece."
The air left my lungs. She wasn't just alluding to the kidnapping; she was painting a picture of it, reveling in the violation.
Kaelen's hand tightened on mine, his grip becoming white-knuckled. He rose slowly, deliberately, his presence filling the room like a storm pressing in. The air shifted. His usual calm precision was replaced by something heavier — a predator's calm before the strike.
Chloe, either too foolish or too arrogant to recognize the danger, gave a light, cruel laugh. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Kaelen. We all know the truth. You can dress her up and sit her at the boardroom table, but some damage can't be polished out. Some girls are just... breakable."
"That's enough," Kaelen's voice was low, lethally soft, and it cut through the room with the finality of a guillotine. "You do not speak to her. You do not look at her. You are leaving. Now."
Diana's smile didn't falter, but the amusement in her eyes was tempered by caution. "Of course, Kaelen. We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome." She took a step back, and signalled for Chloe to follow.
As they reached the door, Diana paused, her eyes flicking to Kaelen. "Oh… Kaelen," she said, her voice honeyed, deliberate. "Stop glaring at us like that. It reminds me of your father."
Kaelen's gaze snapped to her, deadly calm. He didn't answer.
Then, silently, both women backed out, closing the door behind them. As the door clicked shut, the sharp scent of perfume vanished, leaving only the faint antiseptic and the soft beeping of the monitors.
Kaelen sat back down beside me, brushing my hair gently from my forehead. His hand lingered over mine, warm and steady. "You need to rest," he murmured, voice low, careful. "Don't worry about them. Don't let them get to you."
I nodded slowly, still processing, but then a flicker of unease hit me. My fingers tightened around his. "Kaelen…" I hesitated, my voice trembling. "Do you… remember what Diana said just before she left?"
His eyes met mine, dark and unreadable. "Yes," he said, almost too simply, "What's the matter?"
I swallowed hard, my heart beginning to thrum. "She said… you take after your father." My voice was almost a whisper. "Kaelen… your father died so long ago. How… how does she know if you take after him or not?"
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The room felt impossibly still, the monitors and distant city sounds fading to nothing. Then, slowly, the weight of it hit us both — that chilling, impossible thought that had been lying beneath the surface.
Kaelen's hand clenched around mine a little tighter, his jaw hardening. "She knows," he said quietly, almost to himself. "She knows more than she should. And if she knows that… then everything… everything we've been doing… it's not just about Sterling. It's never been just about Sterling."
A cold realization crawled through me, knotting my stomach. Diana knew him. She knew who he really was. And suddenly, everything shifted — the danger, the stakes, the hidden past — all of it had just stepped out of the shadows.
I pulled back just slightly, enough to look him in the eyes. "Kaelen… we need to talk about this. Now. I can't just… ignore it."
His hand stayed on mine, firm, grounding. "Elara… you need to rest. That's what matters right now. Your body, the baby… you've been through hell."
"I know I need to rest," I said, voice trembling. "But this… Diana knowing… it's too important to ignore. We can't pretend it's nothing."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment his steel faltered, replaced by the raw worry he'd been holding back. "I know. I know it's important. But you're fragile. One step too fast, and—"
"I'm fine," I insisted, though my body hummed with fatigue. "Mentally too. I can handle it. I need to handle it. You can't fight it alone."
His thumb brushed over the back of my hand, hesitant, almost pleading. "Elara… let me protect you. Right now, that's all that matters. Everything else… we can deal with it. Together. Later. When you're stronger."
I closed my eyes, leaning my head against his shoulder. The tension in my body didn't vanish, but there was comfort in his presence. "Later," I whispered. "But we need to prepare… we can't be caught off guard."
He kissed the top of my head, quiet and solemn. "Later. I promise. Rest now. I'll be right here."
I lifted my gaze to him, taking in the dark shadows under his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped just slightly despite the tense control he radiated. He hadn't slept — not since the explosion, not since the chaos began.
For a moment, the weight of it all pressed down on me, and I realized… this isn't the time. Not for questions. Not for revelations. Not for confrontations.
"Kaelen," I whispered softly, my fingers brushing his. "You… you look exhausted. You need to rest too."
He shook his head, stubborn, eyes flicking to mine with that familiar mix of steel and worry. "I'll be fine. You just—"
"No," I interrupted gently, but firmly. "Not today. Not now. You've been carrying too much already."
His gaze softened, the tension around his jaw easing slightly. He exhaled, finally letting himself lean back against the chair, letting me cradle his hand. "If you say so," he murmured, and there was a quiet surrender in his voice I hadn't heard before.
I let out a shaky breath, pressing my forehead lightly against his shoulder. "Later… we'll talk later," I said. "Right now… just sleep, even if it's for a little while. Please."
He closed his eyes, finally resting, and for the first time since the chaos, I allowed myself to relax slightly too. The questions would wait. The storm outside would rage on, but in this moment, we just existed — two exhausted souls holding onto each other, fragile and human, knowing the fight was far from over.