<h4>Chapter 288: Chapter 288 Suspicions</h4>


    Author’s pov


    Cecilia closed the bathroom door behind her, eager to rinse off the chaos of the day with a hot shower.


    As steam filled the room and water flowed over her shoulders, she tried to clear her mind.


    Stalkers. Cryptic photos. Maggie Locke. The Van Horns. It was all starting to blur together, like a movie she couldn’t hit pause on.


    Meanwhile, Sebastian sat on the edge of her couch, elbows on his knees, waiting in silence.


    A soft chime pulled his attention to the nightstand.


    Cecilia’s phone lit up with a new message.


    His eyes narrowed. There was no name, just a number.


    Given the recent threats she’d received, he didn’t hesitate.


    His concern trumped any sense of privacy.


    He picked up the phone and tapped into the message:


    [Cecilia, this pregnancy is already affecting your body. The longer you dy, the moreplicated it bes. I’ve already spoken to the doctor. We can take care of it this weekend.You’ll need at least a month to recover after the procedure. If you’re worried about Alpha Sebastian, you can stay at our old ce.]


    Sebastian stared at the screen.


    His expression changed.


    Cecilia’s pov


    Twenty minutester, I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, skin pink from the hot water.


    The second I saw Sebastian still in my room, another wave of heat climbed up my neck. Was he nning to stay the night?


    I kept my tone casual as I crossed the room to grab my phone.


    "No spare towels in here. If you’re thinking about a shower, you’ll have to head back to the master bath."


    I moved slowly on purpose.


    He pulled me into hisp, just like I expected.


    But this time, it wasn’t a game.


    He wasn’t teasing. He looked serious. Like something was eating him up inside.


    I started to speak, but his warm palm slid over my stomach, heat radiating through the thin fabric of my nightgown.


    "Mmm..." The soft sound escaped before I could help it. I melted against him, hands slipping up to his cor. I loosened his tie, fingers drifting to his buttons.


    "If you really want to shower here, I mean... I could be persuaded," I half-whispered.


    Before I could finish the thought, he caught my hands in his.


    "You’re thinking about this now?" he asked, voice low but firm.


    I blinked."What?"


    The look in his eyes made me feel like I’d just tried to seduce a priest.


    Embarrassment hit me hard.


    "If you’re not into it, then forget it," I said quickly, trying to pull away.


    Sebastian didn’t let go.


    His grip tightened just enough to keep me in ce.


    Confusion twisted in my chest.


    He started this. And somehow I’m the viin? Seriously?


    "Cece," he said slowly," isn’t there something important you forgot to tell me?"


    Oh God. This was a trap. A cue. A chance to confess.


    "Important?" I echoed." No, I’ve told you everything."


    His gaze darkened, sharp and unreadable.


    He nodded toward my phone on the table."You got a text from someone not in your contacts.


    I was worried it might be like the bloody message fromst time, so I checked it.


    Might be Xavier. Take a look."


    Xavier. Great.


    Under his silent stare, I picked up the phone and opened the message.


    Three seconds. That’s how long the silencested after I finished reading. And it was deafening.


    "Listen," I blurted out." He’spletely nuts. None of that’s real."


    Sebastian’s voice came quietly, but it wasced with steel." He cornered you in the elevator the other night, didn’t he?"


    "Yes! But I am not pregnant," I said firmly.


    "Alpha Xavier seems very... thorough," he said."Doctor, hospital, post-op care. Sounds like a well-orchestrated n."


    I groaned. From his perspective, I could see how it all lined up.


    It looked like textbook damage control. And Xavier? He knew exactly how to craft a narrative.


    "I swear, I’d know if I was pregnant! " I argued, exasperated.


    "The other morning I had two iced Americanos on an empty stomach. I felt nauseous for five seconds. Xavier saw me in the elevator and immediatelyunched into baby conspiracy mode. I told him no. He didn’t listen. He’s been living with this fantasy ever since! "


    Sebastian still didn’t respond. He was reading me, weighing everything.


    And I knew what wasing next.


    The Test.


    But then I remembered something. "Look, in about five days, my period’s due. I’m not lying."


    I said it with full conviction.


    Sebastian’s eyes softened, but something in him dimmed.


    Disappointment, maybe. Or doubt.


    Noticing the shift, I added quickly,"Besides, we’ve always been careful. Except for that one time."


    He gave a short nod."Maybe it was that one time. Protection isn’t foolproof. That night in London... maybe I wasn’t as careful as I thought."


    "No. Absolutely not," I said, shaking my head hard.


    I turned back to my phone, scrolling down, then hit ‘Block’ on Xavier’s number again.


    Sebastian watched me quietly. "You’ll probably be seeing more of him soon. If you don’t want that, I can make sure you don’t have to."


    I waved him off. "Don’t bother. He’s harmless. Just... obsessive. This is my city too. I’m not going to hide."


    Sebastian dipped his head, a slow smile tugging at his lips.


    His hand slid back to my stomach, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder. "Earlier, you mentioned something about me showering here..."


    I was still ring at my phone when I felt his breath brush my ear. Warm. Intentional.