Chapter 179
Annalise
Lucien’s expression twisted as his gaze locked on the swell of my belly. His mouth parted slightly, but no words came at first. His eyes flickered—between my face and the undeniable truth pressing against the fabric of my dress.
I didn’t look away. I held it out in front of him—my secret, my shame, the reason I couldn’t go back.
His hand lifted, trembling slightly, pointing toward the life growing inside me.
“How?” he whispered. “When… Is it—?”
“Yes,” I said before he could finish. My voice didn’t shake. “It’s Demonis’s.”
The words left my mouth like a stone dropping into a silent lake. A quiet truth, but one that rippled through everything.
Lucien recoiled slightly, eyes narrowing, jaw tightening. I watched him struggle to piece together what I had never allow
