Chapter 3
"Dad, I'll handle this," Rayden said.
'Dad?' someone thought, shocked.
The whole room was stunned.
They thought Rayden was the orphan adopted by the Preston family. He grew up in a monastery as a ascetic and wasn't really related to the Prestons at all.
'Why would he call Braden 'Dad'?' people wondered.
Watching his back as he walked away, I suddenly realized that I'd picked a fight with the wrong person.
In the end, Rayden never became a priest.
Caroline made the call. "She's carrying our babies. Whether it's Rayden's or not, she's staying here for now. What if it is? And triplets, no less!"
So that very night, I was moved into the Preston family estate.
The driver dropped me off in front of a separate two-story building, saying this was Rayden's place.
With my belly sticking out, I pushed open the door. The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by ritual cushions, sacred statues, and scriptures, just like a monastery.
Right in the center of the living room hung a massive scroll with the word "Serenity" boldly written on it.
"What a drama," I muttered to myself, supporting my back as I made my way upstairs.
The moment I opened the bedroom door, I stopped dead in my tracks.
Rayden was sitting on a ritual cushion by the window, rosary beads in hand.
He'd ditched his cloak for a loose gray cotton-linen shirt and pants, the collar casually open, showing just a bit of his collarbone.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a silver glow over him.
Rayden looked up at me, his expression blank.
"This is my room," Rayden said flatly.
I rubbed my belly, a smirk tugging at my lips.
"Well, guess what? It's your kids' room too," I shot back.
Neither of us budged.
We locked eyes, an odd silence hanging in the air between us.
Then he finally spoke. "Three questions for you."
"Go ahead," I said.
"First, how did you track me down?"
I shrugged. "If you really want to find someone, it's easy enough."
"Second, why me?"
"Now that's an interesting one." I tilted my head at him. "You want the truth or a lie?"
He frowned.
"The lie? I fell for you at first sight, and you've been stuck in my mind ever since," I said.
Rayden frowned. "And the truth?" he asked.
I smirked and stepped right up to him. He was sitting, and I was standing. The height difference was perfect.
I bent down, leaning in close to his ear.
"The truth is..." I deliberately drew out my words. "Rayden, you really think you were drunk that night? That I was the one who made the first move?"
He stiffened, the change obvious.
"You're wrong," I said.
I straightened up, met his gaze, and spoke slowly, word by word. "That night, you were the first to recognize me."
His eyes widened, shock flickering in his gaze.
I said with a smile, "You took my hand and told me you'd been waiting for me for twenty years. Rayden, who is it you've really been waiting for?"
He shot to his feet, his expression turning stormy.
Under the moonlight, I saw real panic flicker in his eyes for the first time.
Right then, just outside the door, a shadowy figure had been standing there for what felt like forever.
The figure stayed put for a solid ten seconds.
Rayden's face was back to normal. He glanced at me, walked over, and yanked the door open.
There was nobody outside.
Only at the end of the hallway, a glimpse of a white skirt hem vanished around the corner in a flash.
I leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "Natalya really needs to break her habit of snooping around."
Rayden glanced back at me, his brows knitting together. "You knew it was her?"
"Who else would bother?" I yawned, rubbing my lower back as I walked back inside.
"Come on, she's been after you for eight years. Now that there's finally a woman in your room, you think she wouldn't want to take a peek?" I said.
Rayden didn't say a word, just watched as I swaggered over to his bed and plopped down on it.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Sleeping, obviously," I said, patting the soft mattress. "I've been pregnant for five months, you know. Do you have any idea what it's like to sleep on a hard bed with triplets?"
His mouth twitched. "This is my bed."
"Well, now it's mine too," I said, flopping down and pulling the blanket over my belly. "Come on, aren't holy men all about going with the flow? If fate brought us together, splitting the bed is only natural."
Rayden stood there, gripping the doorknob so hard that his knuckles turned white.
I squinted at him. "You're not seriously thinking of making me sleep on the floor, are you? I'm pregnant, with triplets, remember?"
He took a deep breath, let go of the doorknob, and walked over to the ritual cushion by the window.
"I'll be meditating," he said.
"Suit yourself," I replied.
I rolled over, turning my back to him, a smirk tugging at my lips.
Acting all high and mighty now? But he wasn't like that at all that night.
In the middle of the night, hunger woke me up.