He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 269

Helena offered a noncommittal "Oh" and gave a vague nod, neither confirming nor denying it.

The air in the room instantly grew cold. "Go to sleep," he finally commanded, shattering the tense silence. He didn't offer any explanations, and she didn't bother pressing for one.

Whether from the emotional drain or her pregnancy, she drifted off relatively quickly. Once he was certain she was deeply asleep, Sebastian quietly slipped out of bed. But he didn't leave the room. He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stood completely still, watching the scene below.

Janetta hadn't moved an inch. The Riverton storm was escalating into a torrential downpour, rendering Arthur's umbrella entirely useless. The slanted rain whipped through the air like icy blades. Even from the safety of the bedroom, Sebastian felt a phantom sting just looking at it.

But he knew the stakes of this standoff. Their toxic push-and-pull had dragged on for far too long. If he surrendered tonight, he would be trapped in an endless cycle of yielding to her emotional blackmail. His pride violently rejected the idea of being manipulated so easily.

So, he stayed put. His phone, resting on a nearby table, continuously lit up the dark room with silent notifications. Janetta was still calling. He didn't answer a single one.

Yet, as much as he tried to deny it, she had successfully backed him into a corner. For the first time in his life, he couldn't predict who would break first. His hands, buried deep in his pockets, curled into white-knuckled fists. A volatile, shadowy storm raged in his eyes.

"I know," he replied.

She pressed on casually. "The rain is really loud, and the soundproofing in here isn't great. Plus, your phone screen keeps flashing. It's giving me a headache."

It was an obvious lie. The Hayes Estate was built like a fortress; she couldn't hear a thing. And the phone was sitting on a desk far from the bed, the brightness turned all the way down.