When Selena came to, she found herself sprawled on the big bed in her bedroom, the night outside already thick and heavy. A needle was poked into the back of her hand, slowly dripping an IV into her system.


    She blinked at the IV bag hanging above her, her mind slowly clearing the fog away. Her eyes, dark and unyielding, shifted and settled on the man lounging on the sofa across the room.


    Everett, in his crisp ck shirt and trousers, was as dashing as ever, his profile even more sharply defined, exuding an aura that screamed ''stay away.''


    He had a Bluetooth headset on and aptop open on the coffee table, clearly in the middle of a video call, with a pile of documents strewn about him. Selena watched him quietly.


    To be honest, the Everett of today was mature, charming, and loaded. He had that maic aura that could draw any woman in like bees to honey.


    But... he was fading in her mind, bing more and more a shadow of the boy she once knew.


    That boy, though equally moody and proud, had a heart that craved warmth, love, and believed in it too.


    Now, he was controlling, even obsessive. His biggest issue? He didn''t believe in love anymore, even scoffed at it. He refused to give any love but demanded hers in exchange, expecting her to stick by him withoutint, loyal as ever. It was downright despicable and absurd!


    Sensing her eyes on him, Everett gave her a brief nce before wrapping up his meeting with a few terse words.


    He slipped off his headset and removed his gold-rimmed sses, rubbing his temples before striding over to the bed.


    Everett looked down at her pale face, his voice neutral, "The doc said you passed out from low blood sugar and stress. They''ve got you on a nutrient drip. You need to eat properly and rest up, keep your emotions in check to get back on track. Otherwise, it won''t exactly help if you''re trying for a baby."


    Thest part sent Selena''s emotions spiraling again, just when she had started to calm down.


    She couldn''t help but suspect he was doing this on purpose!


    Turning her face away, she refused to even look at him.


    Everett dragged a chair over with a soft scrape and sat down, crossing his legs with an easy grace.


    He''d been juggling too muchtely, feeling on edge, and her cold, silent defiance was only adding fuel to the fire.


    His gaze turned icy, losing any intention to sweet-talk her, opting instead for words that would hit where it hurt.


    "If you don''t want your beloved uncle and brother to have restless nights and rough days, you might want to think twice."


    "Your brother''s been doing well,


    snagging a good project at Porters Group shortly after joining. He''s sharp and diligent, could really make a name for himself if he keeps at it. But wouldn''t it be a shame if his path got cut short?"


    "Everett!"


    Selena shot upright, ring daggers at him. She took several deep


    breaths, wrestling down the ne


    fury


    bubbling inside her, "You keep your hands off them!"


    Everett''s lips twitched into a slight smile, long as you y nice,


    e fine. Families should


    together, right?"


    Selena shut her eyes for a moment.


    Finally, she managed to steady her emotions and fixed him with a prating gaze.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    "Everett, do you remember saying that having kids between us wasn''t a good idea? So why are you now forcing this on me?"


    The sudden question tugged at Everett''s memory, reminding him of exactly what he''d said back then.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!