Husband With Benefits-Chapter 867: No Change.

"I’m not here to pressure you or make this harder. I just wanted to be honest. Also, I am clean. I have never had unprotected se* and I am tested every six months so you don’t have to worry about any diseases..."

Even as Rafe’s words echoed in her head, Arabelle shook her head and answered," That is... I am also clean. I haven’t been se*ually active for a while... About protection..." She took a deep breath. She was not on the pill. So, this could be dangerous for now. But there was still time. Maybe she could try and take a morning after pill. But they did not suit her. She was allergic to those hormones.

Arabelle swallowed hard, trying to gather her thoughts. Her life had been chaotic enough before Rafael. Now, with this... She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.

"This doesn’t change anything," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. Though whom she was trying to assure, she had no idea.

Rafael’s gaze lingered on her, unreadable and steady. "Doesn’t it? I know you are allergic to any medication."

Arabelle frowned. How did he... Rafe shrugged," I have access to all medical records on people who enter this country, Arabelle. And you signed the allergy information form and declaration when you came to Petrovia.

Her chest tightened, and she looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer as she felt herself almost consumed by panic. "I can’t do this, Rafe. I can’t..."

"You don’t have to decide anything now," he said gently. "But running from it won’t make it go away. I just wanted you to know. And that I am with you if there will be any... complications."

She knew what he meant. That he would be beside her if she did end up being pregnant. But she did not want that. Forcing herself to meet his gaze again, she said, "I need time to think." Needed time to pray and hope that she would not end up pregnant. She could not have a baby and definitely not a royal baby.

"I’ll give you the time," he replied. "But we’re not done, Arabelle. Not by a long shot."

She straightened; her shoulders rigid as she stared him down. Her voice was calm, but her words cut like a blade. "No, Rafe. We are done. Completely. It doesn’t matter if there are consequences. I won’t let there be any. No complications, no nothing."

Rafe’s head snapped up, his expression hardening as her words sank in. "What are you saying?" His voice was low, tight, almost dangerous.

Arabelle crossed her arms, trying to hold her ground despite the storm she saw brewing in his eyes. "You know exactly what I’m saying. If—if something happens, I’ll handle it. On my own. But it won’t be your problem. I’ll make sure of that."

For a moment, Rafe just stared at her, his jaw clenching. Then, his voice dropped further, heavy with disbelief and anger. "Are you telling me you’d...?" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

When she didn’t answer, his eyes darkened, his fury unmistakable. "You’d get rid of a baby? Our baby? Just like that?"

The air between them crackled with tension.

"There is no baby, Rafe," she shot back, her voice sharp, trembling with suppressed emotion. "And there won’t be. But if there were..." Her throat tightened, but she forced the words out. "If there were, I wouldn’t keep it."

His fists clenched at his sides, his whole body taut with barely restrained emotion. "I didn’t think you’d take something like that so lightly, Arabelle. I didn’t think you’d..." He shook his head, his voice rising.

"Well, you know me a few hours and you think you know everything. You just do not know me, Your Highness. We were just sex buddies for a few hours but that is it. We do not even know each other more than that! So you don’t get to stand there and judge me. You don’t get to act like you have the right to tell me what to do with my life or my body." freewёbnoνel.com

"This isn’t just about you," he said sharply as he stepped close to her, "If there’s a chance we created something together, that matters. To me, it does."

"Well, it doesn’t to me."

That stopped him cold, his expression twisting into something unreadable. Hurt, maybe, but quickly buried beneath the steel of his resolve. He would not believe that. She could be kind to a stranger, couldn’t she? So she would not be ruthless to a life inside her.

"You don’t mean that," he said quietly.

"I do," she insisted, though her voice wavered. "I mean every word. Also, there is no point in discussing this. The point is, we won’t know for another few weeks. So there is no need to invite anymore trouble. The entire discussion could be moot."

The silence stretched, thick with unspoken words and emotions too raw to name. Rafael studied her for a long moment, his jaw tight, his eyes searching hers for something she refused to give.

Finally, he stepped back, his hands relaxing at his sides. "You’re scared about something. What are you scared of?"

She blinked, his words hitting closer to the truth than she wanted to admit. "You don’t know anything about me, Rafe. Please leave now."

Rafe groaned. He could see he wouldn’t get much more from her now. So, he stepped close to her and immediately pressed his lips against hers before stepping back just as quickly.

"You’ve hit some complications in your life now, Arabelle. Be prepared for that. I’ll give you the time you need. And I won’t interfere in any decisions you do end up making. But...I’m not walking away from this. From you. Not without a fight."

And with that, he was gone, leaving her standing in the middle of the room, her heart pounding and her mind a mess of emotions she couldn’t untangle.