I Owe the Tyrant Four Little Heirs novel Chapter 125

She couldn't afford to dream of marrying into a family like his. If she was going to find a man to help her, he had to be someone from her own world. A handsome, rich, single man like Jareth? That was a fantasy she needed to let go of.

Just pretend a dog bit you a few times, she thought.

With that, her anger subsided. She climbed to her feet and fumbled for a light switch, but flipping it a few times did nothing.

“Damn it,” she muttered. “Another short circuit.”

In the darkness, Jareth’s brow furrowed. She seemed to know this place very well.

Niamh carefully made her way out of the bedroom. She had only taken a couple of steps when a loud clap of thunder echoed outside. With a yelp, she spun around and threw herself into Jareth’s arms, clinging to his waist and trembling uncontrollably.

Another crash of thunder, louder this time.

Niamh buried her face in his chest, holding on even tighter.

A flash of lightning illuminated the dilapidated room, and Jareth saw that her face was completely drained of color. An unexpected pang of protectiveness went through him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”

His voice seemed to calm her frayed nerves. In the past, whenever a thunderstorm hit in the middle of the night, she would hide alone in a corner, pulling a blanket over her head.

After what felt like an eternity, the thunder finally faded. Niamh’s body relaxed.

Niamh turned to look at him, her voice sharp with bitterness. “Why do you think? Because I was broke!”

“So broke that you still scammed me out of fifty thousand,” she thought miserably. But then she chided herself. Her past wasn’t his fault. Why was she taking it out on him?

“After I found out I was pregnant, I ran away to this city. I didn’t have money for rent, so I had to live in one of these free construction sheds,” she explained, her voice softening. “In fact, my quadruplets were born in this very house.”

A sad smile touched her lips as tears began to stream down her face.

Her words felt like a knife twisting in Jareth’s chest. He couldn’t believe it. She had given birth to quadruplets, alone, in these conditions. What kind of bastard gets a woman pregnant and then abandons her?