Chapter 6 He Wouldn't Be Leaving Her Tonight

Midnight crept in, painting everything in shadows.

At Rosebay Mansion, nestled deep within the city's wealthy district, Claire searched the lavish halls but found no sign of Declan.

Back when the doctor tended to her injuries, Declan had remained close, though his attention often wandered and he kept glancing at his watch.

Melinda's fate, she knew, would be decided before dawn broke.

With narrowed eyes and medicine in hand, she made her way toward the open balcony. "Declan?"

There he stood, cigarette glowing faintly in the darkness.

The sharp lines of his black suit gave him a chilling grace. Tall and poised, he flicked ash from his cigarette, his silver watch catching the faint light, adding to the air of distance that always seemed to surround him.

No other man in black had ever captivated her the way he did-he wore self-control like a second skin.

A rush of nerves made her heart race.

Yet, as he gazed out at the night, she wondered what weighed on his mind.

A heavy sense of dread tugged at Claire's chest. Her words came out in a shaky whisper. "Declan, are your thoughts with Melinda right now?"

Declan turned to her, his eyes clouded, full of secrets he wouldn't voice.

Claire pleaded, "Why don't you go save her? You might regret this one day. You two shared two years together. Maybe your feelings for her go deeper than you realize."

A bitter laugh escaped Declan. "Regret? You think I loved her?"

He regretted having saved her before.

It was on the shore, years before, when he'd hurled himself into the waves to pull Melinda from the water after she toppled from a cruise ship.

She wept in his embrace, feeling sorry for her blindness, swearing to marry him one day.

Declan was sixteen and penniless back then. To him, she seemed like a beacon of hope-full of life and innocence.

A letter from Melinda had promised she would take care of him until he saw the world again, vowing never to leave him.

Eventually, the day arrived when his eyes reopened to the world's colors, but it was Claire, not Melinda, who had watched over him, never leaving his bedside.

Melinda had vanished, leaving only betrayal behind. He realized then how foolish he'd been to even imagine she could love him.

He found it almost comical that two years ago, Melinda had the nerve to ask if he had once rescued a girl from the sea.

For Declan, such a question cut deeper than any wound.

He had lied, refusing to admit the truth.

Yet Melinda, heartless as ever, soon claimed she had fallen for him.

She lived recklessly, flirting her way through life and wielding her beauty as a weapon.

A shadow crossed Declan's eyes. "I never loved her. All I feel for her is hate."

Relief softened Claire's features as she brushed away her tears. "I don't hold Melinda responsible for what happened to me. Fate just hasn't been kind. I lost my mother, and now I can never have children of my own."

Hearing her speak of her mother, Declan's heart twisted with even more guilt and bitterness.

Memories of childhood in the orphanage flooded back-he had always thought of Claire and her mother as his own family. Yet her mother had died because of the Dawson family.

"Claire, these last two years have brought you nothing but pain."

"I always believed you'd come for me. That hope kept me alive." Without warning, Claire collapsed into his embrace, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart and the sharp line of his collarbone beneath her fingers.

Nerves set her pulse racing. Her arms encircled his waist. "Declan, I'm covered in scars. Are you disgusted by me?"

His mind flashed to that terrible day three months ago, when Darin brought him to the Dawson family's house. The basement was pitch dark, and there was Claire-bruised, battered, and forever changed by what she endured.

The thought sickened him.

His answer was steady but cold. "I could never despise you. You'll have my care, the way you watched over me by the sea."

As he mentioned the past, Claire looked away, flustered, but she was quick to hide it.

She clung to him more tightly. "Declan, stay with me tonight. I can't give you children, but I want to be by your side. I worry every day that you'll leave me for Melinda."

Anxiety twisted inside her as she fumbled with the buttons on her blouse.

The move caught Declan completely unprepared.

His eyes flickered to the delicate slope of her collarbone, so different from Melinda's curves.

Melinda's name haunted his mind.

Memories of his own reckless surrender just the night before flickered through his thoughts.

A tightness formed in his chest. The truth was-Melinda's allure still held him captive.

No man would find it easy to resist someone as breathtaking as her.

However, Declan's pride reared up, refusing to let him give in.

To his mind, Melinda had chosen her downfall. She earned no sympathy, and breaking her would put an end to these feelings once and for all.

Shutting his eyes, Declan forced the emotions down. Gently but firmly, he edged Claire away. His voice was steady, brooking no argument. "Claire, don't do this. Take time to heal."

Claire went still, stung by his refusal. Was he only interested in Melinda?

Yet the thought barely bothered her. As far as she was concerned, Melinda would be ruined by Ryan before long.

A sense of relief settled in. There would always be another chance.

"I'm sorry, Declan. I just feel so uncertain. Would you stay with me tonight?" she whispered.

"Alright." Declan gave a single nod, eyes falling on his watch before casting it aside on the table.

A hidden smile curled on Claire's lips. He wouldn't be leaving her tonight.