He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 198

After all, how many sets of seven years does one get in a lifetime?

Lost in those agonizing memories, she grew exceptionally quiet.

She didn't shy away from his gaze; she just stared right back at him.

He offered a faint, almost imperceptible smile before finally releasing her.

She immediately took a defensive step back.

He didn't seem to mind.

He poured her a glass of water and handed it over. "Drink this. Rinse your mouth."

This sudden display of domestic consideration was entirely foreign to her.

She had no intention of accepting the gesture.

"I don't need it. I can clean up after myself," she refused coldly.

Her eyes bored into him. "What new way have you found to torture me now?"

Once bitten, twice shy.

His gentleness used to be the one thing she craved above all else.

But now, it felt like a pitch-black abyss, waiting to swallow her whole.

She was terrified of it.

Sebastian looked quietly at the untouched glass in his hand.

Because she had shoved it away, water had splashed out over the rim.

His gaze turned somber, but surprisingly, he didn't snap at her.

He didn't force the issue either, simply setting the glass aside.

She had already started wiping her face and rinsing her mouth.

Even though they were standing inches apart, they felt like parallel lines destined never to intersect.

By the time she finished, her nerves were still strung tight.

Breaking the heavy silence, he asked, "Why the sudden sickness? I thought that was supposed to stop after the first trimester. Are you hurting somewhere?"

It was genuine concern.

But to her, that concern wasn't meant for her—it was entirely for the baby.

After all, this child was the ultimate bargaining chip for his shares.

That familiar, soul-crushing dread washed over her all over again.

The harder she tried to relax, the stiffer her body became.

Sebastian didn't seem to care. He slipped silently into the bed beside her.

The only light left in the room was a dim nightlight.

A necessity since she often had to get up during the night.

Throughout it all, she never turned around, keeping her back rigidly facing him.

He didn't force her to acknowledge him. In the dim light, he just stared at her silhouette.

She was so frail and tiny.

Even at six months pregnant, the curve of her waist was still startlingly visible.

As she curled herself into a defensive ball, her terror and anxiety radiated off her in waves.

He thought back to the horrific misunderstanding over the phone calls.

That buried wave of guilt and pity surged to the surface once more.

Acting almost entirely on instinct, he naturally reached out and pulled her into his arms.