Chapter 164
The atmosphere in the VIP room felt heavy — a mix of sterilized chill and the kind of regret that clings to silence. The soft, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor filled the gaps between their words, steady yet cruel, reminding them both how fragile everything had become.
Eliana stood by the tall window, framed against the London skyline. Beyond her, the city glittered — the Thames carving through the streets like a ribbon of liquid silver, the lights winking like faraway promises she no longer believed in. Her silhouette glowed faintly in the pale afternoon light, the curve of her belly gentle beneath her folded arms. Her honey eyes, once bright and trusting, now held the weight of too many heartbreaks and sleepless nights. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she didn’t bother to wipe it away.
When she finally turned, her voice came soft — almost too soft — yet sharp enough to cut through the steady hum of machines. “I don’t think I can trust you again with my heart, Rafael p>
Her words trembled in the air before settling between them like a verdict. She crossed her arms protectively, fingers brushing against the small curve of her bump. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, shaking her head slowly. “You broke something in me. So many nights I lay awake wondering if I was ever enough for you — if you even cared. But I can’t turn my back on you, not like this. You’re hurt. You need someone, and I’m going to be here for you. Also, I won’t keep you from our child.” She paused, her voice barely holding together. “That’s all I can give you now. It’s all I have left p>
Rafael’s jaw tightened. Every word she spoke tore through him like glass. He looked at her — really looked at her — the woman who had once laughed so freely in his arms, now standing an ocean away despite being only a few feet from his bed. His chest ached under the weight of everything he’d done wrong.
He wanted to tell her again that he’d changed, that he wasn’t that man anymore. But the truth was murkier than that — tangled up in his guilt, his desperation, his need to fix what he’d destroyed. Somewhere deep inside, the plan flickered again — the carefully crafted lie he’d built to draw her back into his orbit. It was wrong. He knew it. But he couldn’t lose her. Not again.
He took a slow breath, forcing calm into his voice even as it threatened to break. “I understand, Eliana,” he said quietly. “I won’t ask for more than you can give. I’ve already taken too much.” His gaze softened, the steel-grey of his eyes clouded with emotion. “I love you. I always will. If this is all you can offer right now, then I’ll take it — gratefully. For now p>
She nodded slowly, her lips curving into a tentative, hopeful smile—the one she used to mask her wounds. “Thank you for understanding. It’s… it’s a start, I suppose p>
The next two hours unfolded like a fragile waltz — tentative steps toward forgiveness, always one heartbeat away from breaking the rhythm. The sterile quiet of the VIP suite softened under the murmur of their voices, the city beyond the window fading into a watercolor blur.
Eliana stayed. Of course she did. Her heart wouldn’t let her walk away, not when he looked so worn down and lost. She busied herself with small gestures — the only language that didn’t demand trust. “Here,” she murmured, leaning closer, her perfume faintly floral in the antiseptic air. “Let me fix your pillows.” Her fingers brushed the crisp Egyptian cotton as she fluffed them behind his head, her touch gentle but purposeful. “You look uncomfortable. Have you even been eating properly? You seem so… thin p>
Rafael let out a quiet, raspy chuckle — more a breath than laughter. “Eating?” he echoed, voice laced with wry amusement. “Hospital food tastes like cardboard seasoned with regret. But—” he gave a half-smile, his gaze lingering on her — “with you here, I might actually keep something down p>
Eliana’s lips twitched, her tone soft but teasing. “Still dramatic, I see. Some things never change p>
For the first time since she set foot into the room, the air between them lightened. She picked up the tray James had left earlier — a sad attempt at nourishment: steamed vegetables, pale chicken breast, and a cup of lukewarm broth. She wrinkled her nose. “You weren’t kidding. This looks tragic p>
“Tragic,” Rafael agreed, smirking faintly. “Just like my current state p>
She shook her head, biting back a laugh as she dipped the spoon into the broth. “Alright, stop talking before you starve to death on my watch.” She lifted the spoon to his lips. “Open up. You need your strength, especially now p>
He obeyed, sipping slowly, his steel eyes following her every movement — clouded, yes, but not blind. There was something almost reverent in the way he looked at her, as if memorizing her anew.
“You’re too good to me,” he murmured after a moment, his voice dropping low. “After everything I’ve done… why p>
Eliana hesitated. The question hung between them, fragile as glass. She set the spoon down, her hand brushing his jaw as she wiped a small drop of broth from his chin with a napkin. Her touch lingered for just a heartbeat too long before she pulled away.
“Because,” she said quietly, her voice warm but tired, “hate isn’t in my nature. And this baby — her hand instinctively drifted to her belly — “deserves to know their father. All of him. Flaws and all p>
Rafael swallowed hard, his throat tight. For once, he didn’t have a clever response. Only silence — thick with the unspoken weight of everything he’d lost, and the fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t lost it all.
As the conversation flowed, Rafael suggested a stroll—or rather, a wheel. “Eliana, could you please take me out of this room? I can literally feel the walls closing in on me. Even if I can’t see the view, feeling the air might help p>
Eliana hesitated, glancing at the wheelchair in the corner, its chrome frame gleaming under the lights. “Are you sure? With your sight fading… it might be risky p>
“That’s why the chair’s an advantage,” he said with a wry grin. “Come on, indulge a broken man p>
To be continued p>