Chapter 13: A Perfect Pair
Caspian had assured the Carters that, despite Lazarus’s passing, he would always be there to protect Selene.
His words carried weight, his gaze steady, his tone unwavering.
For a fleeting moment—almost—Selene believed him.
Almost.
It wasn’t the first time she had felt this way.
Since their marriage, there had been moments when she wondered if he truly cared—if, despite everything, there was something real between them.
Otherwise, why had she foolishly stayed for three years?
The Little Things That Meant Nothing
She thought back to those fleeting moments.
Like how, after their intimate nights, Caspian would tenderly care for her.
Like how, when she carelessly scattered her clothes around, he would hand-wash them for her.
Like how, some mornings, he had made breakfast just for her.
But every single time Selene’s heart softened, she would catch the way Caspian looked at Lyra.
That gaze—full of tenderness, full of affection.
That was how you looked at someone you loved.
Not at someone you were merely tied to by duty.
And Just Like That, He Proved Her Right
As the crowd dispersed, a syrupy-sweet voice cut through the air.
“Caspian… my stomach hurts…”
Lyra.
Selene didn’t even need to turn around to know what was coming next.
And sure enough—
Caspian immediately let go of her hand, his voice laced with concern.
“What’s wrong? I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”
Selene could have laughed.
There it was, that look.
The one she never got.
The unwavering devotion, the urgent protectiveness—all reserved for Lyra.
Not her.
Never her.
Lyra, playing her role perfectly, nestled into Caspian’s arms.
“But… what about Selene?” she asked innocently, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
A Game Selene Didn’t Want to Play
Selene tilted her head, a mocking smile curling on her lips.
In the past, she would have gritted her teeth and swallowed the pain.
She would have played the gracious wife, waving them off with a magnanimous nod.
“I’m fine. You two go ahead.”
Not today.
Instead, she turned to Caspian, her voice deliberately soft.
“Yes, Caspian, what about me?”
The way Lyra’s grip on Caspian’s shirt tightened was almost comical.
Her knuckles turned white with barely concealed rage.
Yet, keeping up her charade, she whispered, “Caspian, you should take Selene home first. I’ll be fine… I just need to rest.”
But even as she said the words, she leaned further into him, her posture weakening like she might collapse at any moment.
Selene felt bored.
This act—it was tiring.
She turned away, suddenly losing interest in the whole damn game.
But before she could take a step—
Caspian’s voice cut through the air.
“Get over here and take Lyra to the hospital.”
Selene froze.
She turned back, eyes wide with surprise.
Not What She Expected
Caspian was on the phone, his expression unreadable.
He wasn’t going with Lyra.
Instead, he had called Kai Lysander to take her.
Kai Lysander. Not himself.
That never happened.
When she glanced back at Lyra, the other woman looked equally stunned.
Still, Lyra bit her lip, nodding as if in reluctant acceptance.
“Alright…”
Selene didn’t understand what was happening.
But she wasn’t about to question it.
She climbed into Caspian’s jeep, watching him closely as he started the car.
And for the first time in a while—
Something about him felt… off.
A Rare Shift in Power
Selene stared at him.
Then, before she could stop herself, she blurted out—
“Aren’t you going to take care of Lyra? She said she wasn’t feeling well.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
She sounded jealous.
And she wasn’t. Not anymore.
She opened her mouth to explain, to downplay it—
But Caspian interrupted her.
His voice was calm, almost casual.
“Aren’t you feeling unwell, too?”
Selene frowned.
“I’m not—”
Then she noticed where his gaze had shifted.
He was looking at her abdomen.
And that was when she realized—
She had been unconsciously clutching her stomach.
Her face burned.
Quickly, she pulled her hand away, her posture stiff.
But Caspian had already noticed.
He didn’t say anything.
He simply picked up his phone, glanced at the screen, then hung up.
“I’ll take you home.“
A Perfect Pair, Indeed
After dropping Selene off, Caspian drove off immediately.
He didn’t linger.
Didn’t step inside.
Didn’t say anything more.
His phone had been buzzing non-stop during the drive.
And Selene had seen the caller ID once.
Celestia.
She didn’t want to think about why his mother was so desperate to reach him.
Instead, she stumbled to her room, too drained to dwell on it.
Sleep pulled her under within minutes.
A Nightmare in the Form of Reality
In her dreams, she was a little girl again.
Lazarus was there, teaching her how to shoot.
His steady hands guiding hers.
The sharp crack of a gunshot jolted her awake—
Except, it wasn’t a gunshot.
It was her phone, hitting the floor.
Still groggy, she reached for it.
A string of missed calls flashed across the screen—
Some from Orion.
Some from an unknown number.
But what really caught her eye was the notification at the top of her screen.
A headline.
“Have Selene and Caspian divorced? Rumors swirl that his new love is pregnant!”
Her breath caught.
Her fingers moved on their own, clicking on the article.
And there it was.
A high-resolution, uncensored photo of Caspian.
Helping Lyra out of the obstetrics department.
They looked… flawless together.
He, handsome and confident.
She, graceful and glowing.
No one could deny it.
No one could question it.
They truly were—
A perfect pair.
