Kneeling for a Second 197

Sebastian recalled that Valeria had been having dinner with Shane at the ravioli shop the night before. His fingers brushed against her delicate neck as he gave a soft, mocking laugh. 

“It serves you right. You shouldn’t have gone out to eat with Shane in the first place.” 

Then, he added, “It’s such a mild burn.” 

Valeria didn’t bother replying. She couldn’t figure out why his temper came and went like the tide. She pressed her palms to his chest and tried to tiptoe away, only to be pulled back in by a sweep of his arm. 

From behind, Sebastian wrapped his hand around hers, and his palm pressed her delicate hand flat against the wall. Following that, his warm body pressed along the length of her back. With his other hand, he hauled her in by the waist, trapping her there. 

There was no way he was letting Valeria walk away. It had been far too many days since he had 

bedded her. 

Still, there was another matter he needed to deal with. 

They were in Aurum’s third–floor private space, a place he seldom visited. The only condoms there were standard size, and that didn’t work for him. 

Sebastian leaned down, brushed a kiss over Valeria’s cheek, and murmured, “Wait for me.” 

Valeria just wanted to get it over with. She caught hold of Sebastian’s arm. 

When her gaze dropped, she caught sight of the veins standing out across his taut abdomen 

from the strain. 

Flustered, she looked away. “We don’t have to use that,” she said. 

Though Valeria seldom drank, she wasn’t so far gone as to be oblivious. She knew perfectly 

well what was on Sebastian’s mind. 

After all, young heirs from influential families dreaded complications over bloodlines. If every woman who shared his bed turned up pregnant, it would be a ridiculous mess. 

She added softly, “I can’t get pregnant.” 

Sebastian’s fingers tightened around his phone. His expression was unreadable as his gaze locked on her. “What did you just say?” 

His voice was low and husky, with a hint of urgency. 

He prayed he’d misheard. Placing his palm against the wall above her head, he bent closer. ” 

273 

Valeria, repeat yourself.” 

“After I gave birth to Lenny, the doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant again,” she 

stated. 

Back then, the doctor had said it was unlikely she could ever conceive. 

Valeria’s words brushed his ear like the faintest whisper of wind. 

There was no change in Sebastian’s expression. His face stayed as austere and shadowed as 

ever. However, his fingers curled in a fierce grip, holding more pressure than his expression 

revealed. 

He kept silent. 

The silence pressed on Valeria until she couldn’t bear it anymore. She tilted her head up look at him. “So, are we doing this or not? If not, I’m leaving.” 

She had no idea why Sebastian, who had been so eager just moments ago, had somber at the news she couldn’t get pregnant. 

“Sebastian?” she called softly. 

gone cold and 

Seeing that he stayed still, she slipped out from under his arm and stepped out of the bathroom. Just then, a sudden chill rippled over her. 

The lounge was spacious, and the air was pleasantly cool. 

She bent down to pick up her lingerie from where it lay on the carpet. Just as she was about to slip it on, Sebastian’s warmth closed in from behind as his chest pressed firmly to her back. 

His fingers wandered slowly over the line of her waist, pausing when they brushed a faint scar. The scar was so well–hidden it almost blended into her skin. 

Valeria felt the quiet pause in his touch. 

There was a faint coarseness to Sebastian’s touch. It came from the subtle callus of a man who 

spent hours training his body. 

He traced the faint seam along Valeria’s abdomen, the scar from her C–section. 

It tickled, but the sensation carried something more. 

Valeria tilted her shoulder, trying to pull away. She had no wish to relive the delivery or to remember the little boy who never opened his eyes to see this world. 

Sebastian’s breath caught. He asked, “Was Shane there when you gave birth to Lenny?” 

At that moment, an unfamiliar emotion overwhelmed him. For the first time, he truly understood how much women suffer to give birth. And when he realized she could never have 

Chapter 197 

children again, his heart felt like it was being ripped apart. 

3/3 

Chapter 198