THREE MONTHS LATER


    Arabe gasped, rolling on therge bed, hands sped over her stomach and her eyes wide with tears.


    Staggering out of bed, panting, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    It wasn’t a nightmare that woke her; those had somewhat stopped since she epted ze wouldn’t return.


    Plus, she was grateful they had stopped, as it wasn’t fun waking up each day seeing ze’s helpless, lifeless form while she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.


    Now, she had been rudely awaken by her children. They seemed to think it was a good idea to kick her.


    This wasn’t the first kick, though, but it was the most intense. Rubbing her hands over her protruding stomach, only five months gone, she felt the pressure as they continued to kick.


    “Are you alright?” Sandro’s voice came from the door. He stood there in in pajama bottoms.


    His hair was tousled as though he had brushed his hands into it several times to give it that messy look, and his eyes were tired, trying to stay awake. He stepped closer, a few feet away from Arabe.


    A rule had been established between them, and he was the one who had made it, as he didn’t want to make her feel as ufortable as she was.


    “Arabe,” he said again, noticing herck of response. “I heard you gasp.”


    “It’s fine,” she shook her head, forgetting he was just in the next room and he could catch every sound due to his super hearing.


    “Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like a gasp from someone who’s fine,” he murmured, closing the distance between them.


    He gripped her hand that had been on her stomach, staring into her eyes. She noticed the seriousness in his expression.


    “I know I can’t be like him. You should tell me if something is wrong, and I’ll do my best to help you,” he said.


    It was no longer a surprise that Sandro was trying to do right by her. She understood it was for the children, as he didn’t want his legacy to be born a bastard. Despite the idea that they were destined for each other, Arabe didn’t share the sentiment.


    Sandro didn’t love her, and she didn’t expect him to. She didn’t want to stay with a man out of obligation. However, given her current situation, she had little choice in all that was happening.


    “It’s fine if you don’t want to say. I was just worried, thinking something might have happened to the babies,” he said.


    “It’s because of them,” Arabe muttered.


    Sandro frowned, his eyes shifting from her face to her stomach and back to her face. “What happened?”


    Arabe shook her head, then gripped his hands, cing them on her stomach.


    She noticed a brief confusion on his face before it turned to awe as the babies responded to his touch.


    “They decided to kick me out of my sleep,” she smiled briefly.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    “They do that a lot, but today is the most intense,” Arabe added.


    “That’s amazing,” Sandro whispered, experiencing a strange sensation he had never felt before. Warmth spread through him, making him acutely aware of what was happening. Feeling his children kick for the first time thrilled him.


    And he believed it was a moment he would love to relive over again.


    “Arabe, this is…”


    “I know, amazing,” Arabe finished, but Sandro shook his head. It was more than amazing.


    He pulled Arabe close, one hand sliding down her back, the other resting at the back of her neck. His lips covered hers before he could stop himself. It was a gentle kiss, something he rarely did, and Arabe didn’t push him away. Instead, she tangled her hands in his hair, deepening the kiss.


    He nibbled and sucked on her lower lip. Arabe gasped, opening her mouth, encouraging him to slip his tongue inside. Their tongues collided, fighting for dominance, and Sandro let Arabe take the lead.


    After a few seconds, he broke the kiss, and she panted, touching her lips.


    She winced, her face turning red. Kissing him back wasn’t her intention, and she didn’t know what hade over her. Turning her back to him, she mumbled, “That shouldn’t have happened.”


    “I agree,” Sandro replied, adding, “However, I’m not sorry it did. You don’t expect me to stay in the same room as you and keep my hands to myself.”


    “What does that even mean?” Arabe rolled her eyes, turning back to him. “I thought we were supposed to keep our distance. Even if we’re meant to get together because of ancestral curses, you agreed to stay away, keeping six feet between us. But you crossed the line. You broke the rule first.”


    “I broke it because it was necessary. You were obviously in pain, and I needed to know you weren’t doing anything careless. As for the kiss, I did it because I wanted to,” he repeated, unapologetic.


    Arabe walked a few steps away from Sandro, who took two steps towards her.


    “Please, Sandro, abide by the rules youid down. I’m not ready to jump into bed with you,” she said.


    “I’m not asking you to do so,” Sandro pointed out, returning to his cocky self. “But I know you eventually will. No one can resist me for that long.”


    “Whatever, Sandro. I just want us to stick to the rules,” she said.


    “Have it your way. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to,” he replied, turning on his heel.


    Pausing by the door and swirling around, he said, “If you need me, I’m a room away. You can scream my name, not like I will object to it,” he smirked, winking.


    When he left, Arabe breathed out, stepping towards the mirror and peering at herself. Her lips were swollen. It was only a light kiss, yet she never wanted it to stop. She was d Sandro had broken it off because she didn’t know what she might have done next.