Now only Alaric and Laila remained.
The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the distant sound of cars on the main road. Laila kept her gaze fixed on the ground, fingers twisting nervously at the hem of her dress. She could feel Alaric's eyes on her, steady and unblinking.
Alaric took a slow step closer, his voice low but calm.
"Laila." She flinched at the sound of her name. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
"I just had a very interesting conversation with your brother," Alaric continued. He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "He seemed to be under the impression that you're pregnant… with my child."
Laila's breath caught. She finally looked up, eyes wide with panic. "Alaric, I—"
He raised a hand gently, cutting her off. His expression wasn't angry, just deeply confused and concerned. "I need you to tell me what's going on. Because as far as I know, we've never even been together. So why would you tell your family something like that?"
