James Grant’s eyes flickered, as if contemplating Evelyn Clayton’s words.
Evelyn’s expression was calm, but her heart was in turmoil, fearing that James would sense something amiss. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NovєlFіre.net
After a long silence, James’ slender, slightly cool fingertips gently brushed across Evelyn’s lips. In the end, he said nothing and pressed Evelyn onto the bed.
He seemed to intend to sleep for the night. Evelyn was tightly held in James’ arms, unable to move, yet her consciousness became increasingly clear.
She stared wide-eyed at the ceiling — in fact, she could barely see anything.
But the sound of her heartbeat grew increasingly distinct.
The man beside her seemed to hear her heart beating, shifted slightly, and the pressure of his embrace intensified, making it even harder for Evelyn to escape.
His hot breath sprayed onto the side of Evelyn’s neck. She endured the shivers, closing her eyes deeply.
That night, she was half-awake, half-asleep, dreaming of being pregnant for ten months and giving birth to an adorable daughter.
The little girl looked much like James, her temperament seemingly inheriting his as well—quiet and easy-going, causing no trouble and very considerate.
Evelyn held her daughter, singing lullabies softly to coax her to sleep.
It was a song from childhood memories, sung to her by Charlotte Sterling.
Those were among the rare tender moments between the mother and daughter.
The gentle and melodious lullaby spanned through time and sounded in Evelyn’s ears, she could hardly tell if the song was sung from her own mouth or emanating from a distant, damp childhood past.
Suddenly, a pair of hands reached over.
The face of the person reaching could not be seen, and Evelyn looked up in confusion, only to see those hands reaching straight for the baby in her arms.
Fear and anxiety instantly overwhelmed Evelyn’s heart. She watched helplessly as the child was taken from her embrace, desperately wanting to scream, but her throat felt obstructed, unable to make any sound.
Evelyn watched the figure walking away further and further in agony.
Finally, daylight broke.
Upon awakening, Evelyn was still in James’ strong embrace.
Sunlight streamed through the window, dazzlingly bright; the man’s breathing was deep and lethargic, clearly still lost in slumber.
However, it wasn’t long before James was awakened by Evelyn’s slightly hurried breathing.
He moved his arm, realized something, and furrowed his brow slightly, "What’s wrong?"
Evelyn gradually steadied her breathing, thin sweat slowly trickling down her forehead, along her cheek, and dropping onto the sheets.
"Evelyn, what’s wrong with you?" James fully awakened, lifting his body slightly, a hint of panic flashing in his dark eyes.
After a long pause, Evelyn slowly spoke, "It’s nothing. Just had a nightmare, that’s all."
James saw her eyes focusing, and then he slightly relaxed, silently touching Evelyn’s forehead after a moment, "What kind of nightmare scared you this much?"
His voice was low and hoarse, still carrying the weariness of morning, inexplicably adding a touch of tenderness.
This made Evelyn feel strangely as if they were not a feuding couple but rather loving spouses married for many years.
Brushing away this thought, Evelyn chuckled inwardly, lowering her eyes to hide the bit of mockery in them.
She gazed into James’ eyes and slowly said, "I don’t know how, but I dreamed I was pregnant. Dreamed I had a daughter, but...someone wanted to take my child. That person looked very much like you."