“Don’t lose yourself in it, brother,” he said, those blue eyes pinned on me. “You might get carried away and let your guard down.”
“I won’t. I’m the one in control.”
He paused, watching me in silence. “No argument there. Just don’t underestimate her. She’s a stranger you know nothing about, and that makes her dangerous.” He let the words sink in for a moment. “Keep an eye on her. She might be up to something.”
Roman was older, wiser, and more experienced. If he thought it was necessary to look into her, then perhaps now was the time to do so. I’d played this game with her long enough anyway.
That night, I headed straight to her room and walked in without knocking. Her bed was empty, everything else was intact, and the scent of her perfume lingered in the air. But I couldn’t see her anywhere.
My eyes squinted, suspicion creeping into my gaze as I stepped further into the room. I scanned the cozy interior, wondering where she was when the sound of the toilet flushing caught my attention.
She stepped out holding something in her hand, and the second she spotted me, she flinched. “Oh, my God!” An abrupt gasp escaped her lips, her hands flying to her chest. “You scared me.”
My eyes flicked to the device in her hand, my expression dark and blank.
Quickly, she hid it behind her back and avoided my gaze.
“What’s that?” I asked, my voice stern, laced with suspicion.
“Nothing.”
The guilt on her face betrayed her composure, coupled with the fact that she couldn’t dare look at me. Her body was tense, and her hands trembled subtly.
With slow, measured steps, I approached her. “I’ll ask you again; what’re you hiding?”
Her chest was heaving, her breath caught in her throat. When she raised her head, I saw fear in her eyes—the kind she’d never shown before.
The door opened behind me, and the maid Katerina walked in. Even without looking back, I heard the sound of her gasp when she realized I was in the room. I could smell her terror.
I sensed her trying to sneak back out and called, “Stay right there, Katerina.” The authority in my voice was enough to make someone as fragile as her pee her pants. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Dikayablinked a few times, her eyes flicking in the maid’s direction.
“You’re gonna tell me what you’re up to, what you’re hiding from me. Or else, I will punish your new best friend in ways you can’t even imagine.” The threat was clear, and she knew I wasn’t bluffing.
She looked at Katerina, then turned her tearful eyes back to my face. She hesitated for a moment, scratching the back of her head as if she was pondering her next move.
I stretched out my hand, a silent command for her to give up whatever was behind her back. Reluctantly, she reached out and placed the device in my palm. I looked down at it and froze at the double lines on the strip she’d handed to me.
My gaze flicked back to her face. This time, she looked right into my eyes like she was searching for something. “You’re pregnant,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She locked her jaw. Her expression darkened as though this was a bad thing, and she hated it.
I glanced back at Katerina, who immediately lowered her head to avoid my eyes. “Leave us.”
She didn’t hesitate even a second before rushing out and shutting the door behind her.
Dikayawas carrying my baby in her womb, my legacy; that explained why she’d been keeping her distance. She was afraid, which was normal for most pregnant girls her age.
I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
She lifted her head to hold my gaze as she blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes.
“You’re never leaving me,” I declared, my voice deep and threatening. “So if you have any plans to escape this mansion soon, I suggest you abandon them. Because from now on, I’ll be watching you like a hawk.”
Her eyes widened in terror, and although she didn’t say a word, I could almost hear her cursing at me in her mind. That hatred she had in her eyes the first time I brought her here had returned. And this time, it was burning like a wildfire.
She could despise me all she wanted, but this baby was a game-changer. I would do anything to protect my legacy, my unborn child—even if it meant locking her up.
