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6

"And?

"We're leaving now.

And so it goes. They spoke to the guards to help us get out, one of them stood by my side and the other next to Axel, leaving both of us in the middle. I swallowed hard, taking his hand and clinging to his body.

The impatient faces of those journalists make my skin crawl; they are hungry for new gossip or controversy for their channels.

We walked quickly, and I noticed the guards reaching out their arms when someone tried to remove the hood and reveal my face, although I knew it was futile.

They probably have millions of photos; who knows how long they've been there.

"Ma'am, what are you doing with Axel Malik? How did you meet him?

"Do you have a relationship with Axel? Since when?

"Does Mr. Müller know about your relationship with Axel Malik? Have you been with both him and Axel at the same time?

Those and more questions greet me. I feel my stomach knotting, wanting to come out as vomit, but somehow I manage to contain it.

We reach the car, and Axel helps me get in quickly without removing his serious gaze. I cover my face, still hiding behind the glass. I see the guards through the rearview mirror, securing my purchases.

When they finally finish, Axel starts the car without a word. The journey becomes silent and heavy, with only the sound of my nose sniffing. I glance at him; his hands are white from gripping the steering wheel tightly, and his lips and jaw are clenched and tense. His whole body is stiff and uncomfortable with anger.

"How the hell did they find me?" he murmurs.

I shake my head, pulling back my ponytail and strands of hair.

"It's not because of you. It's because of me," I wipe my cheeks.

I grimace in pain from the slight pang in my stomach.

"What's wrong? I'll take you to the hospital."

I stop him abruptly as I see him inputting a different route in the GPS.

"It's okay, I'm fine. It's just that... I'm afraid of those people. I've had bad experiences with them," the memories return. "The only times I haven't been so scared is when Arthur was with me in front of them."

I hear him sigh, still bothered by the fact that Arthur took so many liberties with the contract and didn't even give me a chance to set a rule for him.

But for me, it would be impossible. I only told him the most important things that benefited me when we first met, and he fulfilled them, at least some of them.

"They already know about me; it's just a matter of days before they find out where you live," I nod.

And I don't want to move. I hate moving.

"I'll think of something," I say, placing my right palm on my stomach.

I stroke it, seeking comfort in knowing that I carry a being full of light inside me.

"I have an idea. Let's leave the country," I immediately refuse, scoffing and gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Why not?"

"Because if we do that, we'll be confirming what they've been suspecting for a while. The fact that we're in a relationship."

"I don't give a damn about what those idiots think," he exclaims, maintaining the speed.

"Well, I do! Don't you remember the rule? If I do that, Arthur will destroy me. He'll use it against me and make me fall," I grumble, silence taking hold of the car. "He promised me they would never find me, that they wouldn't look for me and let me live in peace. For those four months, it was true, until today. I don't understand what happened.

It will hurt me a lot if he had something to do with this. I told him about my fear of journalists in a moment of vulnerability, and if he took advantage of that to hurt me for making him sign...

It will break my heart.

"Fine, we'll think of something when we get there."

I sigh, closing my eyes and replaying the song in my mind.

(...)

Upon arrival, I took a shower and spent quite some time under the water. Rose petals and lots of foam make my bath more relaxing. I take more foam in my hands and blow, creating bubbles.

I hear knocks on the door as I do it again and chuckle when a bubble floats to my face and sticks to my forehead, bursting right there.

"Come in."

The door opens, and Axel enters with the same paint-splattered clothes and a small box in his hand. I purse my lips. Hasn't he showered yet?

"Are you feeling calmer?" I smile in response. "Good. I have two things to tell you. One may please you, the other not so much."

I spread the foam everywhere, making sure no exposed skin is left. I rest my head on the edge of the bathtub, gazing at the white ceiling and licking my lips.

He couldn't have chosen another moment to want to talk.

"Start with the one I may not like," I tell him.

He clears his throat, sitting on the closed toilet lid. I nibble on my lip, waiting for him to speak.

"I know you said no to the idea of leaving the country."

I close my eyes and let out a breath.

"Axel..."

"Let me finish, silly," I pout and throw foam at him for his rudeness. He smiles. He wasn't angry; in fact, I was starting to question my stance on security.

He's right; it's only a matter of days before they find out where I live. And I don't want to start moving when they do; I'd rather do it beforehand.

"Shall I tell you the other thing?" I notice his fingers stained with paint.

I smile as I notice that it keeps hitting them continuously in the little blue box, nodding and smiling back at them. They seem nervous for some reason, and I rest my cheek on my knee, feeling a strange chill caress my back. I think the air conditioning in the apartment is on.

They open the box and take out a small silver chain. My mouth drops open, and my eyes widen in surprise.

They smile at me, their eyes shining beautifully as they notice my reaction. They bite their lip slightly, nervous about what they're going to say.

"What...?"

"I had it made when I found out about the pregnancy," they hand it to me.

I take it in my hands carefully, as I tremble with excitement. It's small and simple, with a medallion of the sun, and on the back, it's engraved with "from Uncle Axel" in cursive. There's nothing on the front.

"When you decide to give them a name, or when you decide," I lift my gaze, touched by their gesture, "I'll have the name engraved on the blank part."

I let out a laugh accompanied by tears.

"You make me love you more every day," I look at them.

I press my lips together with a smile as I notice them wiping their little cheeks.

"It's because I want to completely have your heart," they joke.

I nod, clutching the chain in my hands. It's beautiful.

I hand it back to them to put it back in the box. We remain silent, looking at each other, overwhelmed by the news of the baby's existence.

"You'll be so lucky, little one. Uncle Axel loves you very much, and he's a great person."

"What do you think if you accompany me in searching for possible baby names on the internet?" they smile.

The paint on their cheek amuses me; when they're inspired, they can't end up well in their "art room," as they call it.

"It's not my right to choose. But I'll be by your side, telling you which ones are nice and which ones are ugly," they suggest, raising one of their thin eyebrows.

I smile sideways, carefully extending my hand and offering it to them. They take it right away.

"Deal," I move it. "Now get out of here and let me take a shower. You can shower afterward."

"Are you sure you're taking a shower? I see you're busy making soap bubbles," I playfully splash some water on their shirt. They huff, making a pouting face. "Hey, I'm still inspired. We'll talk later; I have a painting to finish."

I blow them a kiss with my hand, and they wink at me and leave. I sigh, feeling my spirits dampen with their words.

It's true, it's not their right. It belongs to Arthur.

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