My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 223: Hidden

Raelynn stirred as the morning light filtered through the curtains. The air in the room was still, carrying the faint scent of lavender from the fresh flowers on the nightstand. Her body felt unbearably heavy, as though she had been pulled into the deepest parts of sleep and was only now clawing her way back to the surface.

Her eyelids fluttered open, her vision unfocused for a moment before the ceiling came into view. The dim light made everything seem softer, but the dull ache in her limbs reminded her that last night had been anything but gentle.

She swallowed, her throat dry. Every part of her body ached in that slow, gnawing way that exhaustion always left behind. Even breathing felt like an effort.

Still, she forced herself to move.

With a slow inhale, she shifted her arms, pressing her palms against the bed to push herself up. The blankets slid off her shoulders as she sat up, her muscles stiff and unwilling. A thin layer of sweat clung to her skin, but the fever that had wracked her body the night before seemed to have subsided—at least for now.

She exhaled.

That was when she noticed him.

Elion sat across the room, his posture unnaturally rigid. He was leaning back in a chair, arms resting on the armrests, but there was a sharpness to him—an alertness that hadn’t dulled even with the passing hours. His gaze was steady, unblinking, locked onto her in a way that made something uneasy coil in her stomach.

"Elion?" Her voice came out softer than she intended.

He didn’t move.

For a second, she wondered if he had been lost in thought, but then his fingers twitched against the chair’s arm, a subtle shift that told her he was fully aware.

"…You’re awake," he said finally.

His voice was even, but there was something off about it. It lacked the usual warmth, the teasing lilt that sometimes snuck into his words.

She frowned, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her face. "You sound surprised."

Elion’s jaw tightened. He glanced at her, then away, as if studying the room’s interior would give him an answer he didn’t have. "You were out for a long time," he said simply.

Raelynn pressed a hand against her temple. "I feel like I was hit by a truck."

She tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken. Elion was usually quiet, but this was different. This silence felt careful, measured, like he was deliberately keeping his words in check.

She didn’t like it.

"I’m fine," she said, breaking the silence. "Or at least, I will be."

Elion finally moved. He stood, his long strides bringing him to her bedside within seconds. He didn’t sit beside her. Instead, he stopped just short of touching distance, his gaze sweeping over her face, her arms, her trembling fingers.

"You shouldn’t push yourself," he said, ignoring her attempt at normalcy. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Raelynn sighed. "You’re looking at me like I’m about to fall apart."

He didn’t deny it.

That alone sent a prickle of unease down her spine.

"Elion." She met his gaze, her voice softer now. "You’re hiding something."

His expression didn’t shift, but there was a flicker—an instant where his composure cracked just enough for her to see the tension beneath it.

"I’m not," he said.

It was too quick.

Raelynn studied him carefully. His fingers, usually relaxed at his sides, were curled slightly, like he was restraining himself from reaching for her.

"Elion." She said his name again, quieter this time. "Tell me the truth."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

She could see it now—the hesitation, the war within him. He wanted to tell her. But he wouldn’t.

That only made her more certain.

Something was wrong.

Something was getting worse.

Her fingers tightened around the blanket, gripping the fabric as a hollow feeling settled in her chest. She licked her lips, her voice barely above a whisper when she spoke next.

"…Is it bad?"

Elion’s gaze darkened.

She knew then.

She knew before he even answered.

Instead of responding, he reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and handed it to her. A distraction.

"Drink," he said. "You need to stay hydrated."

Raelynn stared at the glass. A lump formed in her throat, but she took it anyway, sipping slowly. The coolness soothed the dryness in her mouth, but it didn’t do anything for the growing pit in her stomach.

"Elion," she tried again. "If my condition is worse than we thought, I need to know."

He exhaled sharply through his nose, running a hand through his dark hair. "You’re exhausted, Raelynn. You don’t need to be worrying about things right now."

"But I am worried," she countered, voice firmer. "You’re acting like—like you’re waiting for something bad to happen."

His shoulders stiffened. "I’m just making sure you’re okay."

"That’s not all, and you know it."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Raelynn clenched the blanket in her lap. "Elion… please."

His gaze flickered. There was a storm behind his eyes, something turbulent and unreadable. But he said nothing.

Raelynn’s heart sank.

If he wasn’t telling her… it meant it was worse than she had imagined.

She swallowed past the tightness in her throat, her chest suddenly feeling too tight. A hundred thoughts ran through her mind, each one worse than the last.

The thought made her stomach churn.

She wanted to believe this wasn’t as dire as it felt.

But Elion’s silence said otherwise.

She looked down at the glass in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly.

"So that’s it, then," she murmured, mostly to herself. "It’s worse than we thought."

Elion’s jaw clenched. "I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to."

Another heavy silence fell between them.

Elion finally sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

"Zake said he needs to run more tests. He’s not certain yet."

Raelynn’s head snapped up. "Zake was here?"

Elion nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yeah."

Raelynn gripped the glass in her hands a little tighter, her mind spinning.

If he had been here in the middle of the night, then…

It really must be bad.