Walking Away While Pregnant: Dear Ex-Husband, I Don't Love You Anymore novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186: Chapter 186

Outside the threshold, Dylan stood draped in a black trench coat, the warm light from the hallway casting his long silhouette across the bedroom floor.

Behind him, Aaron watched with deep worry. Their journey back had been anything but smooth—bumpy travel, exhausting delays, and Dylan was still nursing injuries. Had he not been so desperate to see Elise, he should have been admitted to a hospital the moment they landed.

Dylan stood quietly in the doorway, his dark eyes locked straight onto Elise’s face. Across the distance between the bedroom and the sitting area, the depth of emotion in his gaze remained shrouded in the dim light.

Elise kept her expression entirely composed, offering no initial greeting.

After nearly half a minute of suffocating silence, Dylan finally spoke, his voice raspy and worn thin: "May I come in?"

Elise gave a faint, quiet nod.

Only then did Dylan take a step forward. As the door clicked shut behind him, the hallway light was severed, plunging the sitting room into shadow.

Elise reached over to switch on the bedside lamp and draped a thin cardigan over her shoulders. "Wait for me in the sitting room. I’ll wash my face."

"Alright," Dylan replied softly from the doorway.

Elise walked over to the bathroom sink, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water onto her face. The icy chill instantly cut through the haze in her mind. Watching her reflection in the mirror—water dripping from her nose and chin—she blinked several times. A full night without sleep had left her eyes dry and lined with faint red veins. She knew she looked terrible, but she had waited too long for this conversation. Today, no matter what, she needed the absolute truth.

Five minutes later, Elise stepped out of the bedroom.

Dylan was leaning against the sofa with his eyes closed, his brows knitted slightly. In the soft light, his defined facial features bore unmistakable signs of exhaustion. He had removed his black trench coat, hanging it by the entryway, leaving him in a dark shirt and black trousers that made his figure look noticeably leaner.

It had been over a month since they last met. Elise guessed he had driven straight over immediately after arriving in the country. Whatever she had asked Jessica, the psychiatrist had undoubtedly reported back to him. It was better this way—no need for polite setups or transitional evasions.

Elise flipped on the main switch, flooding the room with bright light.

Dylan’s brows pulled together as he raised a hand to block the sudden glare, only opening his eyes slowly once he adapted. As Elise sat down on the sofa across from him, Dylan took a deep breath, using his arms to prop himself up. Though his movements were slow to avoid strain on his hidden injuries, he didn’t utter a single complaint.

Sitting upright, he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a soft cough. "I’m sorry, I fell asleep for a second."

Elise observed him quietly. Under the bright light, she noticed how abnormally pale his face was, accompanied by a couple of days’ worth of stubble. He looked thoroughly worn down. Perhaps it wasn’t the ideal time for a confrontation, but Elise could no longer afford to wait.

"Dylan, you should know what I’m going to ask," she said, her tone level and devoid of emotion.

Dylan met her gaze. Unlike her calm exterior, his dark eyes were a whirlwind of turmoil—pain, struggle, and a faint trace of helplessness.

"Dr. Sanders filled me in," Dylan said softly. "Elise, regarding Robin... I only found out the truth recently as well."

"When exactly is ’recently’?" Elise pressed firmly. "At this point, I expect you to lay everything out clear and plain."

Closing his eyes briefly, Dylan explained: "Right after you left North City, I began looking into Fleur. During the days she turned up in Rainport, I went abroad because my investigation revealed she had backing. Once I confirmed she was an imposter, I immediately began questioning Robin’s true parentage."

Elise’s brows knitted sharply. "And you expect a few sentences to make me believe you?" She let out a cold, sharp laugh. "I don’t trust you anymore."

Dylan laid out the history step-by-step:

Born with severe congenital heart disease, doctors predicted George wouldn’t survive to adulthood, leading their father, Bruce Bennett, to give up on him. However, Dylan’s uncle refused to surrender, taking George abroad to seek medical treatments.

George survived his fragile infancy and proved to be an intellectual prodigy in scientific research. During their search for treatments, his brilliance caught the attention of an overseas syndicate chairman. The syndicate’s medical research institute had developed an advanced prototype artificial heart, which granted George a miracle extension on his life. In return, George dedicated his research talent to their firm.

Upon realizing the syndicate was secretly funding illicit arms trading and unethical human experimentation, George refused to remain complicit. Despite his gratitude for the life-saving technology, he submitted his resignation, intent on returning home with Fleur.

Unwilling to let key research leak, the syndicate orchestrated a fatal car crash right before George’s scheduled return, killing him on the spot.

Listening to the narrative, Elise’s face turned dead grave. "It was the syndicate?"

"Yes," Dylan nodded. "They eliminated him because he knew too much."

"I still don’t understand," Elise said, her voice shaking slightly. "What does any of that have to do with kidnapping me and targeting you for revenge?"

"Because," Dylan met her eyes squarely, "I have the object they were desperately searching for."

Elise froze in place.

After a long silence, she forced herself to regain her composure, looking up to meet his tired, bloodshot eyes. "What object?"