After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 143

Elle's POV

"Brad, I never told you we were breaking up back then, so we never actually broke up!" Mira's voice carried across the rooftop, desperate and shrill. "I only ask you, for the sake of our crazy love, give me a chance! Today, just answer me—yes or no!"

I felt my chest tighten as I turned back and watched Brad's face contort with internal struggle.

Brad looked toward me for a moment, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. I turned away, focusing on the city skyline beyond, trying to steel myself for whatever was coming.

"Good, I promise you!" Brad's voice was gentle, carefully controlled. "Come down first, okay?"

My heart clenched, but I kept my expression neutral. Of course he would say that. A life was at stake.

"Do you still care about me? Would you be heartbroken if something happened to me? Would you be hurt? Would you care?" Mira's voice trembled with hope and desperation.

"Yes, I still care about you and worry about you!" Brad's words were like daggers. "So please, come down, okay? Don't make me keep worrying about you like this."

Even though I understood this was just him trying to save her life, hearing those words made something inside me shatter. Behind me, I felt Raymond tense, his protective instincts kicking in, but he stayed silent.

Mira nodded through her tears, opening her arms wide. "I knew you still loved me! I knew you were only with that human because of the baby. Brad, you've suffered so much! I'll spend my whole life making it up to you!"

Her words hit me like a physical blow. It made my entire body go rigid.

I watched as Brad moved forward to embrace Mira, pulling her back from the edge. She clung to him desperately, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as if she'd never let go.

"Brad, I'll spend my whole life making it up to you!" she repeated, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

I couldn't watch anymore. "Let's go," I said quietly to Sophia and Abigail, my voice surprisingly steady.

But as I took a step toward the elevator, the world tilted. Black spots danced across my vision, and my legs gave out beneath me. I felt myself falling, the exhaustion and emotional turmoil finally catching up with me.

"Elle!" Raymond's arms caught me before I hit the ground, and I found myself leaning heavily against his chest.

"Oh my God!" Sophia and Abigail exclaimed simultaneously.

I could sense Brad wanting to come to me, but Mira was still clinging to him, her arms locked around his neck. Through the mate bond he insisted we shared, I felt his anguish as clearly as my own—the conflict between wanting to help me and being trapped in Mira's embrace.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Raymond, my voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry for this."

Raymond's jaw clenched, and I could see the war in his brown eyes. He wanted to take me away from all this, but he knew it wasn't the right time.

"I don't think I can continue working today," I said, my voice growing stronger despite my physical weakness. "I'd like to go stay at the Blair house for a few days."

My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, but my mind was crystal clear. I looked up at Raymond, seeing the pain in his eyes mirror my own.

"I'm sorry, I'd like to go. Please?"

The word "please" came out with a slight sob I couldn't suppress.

Raymond didn't hesitate. He lifted me into his arms, princess-style, and turned toward the elevator. "Of course."

Sophia shook her head ruefully but followed us, while Abigail looked almost happy, probably already imagining me as her future sister-in-law.

As Raymond carried me away, I allowed myself to cry silently, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks. I buried my face against his shoulder, letting the sobs come quietly.

Abigail drove us to the Blair estate while making calls ahead to prepare them for our arrival. I curled up in Raymond's arms like a wounded kitten, my tears soaking into his shirt.

When we arrived at the Blair family estate, Martin and Stella were shocked to see me being carried in.

"What happened?" Stella rushed forward, her maternal instincts taking over.

"She needs rest," Raymond said simply, his voice tight with controlled emotion. "Could you prepare a room?"

Martin immediately called for the family physician while Stella gently took my pulse, her years of herbal medicine training evident in her careful examination.

"Her constitution is strong," Stella murmured, "but she's emotionally overwrought. The baby should be fine."

I fell asleep almost immediately, exhausted by the emotional rollercoaster.

When I woke up several hours later, I could hear voices outside my door—Sophia, Raymond, and Abigail talking quietly.

Sophia entered when she saw I was awake, carrying a tray of warm soup. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said, and I meant it. Being away from that scene, away from the constant reminders of my precarious position, had given me some clarity. I placed a protective hand over my stomach. "The baby?"

"Is perfectly fine," Sophia assured me. "Stella's been checking on you regularly."

"Sophia," I said quietly, looking around the beautifully appointed room, "when I was in despair, the place I thought of as a refuge was here—not my own family. Do you think that means something?"

Sophia sat down beside me, her expression thoughtful.

"Mrs. Blair mentioned she'd like to recognize you as her goddaughter," Sophia said gently.

I considered this, feeling a strange sense of rightness about it. "You know, I look so much like Dakota, maybe this is fate's way of telling me I should take care of the Blairs in her place."

"Elle..."

"Sophia, Brad and I probably don't have much time left together," I said with a calmness that surprised even me. "When the time comes, I'll file for divorce. Maybe the Blair family will be the place where I can heal afterward."

I heard footsteps in the hallway, and then Stella appeared in the doorway, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"My dear child, what are you saying?" Stella rushed to my bedside. "If you're willing to be my daughter, I'd be overjoyed! How could that be too much to ask?"

Tears began flowing down her cheeks as she took my hands in hers. "I promise I'll treat you and your child as my own daughter and grandchild, and I'll protect you both for life."

Looking at Stella's sincere, loving face, I felt a warmth I hadn't experienced in so long.

"Then I'd be honored to be your goddaughter," I said softly, squeezing her hands.