Chapter 184
Rafael’s lips quirked into a faint, wry smile, though his heart pounded with the weight of what might come. He turned his head slightly toward her, as if guided by sound alone. “See? The lady speaks sense. James, whatever it is, say it in front of Eliana. I’m done with secrets. They’ve nearly cost me everything in my life.” His voice cracked just a fraction on the last word, revealing the raw emotion beneath his cold exterior—the fear of losing her, the woman who’d cracked his armored heart.
James hesitated again, his eyes flicking to Eliana with a mix of sympathy and reluctance. He shifted his weight, the leather of his shoes creaking softly on the linoleum floor. “Alright, if you’re sure.” He pulled up a chair, its legs scraping against the floor like a reluctant confession, and sat down, leaning forward with elbows on his knees. His voice dropped lower, conspiratorial, as if the walls themselves might be listening. “I just got off the phone with one of our spies tailing Mirabel. You’re aware she’s been under surveillance since we suspected her involvement in your ’accident,’ Sir. And tonight… it all ties back to her p>
Eliana leaned in closer, her free hand resting protectively on her growing baby bump, hidden beneath her dress. Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay composed, her expressive eyes locked on James. “What do you mean? She tried to have me kidnapped because… why? I rejected her at the restaurant, but this? It’s insane p>
Rafael sat up straighter, his broad shoulders tensing under the gown, the monitors beeping a tad faster in response to his rising pulse. “Go on, James. Lay it all out. Why Eliana? Why here own daughter? Why now p>
James exhaled slowly, his fingers interlacing as he gathered his thoughts. The room felt smaller, the air thicker with unspoken dread. “It starts with the baby, Eliana. Mirabel’s attempt tonight wasn’t just revenge for you turning her away. It’s about the heir—the child you’re carrying.” He paused, letting the words sink in, his gaze steady on Rafael. “Mr Vexley, you’ve built an empire. Tech, real estate, pharmaceuticals—billions at stake. Your aware Mirabel’s been gunning for you for years, trying to take you out so she could maneuver the inheritance through your father, her husband. If you died without an heir, it all funnels back to the family—to her control p>
Eliana’s eyes widened, the shock rippling through her so visibly that even the faint color in her cheeks seemed to drain away. For a moment, she just stared at Rafael, her mind struggling to wrap itself around what James had revealed. When she finally spoke, her voice came out in a trembling whisper — thin, disbelieving, but burning with hurt.
“She’s been trying to kill you… for years… Not because she had a big grudge against you or your mother but Her throat tightened around the words. “It was all because of money p>
The question hung in the sterile air, heavy and raw. She shook her head slowly, as if hoping to undo it — to make the truth less monstrous. “Rafael, I know she’s cruel, vindictive even, but this—this is beyond anything I ever imagined.” Her voice cracked, anger beginning to seep through the disbelief. “To try and destroy you, to end you, just for something so shallow… it’s unforgivable p>
Her hand slipped from his and pressed against her forehead, her breath shuddering. “Why?” she whispered, more to herself now. “Why did I have to be born to a woman like that p>
She laughed softly then — a broken, humorless sound. “God, this feels like some kind of twisted nightmare.” Her gaze lifted to Rafael’s face again, eyes shimmering with a mix of sorrow and guilt. “And you—you’ve been living with that monster all these years p>
Rafael’s jaw tightened, his steel-grey eyes flashing with suppressed rage, though he kept up the blind pretense by staring vaguely ahead. He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles—a rare display of tenderness that made James avert his eyes momentarily. “I didn’t want to drag you into the darkness that’s my life, love. But yes, she’s poison. Always has been. Keep going, James. What changed p>
James nodded, his tone turning more urgent, the words tumbling out like a dam breaking. “After the car crash—the one that ’paralyzed’ you—she backed off. Why rush to kill a man she thought was impotent? Broken? She figured no woman would touch you, so, no heir possible. It was perfect for her; you’d wither away, childless, and the fortune would revert. She could bide her time, play the grieving stepmother when the time came p>
A bitter laugh escaped Rafael’s lips, sharp and humorless, cutting through the tension like a whip. “I’ve known her plans for me all these years. But impudent? Me? Oh, the irony. If only she knew.” His sarcasm dripped, but beneath it, Eliana could hear the hurt—the years of isolation, the loneliness that had forged his walls. She squeezed his hand tighter, her thumb tracing circles on his skin, a silent anchor.
James cracked a faint, wry smile, the first hint of levity in the heavy air. “Yeah, boss, if only. But then Eliana entered the picture.” He turned to her, his expression softening with genuine respect. “You didn’t just care for him; you saw through the facade, got close. And now, pregnant? That’s a game-changer. Mirabel’s throne is threatened. An heir means the wealth stays with you, Rafael—out of her grasp forever p>
Eliana’s breath caught, her free hand fluttering to her chest as if to steady her racing heart. “So at the restaurant… that whole act? Pretending to want to be my mother again, to be part of the baby’s life? It was all a ploy p>
“Exactly,” James confirmed, his voice dropping to a grave timbre that echoed in the quiet room. The distant hum of hospital activity filtered through the door—nurses’ footsteps, a muffled announcement—but in here, it was their world, suspended in drama. “She hoped you’d be naive enough to let her back in. Invite her as grandma, as family. That way, she’d worm her way close, access the fortune through you both. Manipulate from the inside. But when you rejected her—rightfully, after she abandoned you as a kid—she snapped. No more playing nice p>
Rafael’s face darkened, his chiseled features hardening into a mask of cold fury. “And her plan B? Kidnap Eliana, eliminate the threat—the baby, her. Clear the path again, then come for me p>
James leaned back, his chair creaking under the shift, his eyes intense. “Spot on. Our spy overheard her raging after the restaurant. ’That ungrateful brat,’ she called you, Eliana. Said you’d ruined everything by getting knocked up by a ’cripple.’ Her words, not mine. She ordered the hit tonight—quick, clean, make it look like a random mugging gone wrong. Vanish you and the baby, then pivot back to finishing Rafael. She’s ruthless; sees you both as obstacles to her power p>
The room fell into a stunned silence, the weight of the revelation pressing down like a storm cloud. Eliana’s hand flew to her mouth in shock, her fingers trembling as they muffled a gasp. Tears welled up in her expressive honey-brown eyes, spilling over in hot trails down her warm brown cheeks. The emotion crashed over her—betrayal from a mother she’d barely known, the horror of being targeted for something as shallow as money that she wasn’t even interested in. She turned to Rafael, her voice breaking in a sob. “My own mother… wants me dead? For money? How could she p>
Rafael pulled her closer, his arms—strong and capable in secret—wrapping around her as she buried her face in his chest, her body shaking with quiet cries. “Shh, love. We’ll end this. Together.” But even as he soothed her, his own heart ached with the pain of her tears, the growth of trust between them tested yet again in this web of deceit.