Chapter 1795:
“It’s fine. The guards are here, so there’s no danger. You should leave,” Gillian replied, her brows knitting together.
Her firm refusal left Alban at a loss. He grew quiet, then lowered his voice to almost an imploring murmur. “Gillian, please let me stay. I swear I won’t disturb you. I’m asking you.”
Gillian hadn’t expected him to humble himself sopletely, and it nearly broke her resolve. She had always been more vulnerable to tenderness than to pressure, and because she still cared for Alban, his softness made resisting him painfully difficult.
“You need to go,” Gillian said through clenched teeth, forcing herself not to waver.
Alban looked utterly defeated, his eyes dropping as he spoke in a hushed tone. “I really can’t stay? I’m honestly worried about you. If something happened to you, what would I do?” He caught her wrist and gently rocked her arm back and forth, his gaze filled with desperation. “Please, let me stay. If I leave, I won’t sleep at all. If I look exhausted tomorrow, I might frighten Adide. Gillian, please — I’m begging you.”
The weakness in his voice finally cracked her resolve, and she surrendered. How could someone be this skilled at pleading? It genuinely stunned her.
“Fine. You can stay — but don’t disturb me. If you do, you’ll have to leave at once,” Gillian said atst, reluctantly.
Adide would be discharged the next day. Once they returned to the Jones residence, Alban would hardly have any chance to see them again — and so Gillian allowed him to remain, just for this one night.
Noticing Gillian’s resolve soften, Alban nodded at once, his tone earnest and restrained. “Fine. I swear I won’t disturb you.” Worried she might reconsider, he wasted no time lowering himself onto the couch and shutting his eyes.
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He had spent many nights at the hospitaltely, so sleeping on a sofa had long since be second nature.
Gillian observed his familiar routine, a muted sense of resignation settling quietly in her chest. Her gaze lingered on Alban, already resting with his eyes closed, as her thoughts began to drift.
His face looked almost unreal — smooth nes, distinct angles, and striking features that appeared as though they had been carved with intention. A man like Alban would neverck attention; his appearance and build alone were more than enough. Add his prominent family lineage into the equation, and his charm became impossible to deny. Gillian couldn’tprehend why he fixated on her so intently. At times, it even seemed as if his entire family was deliberately trying to close the distance between themselves and both her and Adide.
No matter how many times she went over it in her mind, she always arrived at the same answer — the Martel family wanted Adide. Regardless of how often Alban promised he would never take her daughter away, the knot of worry in Gillian’s heart refused to loosen.
Still lost in her thoughts, her eyes slid past Alban, fixing on nothing in particr as her brows slowly drew together. She failed to notice the moment he opened his eyes.
He studied her in silence, watching her distant expression. At first, her beauty held him breathless, but the tension etched across her face soon sent a heavy ache through his chest.
She was almost certainly still afraid they would take Adide from her. If the Martel family ever truly decided to intervene, their power would make resistance nearly pointless. No matter how fiercely Gillian struggled, she could never protect Adide on her own. If matters ever escted into open conflict, it would be a fight she was destined to lose. Her fear was only to be expected.
Yet the Martels had never nned to seize custody through force. What they wanted was far simpler — to bring both Gillian and Adide into their family.
Alban released a quiet, barely audible breath. He understood that no matter how genuine his reassurance was, it would never fully erase the anxiety weighing on her heart.
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