I didn't sleep.
Not after that night. Not after everything that happened. My mind wouldn't let me. Even when Leo finally settled down beside me, clutching his stuffed lion, asleep in his little bubble of innocence, I couldn't shut it off. I kept replaying every moment—the fear, the panic, the suffocating need to find him, and then…
Killian.
Killian Rhys, the man who saved my son.
The man who had failed him.
The man who I couldn't decide whether to hate or to thank.
---
The air in the penthouse was thick. Too quiet.
Like everything was holding its breath.
Killian wasn't home yet. I wasn't sure what I expected, but I didn't expect this silence. The weight of his absence was pressing in on me.
I sat beside Leo's crib, my fingers grazing the edges of his blankets as I watched him sleep. His breathing was steady now, but I couldn't shake the fear that gripped me. What if this was the last time I held him like this? What if Marcus—my fucking ex—decided to take him again?
I ran a hand through my hair. My entire body was tense. I'd felt that dark shadow of fear hanging over me for weeks now, but tonight, it was worse. It was suffocating.
And then, the front door creaked open.
I froze. My stomach flipped. It was him.
The man who broke my world.
The man who put it back together again, piece by piece, but still made it feel like it was never really mine.
---
Killian walked in with that cold aura, his tailored suit only highlighting the jagged intensity of his features. He was still in work mode, eyes sharp, hands tucked into his pockets like everything was under control. But there was something darker now. Something different. His steps weren't as sure as they usually were, and when he saw me—sitting there like a broken doll—he paused.
His jaw tightened. "How's he doing?"
I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
"He's asleep," I whispered. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
Killian stepped forward, his gaze never leaving me. "Noelle…"
His voice had softened. Too soft. It made my heart ache in a way I didn't want it to.
"I'm sorry. For what happened."
I shook my head, my voice sharp. "Sorry? You lost him, Killian. You don't get to just say sorry and fix it."
He flinched, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he came closer, his presence filling the space between us, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"I didn't mean to. I didn't—"
"You don't ever leave him alone again," I said, my voice trembling. "Do you understand? Not for a second. He's a kid, Killian. A four-year-old. I can't—" I stopped myself, not wanting to break down in front of him.
But I was already too close.
"Don't ever make that mistake again."
He nodded once, his gaze now hardening. "I won't. I promise."
I let out a shaky breath. "You can't just make promises to me. You can't. Not anymore."
He stepped closer again. This time, I didn't pull away. "I'm not just making promises to you," he said, voice low. "I'm making promises to Leo. And to myself."
I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't want to say anything. I wanted him to leave, to let me breathe.
But instead, he lingered. Just standing there, looking at me like I was something he didn't understand but couldn't let go of.
---
An hour later, Leo was still asleep.
Killian was still in the room.
I found myself walking toward the kitchen, needing space, needing air. I pulled open the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and chugged it down. The coolness of it felt like a balm for my raw nerves.
Killian followed me into the kitchen, but he didn't speak at first. I could feel his eyes on me, watching every movement, every breath I took. And I hated it. I hated how he was always there, like some constant force I couldn't escape.
"Why are you still here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Go back to your office. Go play God with your empire. I'm done with your promises."
He didn't flinch. "I told you. I'm not going anywhere."
I turned on him, my heart pounding. "Why, Killian? Why can't you just leave me alone? Why can't you just—"
"I can't, Noelle. I'm not like you. I can't just walk away from things I care about."
"You care about me?"
The words came out sharper than I meant. My heart ached as soon as I said them. But Killian didn't back down. He stared at me with those dark, haunted eyes of his, like he was trying to read me, trying to decide something.
"You think I don't?" he said, voice thick with something I couldn't place. "You think I don't care about my son?"
I froze. My pulse quickened. "What are you saying?"
He stepped closer again, his hands on the counter beside me, leaning in like he was going to kiss me. But instead, he whispered, "You're not the only one with something to lose."
I swallowed, looking away. "You don't own me, Killian."
"No. I don't," he said quietly. "But I'm not letting anyone take what's mine, Noelle. Not Marcus. Not anyone."
I turned my back to him, needing distance. I couldn't breathe with him so close, with him so sure of everything. It made me feel small. Like I was drowning in his world.
---
That night, I barely slept.
Killian never left.
He stayed in the living room. He stayed in the hallway. He stayed by Leo's side when I was too exhausted to move. And even though my body begged for rest, I couldn't stop thinking about him. About how I wasn't sure if I hated him or if I needed him.
I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
But as the night crept on, I felt something shift. Something dangerous.
Something that told me that the Devil's promises were never meant to be broken.