Chapter 936

Lucian's fist was still clenched, poised to strike again.

Rosalind threw herself against his chest, her arms wrapping tightly around him. "Please, Lucian! That's enough!"

The warmth of her body against his made him hesitate, but the fire in his dark eyes didn't diminish. With one final brutal kick to Julian who lay crumpled on the hospital floor, Lucian finally stepped back.

Harrison came running down the corridor, her heels clicking against the tiles. "What in heaven's name is going on here?"

Rosalind turned with an apologetic grimace. "I'm so sorry about this mess. We didn't mean to cause any disturbance."

Lucian's grip on Rosalind's wrist tightened as he shot Julian one last venomous glare. Without a word, he pulled her away down the hallway.

"Goodbye, Harrison!" Rosalind managed to call over her shoulder.

Before she could turn fully, Lucian's large hand cradled the back of her head, pressing her face firmly against his chest as he marched them toward the exit.

The cold hospital air was replaced by the warmth of sunlight as Lucian guided her to his parked car. He opened the passenger door with controlled movements, his jaw clenched as he helped her inside before circling to the driver's seat.

That's when Rosalind noticed the blood.

His knuckles were raw and crimson, the skin torn from the force of his punches. Her breath hitched. "You're hurt! Let me—"

Lucian lifted his hand just beyond her reach, his stormy gaze fixed straight ahead.

Rosalind froze. His chiseled features were set in stone, his broad chest rising and falling with barely restrained emotion. The tension in the car was palpable.

"Why were you at the hospital?" she asked softly. "I thought you'd left."

The engine roared to life as Lucian turned the key. "I never left. I waited in the parking lot the entire time."

Her lips parted in surprise. He'd been waiting for her all this while?

Lucian's dark eyes finally met hers, burning with intensity. "Then I saw Julian's car arrive. I followed him inside... only to find you in his arms."

Rosalind's stomach dropped. "That's not what happened! I had no idea Julian would be here today! It was a complete coincidence—"

A humorless chuckle escaped Lucian's lips. "Should I believe you?"

His piercing gaze held hers captive, demanding honesty. The weight of his suspicion pressed against her chest.

"Of course you can trust me," she insisted, leaning forward. "I'm telling the truth! I never expected to see Julian—"

"You didn't know why Julian came," Lucian interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "But what about you, Rosalind? Why were you really at the hospital?"

Her breath caught.

In that moment, she realized how perceptive Lucian truly was. He must have seen through her flimsy excuse about visiting Harrison from the start.

Lucian reclined slightly, his expression unreadable. "Don't tell me you came just to see Harrison. She was in surgery all morning. Even a child wouldn't believe that."

His fingers gently tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his probing stare.

"I want to trust you," he murmured. "Give me one reason—just one—to believe you. Why were you here?"

The truth hovered on her lips.

She'd come for her prenatal appointment.

Could she tell him now?

Yes. She'd planned to anyway.

Rosalind nervously bit her lower lip before reaching up to guide Lucian's hand from her chin. Slowly, she placed his palm against her still-flat abdomen.

"Here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "This is why I came."