They didn't, in fact, die.
Somehow, Gregoris was less of a danger at a family dinner table than Delphine Rosenroth was on her best day, and that realization made Rafael feel things he refused to name. Gratitude was one of them. A strange, reluctant softness was another. He hated both.
Rafael's hand had settled over his belly without thinking, more as a reflex than a conscious check-in with a body that was no longer solely his. Maybe it was for himself. Maybe it was for the baby. Maybe both.
Gregoris noticed immediately.
His gaze flicked to Rafael's hand, then to Catherine's face, then back to Rafael again, and his posture shifted in that subtle way that meant 'enough.'
"We're leaving," he said, simple as a command.
Daniel blinked. Philip looked relieved. Bruno opened his mouth, already preparing commentary.
Gregoris didn't let him.
"He's pregnant," Gregoris added, calm and final. "He's my priority."
