Chapter 10: Don’t think mates exist
Amelie's gaze flickered around the room, scanning her surroundings as she hesitated. Gabriel gestured toward the sofa chair. "Take a seat," he said. "It'll be easier to talk that way."
She moved slowly, as if weighed down by invisible chains, before lowering herself onto the chair.
Finally, she took a shaky breath and gripped the fabric of her trousers tightly. "I'm pregnant," she revealed to him. "I'm sorry for hiding it from you."
She felt his intense stare on her, but she didn't flinch. She needed to say this—to lay the truth bare. "Last night, I was desperate. I needed shelter, and the only option I saw was you. That's why I asked you to sleep with me, thinking it would buy me time—keep me safe from the wolves hunting me." Her fingers tightened their hold, knuckles turning white. "I know I deceived you, but I did it for the life growing inside me. I mean... I thought if I told you the truth, you might kick me out of the hotel. However, I couldn't keep you in the dark anymore. You deserved to know the truth."
Gabriel remained silent, and Amelie felt her heart drumming against her chest. Was he furious? Would he punish her?
"I know what you're thinking," she continued. "You probably believe I'm using my unborn child as an excuse to save myself. But I swear that's not true. If it weren't for this baby, I would have accepted death. I just... I just wanted to protect my child and you refused to help me. That's why I said 'sleep with me'."
Now, the silence felt unbearable to her. She was prepared for his anger at her.
But then, Gabriel finally spoke, "I knew you were pregnant."
Amelie froze at her spot as her eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Her fingers, which had been gripping the fabric of her trousers moments ago, now lay motionless in her lap. She simply stared at him, her mind struggling to process his words.