Chapter 190: Something is Off
Rebecca’s POV
The moment Kaden saw my face, the calm, relaxed look on his features vanished. The door clicked shut behind him as he crossed the room in three long strides, his green eyes flashing with a sudden, worried panic.
"Rebecca?" he breathed, his voice thick with concern.
Before I could pull away or brace myself, he was on the edge of the mattress, pulling my shaking body straight into his lap. His large, warm arms wrapped securely around my waist, lifting me against his broad chest as if I weighed nothing at all.
"What happened? What’s wrong, baby?" he murmured frantically, his lips pressing warm, desperate kisses against my wet cheek, my forehead, my temple. His hands cupped the back of my head, holding me close. "Are you in pain? Did Kane say something to you? Tell me who hurt you so I can kill them."
The sickening irony of his words sliced straight through my heart. You, I wanted to scream into his face. You are the one killing me.
Every place his skin touched mine made my stomach turn with a fierce, burning nausea. My whole body went rigid in his hold, every muscle screaming at me to push him away, to claw at his eyes, to tear off the soft mask he was wearing. But Kane’s warning echoed sharply in my mind: Don’t let him suspect anything. If he knows, he will lock you away forever.
I forced my hands to stay flat against his chest instead of shoving him away. I let my head drop onto his shoulder, burying my face in the crook of his neck, pretending to hide my tears in his warmth while my teeth ground tightly together.
"Rebecca, talk to me," he growled softly, his thumb gently wiping away a tear on my cheek. "You’re scaring me."
"I’m just... tired, Kaden," I sobbed out, forcing my voice to sound small, broken, and helpless—the exact fragile girl he expected me to be. "I’m so exhausted."
His grip tightened around me, his chest expanding with a heavy breath. "Tired of what? The travel? The summit?"
"Tired of this," I whispered, pulling back just enough to look into his intense green eyes, letting the real bitterness spill through my tears. "I am tired of this life. I am tired of being a slave, Kaden. I’m tired of wearing this silver collar. I’m tired of the looks, the whispers, the way everyone looks at me like I’m a monster who deserves to be locked in a cage."
A flicker of dark emotion passed through Kaden’s eyes, his jaw flexing tight. For a second, a shadow of guilt seemed to cross his handsome face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by that overwhelming, terrifying possessiveness.
"You are not a monster," he growled softly, his hand moving up to cup my jaw, his thumb brushing over my trembling bottom lip. "And you are mine. No one on this earth will ever look at you with disrespect again. I will make sure of it."
Then take off the collar, I thought bitterly, staring into the eyes of the man who held the key to my freedom in his dungeon, yet chose to keep me chained. If you truly cared, you would tell the world the truth.
"I just want it to end," I choked out, leaning my forehead against his chest, letting my body fake a posture of complete surrender. "I can’t keep doing this..."
Kaden didn’t say a word. Instead, he shifted his weight, pulling the thick blanket up and wrapping it over both of us as he swung his long legs onto the bed. He lay back against the pillows, pulling me flush against his side, his heavy arm wrapping tightly around my waist, pinning me to him.
He wasn’t going back to his own room tonight. I could already tell.
"Go to sleep, Rebecca," he whispered into my hair, his lips lingering softly against my crown as his hand slowly stroked my back in long, soothing motions. "I’ve got you. I’m not letting anything touch you."
I closed my eyes, keeping my breathing slow and steady, pretending to drift off in his arms. But beneath the blanket, my hands curled into tight, hidden fists against his shirt.
I didn’t know how I managed to sleep, but eventually, exhaustion and his intoxicating smell pulled me under.
When my eyes finally fluttered open, morning light was pouring through the grand window, painting long, golden streaks across the bedroom floor. Kaden was no longer holding me. The side of the bed where he had slept was empty, the sheets cold.
I sat up slowly, my head throbbing with a dull, heavy ache from all the crying last night.
"Good morning, Rebecca," a soft voice spoke from near the closet.
I turned my head to see Stephanie standing near a trolley loaded with fresh towels and clothes. She gave me a gentle, reassuring smile as she set a glass of water on the nightstand.
"Good morning—" I started, but as soon as I opened my mouth to reply, a sudden, violent wave of nausea slammed into my stomach.
My breath caught in my throat. My vision swam as my stomach heaved violently. Without thinking, I threw the heavy blanket aside, scrambled off the bed, and sprinted straight into the adjoining bathroom.
I fell to my knees in front of the toilet, clutching the cold porcelain bowl as I gagged and threw up everything left in my stomach. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead, and my chest heaved as I gasped for air, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
"Goddess! Rebecca, are you okay?" Stephanie gasped, rushing into the bathroom right behind me. She quickly gathered my hair in one hand, pulling it back from my face while rubbing my back in soothing circles with the other.
I leaned against the wall, my throat burning, completely weak and breathless. "I... I don’t know," I rasped out, my hand resting over my trembling stomach. "I just... suddenly felt so sick."
Stephanie grabbed a damp hand towel and gently wiped my mouth and cheeks. But as she looked down at me, her face completely changed. The worried expression faded, replaced by a strange, heavy silence. She stared at me, her eyes dropping down to my flat stomach before flickering back up to my pale, sweating face.
The quiet stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable.
I swallowed hard, my brows pulling together as I looked up at her from the floor. "What?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Why are you looking at me like that?"