My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 45: Guilt?

The soft ticking of the clock melted into the quiet of the night. Elion sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the blank screen of his laptop. Midnight had come and gone, yet he found no peace in the silence of his office.

The earlier argument with Raelynn lingered in the back of his mind, replaying like a broken record he couldn't turn off. The flash of anger in her eyes when she pushed back, her sharp words that struck him harder than they should have—he hadn't expected it. For some reason, it bothered him. It left him with this strange, nagging discomfort in the pit of his stomach. Was this guilt?

He scoffed under his breath and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as if it might hold answers. Why should I feel guilty? It's for the best, he thought bitterly. She broke the rules. It was for her safety—she needed to understand that. Still, even as he tried to convince himself, the heavy feeling in his chest refused to go away.

Suddenly, without a single knock, the door to his office swung open. Elion's head snapped toward the doorway, his brows furrowed in irritation.

"Sloane," he grumbled, his irritation clear as she waltzed in.

Sloane didn't bother asking for permission. She entered with confidence, her long hair flowing behind her like a dark ribbon. Dropping into the chair across from him, she exhaled dramatically before lifting her fingers to the edge of his desk and tapping on it, one finger at a time, as though she were playing an invisible piano.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Do you have something to say, or are you just planning to sit there and irritate me?"

Sloane smiled faintly, her lips curving in that infuriating way that always meant trouble. She didn't answer right away, letting the silence stretch as her fingers continued their playful rhythm.

"I did hear," she began at last, her voice dripping with mock concern. "about your little arguement with your bride."

"You're eavesdropping now?"

She tilted her chin slightly, brushing off the accusation like it was nothing. "Oh, please, don't act surprised. You know I can't help hearing things around here—it's too quiet."

"I didn't ask you to stay in this house so you could listen in on private matters."

"And yet," she said lazily, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned forward slightly, "here I am."

Elion's gaze darkened, but she only smiled wider, she stopped tapping, as if satisfied they had gotten under his skin. He let out a frustrated sigh. "What do you really want, Sloane? I really don't have the time or patience for your games right now."

She adjusted her posture, a more serious aura settling over her. "You know," she began, "I think you were a little too much back there."

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

Elion's eyes flashed with irritation. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Sloane replied, folding her arms. "You overreacted, Elion. She left a note—she didn't just vanish into thin air. Honestly, it's not like she stabbed you in the back by going out."

Sure enough, the note was there in his pocket. He had found it on the floor, but whether it was his anger or something else that cruhed it, he couldn't recall.

Elion's mouth tightened into a thin line, his fingers curling against the desk. "She did break the rules," he argued coldly. "You know why those rules are in place. I don't make them to be cruel."

"I'm not saying you're being cruel," Sloane shot back, "but you are being unreasonable. She's pregnant, Elion. Do you think stressing her out like this helps anything?"

Elion flinched, though it was barely noticeable. His gaze dropped to his desk for a brief moment before he lifted it again. "She needs to be careful. Do you understand how dangerous it could be if something happened to her?"

"Yes, I do," Sloane replied, holding his gaze. "But you don't own her, Elion. She's not a prisoner here, and treating her like one isn't going to make things better between you two."

"I don't—"

"You do," Sloane cut him off, leaning forward again. "You don't even see it, do you? You're so used to people following your orders that you don't realize how suffocating you can be."

Elion's fingers twitched as if wanting to respond, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Listen," Sloane continued, her voice softer now. "You brought her here for a reason—to protect her, to raise this child. But if you keep treating her like she's incapable of making her own choices, she's going to resent you. And trust me, Elion, that's not something you want."

A heavy silence fell between them. Elion's eyes grew unfocused, deep in thought. And for this once, he said nothing.

Sloane stood up slowly, smoothing out her shirt as she glanced down at him. "You can glare all you want," she said, "but you know I'm right. Maybe you should think about that before you snap at her again."

She turned to leave, but paused at the doorway. Without looking back, she added, "For someone who claims to have everything under control, you sure lose your head around her pretty quickly."

His head jerked up, his glare following her, but she had already slipped out of his office, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Slumping into his chair, he let out a long sigh, her words echoing in his head. Suffocating. Resentment. He hadn't wanted that. He didn't want that.

His fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose, tension radiating from every fiber of his being. Perhaps Sloane was right—he had been too harsh. But what was he supposed to do? The idea of Raelynn being hurt—and what it would mean for the baby—sent a chill down his spine.

Still, the image of her glaring at him, hurt and angry, wouldn't leave his mind. He muttered a curse under his breath, annoyed by how much it bothered him.