CHAPTER 34: HER GAMES

Raphael’s POV

It took a while for Amelia to stabilise. The weather had been chilly lately and she ended up catching a bad cold. Her fever was still high but the professional knew how to handle it.

Braelyn would be worried; from her expression and reaction, she seemed genuinely concerned and worried for Amelia. I wasn’t expecting but I was moved without a doubt

With how things were developing in the hospital, I thought I was going to spend the rest of the night there; that’s why I sent that text to Braelyn. At least she wouldn’t be worried.

Raphael: I might not return tonight. Please try to sleep.

The sleep part was important. Braelyn was a worrywart; this might keep her up all night.

The night slowly went on, and Amelia eventually fell asleep. I was almost dozing off when my phone rang. I quietly left the room to answer the call so as not to wake her

"Dad," I answered softly once the call connected. He hummed, his voice a bit tired.

"I heard you took Amelia to the hospital." He mentioned. My brows furrowed but I answered anyway.

"She has a very bad fever...the doctors suspect it to be cold," I answered. My father sighed, where he was loud like it was raining.

Worried, I walked towards the window to peek through it. It was indeed raining, it looked like a thunderstorm and I was a bit concerned for Braelyn. She was scared of thunder.

"Do you plan on staying overnight there?". He asked, that was the plan, and besides, it was not safe driving in this weather.

"I think so. Is there a reason you are asking?" I enquired, knowing the kind of person my father was. Dad groaned muttering something about the rain before he answered

"Just wanted to let you know the lawyer will be here by morning. Don’t stay too long and take care." He said before the call disconnected I replied.

"Take care, Dad, and have a good night."

The phone was tucked into my pocket and I stood for a while staring at the storm. It looked like chaos out there. A soft cry rang from Amelia’s room. I went back in to check up on her

She was up. Her completion was a bit better now. "Do you need anything?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"I was just scared when I didn’t see you." She admitted. Her voice was raspy, and a cough interrupted her. Our hands linked, I pursed my lips into a thin line.

"Just try to sleep." I urged her. Her gaze lingered.

"You won’t disappear if I do." She said almost sounding a bit childish.

"You need to sleep or your condition will get worse." I urged her, evading her statement. She was delirious, her heavy eyes could not stay open for long.

She fell asleep almost immediately.

A few minutes later I was heading to my car. Braelyn wouldn’t be able to sleep with this storm. Although we fought she looked exhausted earlier.

*****

The downpour was heavy making the road a bit challenging to navigate luckily I was able to make it back without any issues

It was long past midnight. Out of habit, I headed for the kitchen to prepare a cup of hot chocolate. It always helped Braelyn’s nerves relax.

The mansion almost felt haunted. My footsteps echoed against the marble floor, blending with the raging storm. I took a trip to the kitchen to prepare the drink for her.

The lights in the hallway were dim, yet I noticed a soft glow coming from the kitchen. My brows furrowed wondering who was there this late

Maybe she couldn’t sleep again and came down to make the drink herself. Thunder always made her restless. I sighed quietly, adjusting my coat as I walked closer.

Barely away from the door I heard it. A sound that made me stop. My hand was on the door handle but it creaked open itself to let me watch.

It wasn’t the television. It wasn’t a cry or a startled gasp. It was... soft, breathless, almost fragile. A breathless moan that sounded like a song whose lyrics were Lucien’s name.

My pulse quickened. Something in me already knew, but I still moved closer. The door pushed wider but quietly and the moment my eyes met the scene before me, my breath caught.

Braelyn was completely breathless under his mercy. That jerk. My fist clenched, jaw so tight it felt like my teeth might shatter. Lucien never stopped until he had what he wanted and she was his object of obsession.

I warned her. She might be enjoying the thrill but his obsession would ruin her. She doesn’t know how.

The open marriage was solely to sire a child. Braelyn knew her condition. She should understand I would not do that in normal conditions.

When she claimed he was her lover, I knew her well enough to know it was a lie or a sick game but this wasn’t what I thought.

A thought crossed my mind, what if she and Lucien were truly a thing? That terrified me, I had imagined the worst case of her picking up interest in someone else.

She had over a billion men to choose from, but why did it have to be him?

For a second, everything froze. The air. My thoughts. Even the rain outside.

Her body trembled beneath his touch, her lips parted as his name slipped past them continuously. She was so dazed to be aware of her surroundings.

Lightning flashed through the glass, and in that moment of brightness, I caught Lucien’s eyes. Calm and collected that look that almost terrified me

He smirked, that said everything without words. He knew I was there. He wanted me to see this.

This didn’t feel like an accident but a deliberate action. A scene crafted just for me to view. How naive of her, I smiled despite my inner turmoil.

I couldn’t move for a while. I just stood there, numb, my hand tightening on the door handle until my knuckles turned white.

The way she reacted to his touch, like she hadn’t been touched before, left a mark it shouldn’t have.

The sound she made, the way she said his name, burned through me. Every part of me screamed to stop it, to drag him off her stop her from making this mistake, but I didn’t.

She made her decision, Braelyn was old enough to choose for herself the same way I did. I convinced myself but my hand still itches.

Lucien’s eyes didn’t leave mine. His expression was unreadable, but the message was clear enough: You lost her.

She begged for his touch, and I watched him bend down to lap her pussy. Listened to how she unravelled and moaned.

I stepped back quietly, retreated from the kitchen until I got to the bedroom’s... our bedroom.

I stood for the door just staring, my hand froze on the doorknob for God knows how long until my ears perked up at the sound of rushing steps.

Our eyes met. She was startled, her footsteps stopped a foot away from me. I could smell his scent, and she reeked of sex and arousal all over. Her gaze flickered and for a fleeting moment I saw it, guilt but it quickly disappeared

"You’re back." She said and beckoned me to step away from the door. I didn’t nod subtly.

"Her condition wasn’t that serious. I remembered you were scared of the rain." She went silent and reached out for the door.

"Of course you remember. Goodnight Raphael." She simply said, acting like nothing happened. Braelyn walked into the room, shutting the door in her face.