EPISODE 23%
Valor blinked, stunned, his face still turned slightly from the slap.%
His hand hovered over his cheek as he looked at me, confused and almost pitiful. I sneered and turned my head away, refusing to meet his wide, dumbfounded eyes. I didn’t care if he was hurt or shocked. I wasn’t in the mood to comfort anyone, not after remembering everything.
Instead, I stretched out my arms. “Give him to me,” I said, my voice softer as I looked toward the baby.%
Someone handed him over gently, and the moment he settled into my arms, something in my chest cracked open. The baby stirred at the movement, his tiny fingers curling, and then, as if he sensed me he tried to nestle into my warmth.
A chuckle escaped me, almost involuntarily.”
I held him tighter, the bond snapping into place like a thread finally tied. This… this was what I should’ve felt the moment he was born. Not fear, not pain, not emptiness, but this warmth, this peace. He was mine. Fully mine.%
Valor was still standing awkwardly at the edge of the bed, rubbing the side of his face as if the sting of my hand hadn’t worn off.
He leaned forward a little, hesitant, and finally asked, “Why… did you slap me?“%
I looked up at him slowly and gave him a tight smile. “I don’t know. Maybe because I just remembered something.“%
His entire posture stiffened, “You… remembered?“%
“Yes.” I turned my eyes to the baby in my arms, brushing a finger against his soft cheek. “I remember everything.“2
Silence fell between us. I could hear the soft rustle of fabric, footsteps outside the door, even the faint cry of a baby somewhere farther down the hall, but in this moment, the only thing that mattered was the man in front of me and the truth hanging in the air.
Valor wasn’t afraid of me remembering. I could tell by the way he met my gaze. But there was something else in his eyes…., fear. A deeper fear. The fear of losing me./
He took a deep breath. “What are you going to do now?”
I looked at him, then at the baby, and smiled to myself before blurting, “Have you ever noticed that this little guy looks like you?“Z
He blinked. “Huh?”
“I’m serious,” I said, shifting the baby slightly so he could see the boy’s delicate features more clearly. “Doesn’t he look like you?“%
Valor frowned and stepped closer. He tilted his head and studied the baby./
“I thought so too,” he admitted. “I mean, maybe a little? I figured it’s because…, well, I’ve been taking care of you all this time, feeding you, making sure you’re okay. Maybe it’s the bond from pregnancy? Like… it rubbed off?“%
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so stupid.”
“Hey!” Valor looked wounded. “I’m not!”
“You are,” I said with a smirk. “That kind of resemblance doesn’t just ‘rub off.‘ A baby only ends up looking like someone if they’re the parent.“”
He paused. For a second, he looked like he was trying to do math in his head. “But… I thought… he should’ve looked more like Ronan.“%
I gave him a look. A long, knowing look.
Something shifted in his expression. His shoulders straightened, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness. “What are you trying to say, Bella?”
Before I could answer, the door creaked open. Ronan stepped in. I didn’t look at him kindly. Not even a little. One glance, and his entire body froze. He knew. I saw it hit him instantly. He could tell I had remembered.”
He approached slowly. “Bella… you remember me, don’t you?”
I nodded. “I do. I remember everything. How we met, how we trained together, how we bonded. Every single moment.””
His eyes lit up. “Then that’s good. We can finally go home.”
“No.“%
He stopped walking.”
“What?” His voice cracked slightly.
‘I said no, I repeated, firmer this time. “I’m not going back with you.”
Ronan’s brow furrowed. “Why not? You’ve recovered your memories, haven’t you? You’re my mate, Bella.“}
I shook my head, “Recovering my memories doesn’t mean I promised to return to you. I said I’d decide after I remembered everything. And now that I do… My decision is to stay away from you.”
He looked like I had stabbed him in the chest. “Why? Don’t you love me?”
“I did,” I answered quietly. “I loved you more than anything. But that was before you betrayed me. Before you choose someone else.”
His jaw clenched. “That wasn’t what you think~*
“I don’t care anymore,” I cut him off. “You made your choice. You didn’t protect me when I needed you. And now, I don’t want to be with you.“%
Ronan’s voice was desperate now. “But what about our bond?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “That bond? It broke the moment you marked Mara. Maybe you didn’t feel it, but I did. I snapped it myself.
“No, he whispered “That’s not possible. I would’ve felt it
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Ronan’s voice was desperate now. “But what about our bond?“>
I let out a bitter laugh. “That bond? It broke the moment you marked Mara. Maybe you didn’t feel it, but I did. I snapped it myself.”
“No,” he whispered. “That’s not possible. I would’ve felt it…“>
I leaned back slightly, the baby still warm in my arms. “You didn’t feel it because deep down, you wanted a new bond. You wished for someone else. That made it easy for me to break ours.”
His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor, eyes glistening.
“Please,” he begged. “I’ll make it right. I’ll break the bond with Mara. I’ll leave her. I’ll love only you. Just come back with me.”
I sneered. “Why not stay with her? You already have a child together, right?“}
Ronan shook his head violently. “No. That child…, it’s not mine. Mara, she slept with someone else. She lied to me. That baby girl isn’t mine.“)
I stared at him, unmoved. “So, what? You think that makes things better?“}
“We have a child together, Bella,” he said quickly. “You and me. A son. Doesn’t that mean something?“}
I narrowed my eyes. Then I said, with a calm smile, “Unfortunately for you…, this child isn’t yours either.“}
Ronan froze. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. His face drained of all color.
“What… what do you say?” he whispered.}
I turned my eyes to Valor, who had gone completely still.
“I said,” I repeated slowly, “the father of my child is not you but Valor.“}]
7:05 PM ·
ゆく
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