Chapter 391

Maddy’s POV

We left the dining room, but I couldn’t shake the oppressive weight that clung to me. 

My feet moved automatically, following Layla and Jaden, yet my mind was caught in a storm of emotions. Every step echoed loudly in my ears, the hallway stretching endlessly ahead.

Layla walked slightly in front, her hand resting protectively over her stomach. 

Jaden stayed close to her, his hand hovering near her back as though ready to catch her if she faltered. They moved together with a strange rhythm, a connection I couldn’t intrude upon.

Good. I didn’t want to be noticed. Not by them, not by anyone.

But my body betrayed me. My head kept turning back toward the dining room, my eyes flickering to the shadows, as if the man seated at the head of the table might reappear. 

His calm, calculating presence had unnerved me more than I cared to admit.

My pulse quickened. I clenched my fists to stea