Chapter 234
The pretty rays of morning sunlight slipped past the heavy velvet curtains of Rafael Vexley’s master bedroom, washing the room in a muted, golden haze. The silk sheets were a mess—evidence of a night that had offered everything except rest. Rafael lay across the king-sized bed, his tall, athletic body stretched out like a man who had finally surrendered to exhaustion rather than sleep. His dark, wavy hair was tousled, sticking up in chaotic angles that didn’t match the ruthless precision he wore in daylight.
At twenty-nine, Rafael Vexley was the kind of man whose presence could still a boardroom: a billionaire who built empires out of nothing but ambition and the steel eyes that never missed a thing. Those same eyes were shut now, their sharpness buried beneath shadows of fatigue.
The late-night call from H still rang in his ears—every word, every thinly veiled threat replaying like a looping whisper in the back of his mind. He had faced competitors, criminals, and the kind of enemies who didn’t bother hiding in the dark, but this… this fear was new. Unwelcome. And worst of all, unfamiliar. Rafael Vexley did not get scared—yet something about H clawed at him in a way he couldn’t explain.
He would never hurt Eliana again. He knew that. He had sworn that. And yet H’s warning had dug beneath his skin, igniting a tension he couldn’t shake.
As he lay there, Rafael’s thoughts drifted back to her—the woman who had somehow slipped past his defenses without ever trying. Eliana, with her quiet fire and steady presence, had become the one person he couldn’t dismiss, couldn’t distance himself from, no matter how hard he tried. Protecting her should have felt simple. Natural.
Instead, the question pressed against his chest like a weight:
Am I even capable of keeping her safe?
And to be completely honest, Rafael didn’t know the answer to that question but he was going to do all he could anyways.
The shrill ring of his phone shattered the quiet, jolting him from the edges of sleep. He groaned, reaching blindly for the device on the nightstand, his chiseled jaw tightening in annoyance. The caller ID flashed “Eliana,” and a flicker of warmth softened his cold, calculating features. Why was she calling? She was just next door, in the guest suite he’d insisted she take after their whirlwind marriage. Perhaps she needed something simple—a cup of tea, or maybe she was feeling the weight of her pregnancy more acutely today. Hearing her voice, though, was always a quiet joy, a rare crack in his armored heart.
He swiped to answer, his voice husky with sleep. “Eliana? What’s wrong? You’re right next door—why not just knock? Or do you want me to come over?
But the response wasn’t the soft, hopeful lilt he expected. Instead, her voice cracked through the line, laced with sobs that hit him like a punch to the gut. “Rafael? Please… help me. I’m at the university, and there are people… reporters, students… they’re everywhere. I can’t get out p>
Rafael’s steel eyes snapped open, no longer clouded by by drowsiness from sleep. His heart plummeted, a cold dread pooling in his chest. University? How had she left the house without him knowing? He bolted upright, the sheets tangling around his legs as he swung them over the edge of the bed. “Eliana, what the hell? Stay calm—tell me exactly where you are. I’m coming right now p>
Her breaths came in ragged gasps, the background noise a chaotic symphony of shouts and camera clicks. “The women’s bathroom… near the nursing building. Please hurry, Rafael. The cornered me and started saying awful things… about us, about the baby p>
The line crackled with her fear, and Rafael felt it mirror in his own veins—raw, unfiltered panic. He hadn’t felt this vulnerable since the car crash that had” paralyzed” him, a ruse to unmask the greed festering in his family. But this was Eliana, his wife, carrying his child. The woman who’d pierced his sarcasm and suspicion with her kind-hearted resilience. He couldn’t fail her now.
“Stay put. Lock the door if you can. I’m on my way.” He ended the call, his hands trembling as he yanked on a simple white shirt and jeans—the first things his fingers grasped from the closet. No time for his crisp designer suits, no facade of the impeccable billionaire. His dark hair fell unkempt over his forehead, and his bare feet slapped against the marble floor as he burst from his room like a man possessed.
Fear spilled from him like sweat, his broad shoulders heaving with each breath. He sprinted down the hallway, his powerful legs carrying him with urgent grace. He flung open the door to Eliana’s room, the scent of her floral perfume lingering in the air like a ghost. The bed was neatly made. She had slipped out early, perhaps to attend a class, chasing her dreams of becoming a nurse despite the whirlwind of their marriage. “Damn it, Eliana,” he muttered, his voice a low growl of worry and frustration. How had his security missed this?
“James!” Rafael bellowed, his commanding tone echoing through the sprawling mansion. “Get out here—now p>
James, always prepared for any emergencies, emerged from his room down the hall, already impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his dark hair combed neatly. At 27, James was the steady anchor in Rafael’s stormy life, privy to every secret in Rafael’s life. But the sight of Rafael panicking, pacing like a caged lion, widened James’s eyes in surprise. “Rafael? What’s happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost p>
Rafael gripped James’s arm, his piercing eyes blazing with urgency. “Eliana just called—she’s at the university, surrounded by reporters and students. She’s terrified, James. Pregnant and alone in that mob. We need to go—now p>
James’s face hardened, shifting instantly into action mode. He nodded sharply, pulling out his phone as they hurried toward the garage. “Understood. I’ll alert the team.” His fingers flew over the screen, dialing the bodyguards’ secure line. “Oliver, Will, Liam, Kai, Viktor, Jax—emergency protocol. Eliana’s in trouble at the university. Get the cars ready immediately. Full escort p>
The men responded like a well-oiled machine, their voices crackling over the speaker. Oliver, thin and hawk-eyed, melted into readiness from his post in the shadows. “On it, boss. Routing the quickest path p>
Will, the muscle with a tinker’s mind, grabbed his toolkit hidden in his sleeves. “Arming up discreetly. We’ll clear any path needed p>
Liam, the reader of intentions, scanned the mansion’s perimeter feeds. “Reading the situation—crowds can turn ugly fast p>
Kai, shadow-like and dangerous, slipped into position silently. “Close quarters if needed. I’m ready p>
Viktor, the unflappable driver, revved an engine in the garage. “Wheels hot in thirty seconds p>
And Jax, the orchestrator, synced them all. “Formation alpha. No delays p>
Rafael didn’t wait for confirmations. He dashed to the garage, sliding into the passenger seat of his black SUV, his body thrumming with adrenaline. James followed, wheeling Rafael’s custom wheelchair—a prop for his charade—despite the urgency. “We can’t risk exposure, Rafael,” James said firmly, folding it into the trunk. “If you have to step out p>
Rafael waved him off, his jaw clenched. “Just drive, James. Get me to her p>
To be continued p>