Words Beyond the Grave – 2

For some reason, this letter affected me more than Margaret’s tears. Perhaps because these were his final confessions? Or maybe death makes people particularly honest?

I jumped to my feet and rushed to the bedroom, struggling to control my emotions. I didn’t want to think about them, didn’t want to remember the damage the Sterling family had done. I forcefully pushed those memories away, knowing that if I let them loose, I’d completely fall apart.

I couldn’t afford to be weak. The cliff incident with Kane was enough; I wouldn’t let myself slip back into that darkness. The baby in my belly and Leo needed me to be strong, not consumed by shadows from the past.

I lay on the bed, gritting my teeth to keep the tears from flowing. I’d cried enough for the Sterling family—shedding even one more tear would be a waste.

Soon, exhaustion took over. The emotional and physical drain of pregnancy left me spent, and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

When the alarm jolted me awake, it was already ten o’clock.

“Fuck!” I jumped out of bed, only to trip and nearly fall. I was supposed to pick up Leo at nine, as Sebastian had meetings elsewhere.

I showered and dressed at record speed. Less than ten minutes later, I was ready. Then I rushed down the stairs, praying I wouldn’t break my neck.

But I froze when I saw Sebastian and Leo having breakfast in the kitchen. He stood by the counter in his suit, buttering bread. The scene was surreal, like a snapshot from someone else’s life.

“Mom, you’re finally awake!” Leo called out excitedly, his mouth full of food. “I wanted to wake you, but Dad said you needed sleep.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, confused.

“I’m making breakfast. Sit down and eat something,” Sebastian said gently. “I wanted to finish before I left.”

“Weren’t you supposed to be at a meeting? You should have woken me up.”

“Fuck the meeting,” he said without looking up. “You were sleeping so deeply, obviously needed the rest.”

His behavior was so unusual that I didn’t know how to respond. This was a Sebastian I’d never seen before—gentle, considerate, without his usual superior Alpha energy. I hated to admit it, but this version of him was far more dangerous than I’d anticipated. I couldn’t soften toward a cold Sebastian, but this sudden tenderness caught me completely off guard.

I mechanically put some eggs and toast on my plate, my mind still trying to decode his motives.

“When’s your next prenatal check-up?” he suddenly asked, his tone casual, as if asking about the weather.

I looked up into those green eyes, searching warily for any calculation. “Next Friday. Why?”

“Nothing special, just wanted to know.” He turned off the stove and brought over the last plate of food.

“I should go,” he glanced at his watch. “Can’t postpone the morning meeting any further.”

He walked around the table and bent down to kiss Leo. When he turned to me, I saw hesitation in his eyes, and I held my breath.

“I’ll see you both when I get back,” he finally said without coming closer, and I exhaled in relief.

“Okay, Dad, remember to bring gifts!” Leo said happily. I just nodded, not responding.

He gave me one last long look, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing. His expression became distant again, and the Sebastian I knew returned. He turned and left, his footsteps fading.

I stared after him, trying to understand what had just happened. Why was he suddenly acting like he genuinely cared about me? I took a bitter bite of egg, smiling grimly. Sebastian Ashworth didn’t really care about me. He was just playing the perfect father role for Leo. This was just an act, like every day of our seven-year marriage.

That was it, nothing else… right?