Lilith stiffens in his arms, her heart pulsating against the weight of his words.
The quiet atmosphere between them dominated, thick with unsaid things, tangled emotions neither of them dared to name.
She exhales slowly, the breath barely noticeable, but Rafael feels it—he feels the hesitance, the uncertainty of her feelings.
Seeing this, he pressed his fingers a little firmer but gently.
"You don't get to decide who I keep around," she finally says, her voice firm but steady.
Rafael chuckles softly, though there was no real humor in it, just something empty—something that makes the air in the room heavier.
His lips brush against her temple, a ghost of a touch. "You still haven't learned, have you?" he murmured.
Lilith clenched her jaw.
She refuses to entertain his games. She refuses to fall into the carefully laid traps of his words.
But he's always known how to test her, how to pull at the strings she thought she'd tied tightly enough to keep him out.
Before she can reply, the phone buzzes again—persistent, insistent. Rafael reaches for it first, his grip on her never loosening as he turns the screen to face her.
"She'll keep calling, you know," he says, his voice a shade colder now.
"You should answer. Let her hear for herself what kind of choices you've made."
Lilith doesn't move, and she doesn't reach for the device either. The weight of the past lingers in the space between them, demanding acknowledgment.
Rafael sighs, his forehead resting against her shoulder for a fleeting moment before he finally steps back, giving her room to breathe—though the air still feels heavy and suffocating.
"No need. I don't even know them," she uttered softly. Rafael shrugged and flipped the phone face down and grabbed her by the waist with no warning.
Lilith was startled by this sudden stunt. She didn't know where she should place her gaze.
Should she make eye contact? or look away?
"You…" Lilith whispered under her breath. She could feel his hot breath crash on her cheek, or was it her that felt hot?
"Are you flustered?" he sneered. His tone suggests his amusement at her reactions.
"What kind of question is that—" Lilith tried to push him away, yet he stood firm from where he was.
"We need to finish that conversation earlier," he says, reaching for her chin—forcibly making eye contact.
"I have nothing more to explain to you. It just happened…" Lilith wore a pained expression as the words left her lips.
"So did you, or did you not, get rid of our child? It's a simple yes or no question."
He furrowed his brows, indicating that his patience was running thin.
It seemed that Rafael turned a blind eye to her expression and just needed answers. His desperation made him unaware of the teary-eyed woman in front of him.
She was hurting, and so was he. The air between them was heavy, thick with unsaid confessions that weighed down their hearts.
Rafael inched a bit closer to Lilith and embraced her in his arms, burrowing his face on her shoulders."Please," his voice trembled.
Lilith closed her eyes, contemplating her next words. He should know he was right—she owed him an explanation at the very least.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice barely audible yet pained. "I didn't do it," her voice barely above a whisper.
The tears were now flowing uncontrollably.
This—this was what Rafael needed to confirm something. However, instead of relief, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.
"I...failed as a mother." Lilith wept quietly, her chest tightening when the words 'mother' and 'failed' combined together in a sentence left her lips.
Rafael embraced her even more, gently caressing her head as an effort to comfort her. "You didn't," he says, kissing her forehead.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Rafael shut his eyes, closely listening to her cries.
That time, Lilith was being hunted down by the opposing family of the Marchesis; what's more, they were also an enemy of Alaric. The clan was composed of a small number of people, but all with the same goal.
It wasn't hard for them to operate as discreetly and meticulously as possible, and this was their strength as a 'neutral' family.
The Viluf clan got wind of the Alaric and Marchesi's temporal 'alliance' through what they call marriage. However, they had no idea that the subjects themselves didn't know each other's true identities in the first place.
The opposition took the 'treaty' as a sign that the strongest families are merging to create an empire of unyielding power. Unbeknownst to the Vilufs, their enemies' relationship was falling through.
And misfortune followed one after another.
---
Rafael observed the face of his beloved lying next to him closely. Her face was all puffed up like a pufferfish from crying earlier.
Although he didn't know the full details of what happened to his supposed wife, he ought to pry even deeper.
He just couldn't wait until she told him herself, nor does he want her to be reminded of such horrid memories.
He felt rage deep in his heart, aching at every beat. A few years ago, if he had just focused on finding her instead of the Alaric's crisis, she wouldn't have suffered so much. Maybe, just maybe—he could've been truly a father by now.
"I'm sorry," his voice trembles. Carefully caressing her hair. His chest tightened at the thought of what Lilith could've gone through when he thought he had lost her.
'I'll kill them all for you; I could even burn the world if I have to.' Inching closer to Lilith, his consciousness slowly drifted to sleep.
'Had we just lived our lives not knowing until the end, would it still have the same outcome? Does being pretentious until the bitter end get us our happy ending? '
The thought crossed his mind.
His slowly drifted into darkness. That night, he had a dream. Or could it be a nightmare?