ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 226: face it or avoid it

Night fell slowly, bringing with it a biting cold, yet the tension inside the house refused to ease. The dim lamplight only made the space feel tighter, heavier as if the wooden walls themselves were holding their breath along with everyone inside.

Outside, the camp had fully taken shape.

The bonfire burned steadily, shadows of people moving around it, and among them Demian remained. He did not move much, no longer trying to force his way in, yet it was clear he had no intention of leaving.

Waiting.

That was all he did.

And somehow, that made everything feel even heavier.

Inside, Valerie sat in silence with Deon in her arms. The baby slept soundly, his breathing soft and steady a stark contrast to Valerie’s restless mind. Her gaze was distant, unfocused; she had stopped truly seeing anything in front of her a long time ago.

Lena stood near the window, occasionally glancing outside with an expression that never fully relaxed. She did not like this situation did not like how a single person could change everything just by being there.

Meanwhile, Ethan finally let out a long breath. He had stayed quiet long enough, giving Valerie time to think, but seeing nothing change made him realize silence was no longer an option.

"Valerie."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough.

Valerie lifted her head slightly, though she didn’t fully meet his gaze.

Ethan stepped closer, stopping a few paces in front of her. His expression wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t gentle either. There was firmness there—something he rarely showed.

"You need to think about everything clearly," he said quietly, each word carrying weight. "Don’t look at this from just one side."

Valerie held Deon a little tighter, as if his words immediately put her on guard.

"I’ve thought about everything," she replied softly, though her voice lacked conviction.

Ethan shook his head.

"No."

That single word came without hesitation.

"You’re only thinking about how to stay away from him. That’s not ’thinking about everything ’that’s avoiding it."

The room fell into a deeper silence.

Lena glanced at Ethan, slightly surprised by his firmness, but he didn’t back down. His gaze remained fixed on Valerie.

"If you truly don’t want to go back," he continued, "then say it clearly. Not by hiding behind a door like this."

Valerie lowered her head, her jaw tightening.

"I already said it," she murmured. "I don’t want to see him."

"And he didn’t accept that," Ethan replied calmly. "Now he’s outside, and he’s not leaving. So this isn’t just about what you want anymore—it’s about how this is going to end."

His words lingered.

Unpleasant.

But honest.

Valerie fell silent again, longer this time. Her hand gently stroked Deon’s back a motion that usually calmed her, but now did little.

Lena stepped forward, standing beside her. "You don’t have to go out if you don’t want to," she said firmly. "Don’t let him pressure you. He chose to come like this so he should deal with the consequences."

But Ethan shook his head again, more slowly this time.

"This isn’t about who’s right or wrong anymore," he said. "If this keeps going, what gets destroyed won’t just be him... or you."

He paused, then looked at Valerie more deeply.

"It’ll be everything."

Valerie finally lifted her face.

Her eyes were red not just from crying, but from the exhaustion now clearly showing.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan took a quiet breath before answering.

"If you keep avoiding him, he’ll keep pushing. And if he keeps pushing, this situation will only get worse. The people out there aren’t just standing around for no reason. This could turn into something bigger at any moment."

He wasn’t exaggerating.

He was stating a real possibility.

"And if that happens," he continued softly, "do you think you can still protect the quiet life you want?"

There was no answer.

Because Valerie knew he was right.

Ethan watched her for a few seconds before finally saying what he had been holding back.

"Don’t let your pride... be the thing that destroys everything."

He didn’t say it harshly.

But it was sharp enough to pierce through.

Valerie went still.

The word "pride" stung.

Yet she didn’t deny it.

Because deep down she knew it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Her arms tightened around Deon again, as if the child was the only thing left that was certain in the middle of all this uncertainty.

Outside, the fire continued to burn.

And someone was still waiting.

Not moving.

Not leaving.

As if time no longer mattered as long as that door remained closed.

And inside Valerie began to realize that sooner or later, she would have to choose.

The days passed in a strange way—slow, yet suffocating, leaving no room to breathe. Snow continued to fall as it always did, covering footprints, blurring the line between morning and night. And yet, there was one thing that had not changed since that day.

Outside the small wooden house, Demian was still there.

He no longer stood directly in front of the door like he had on the first day. Now, he was more often near the campfire his men had set up, occasionally speaking in short exchanges, sometimes simply standing in silence while looking toward the house. The tents that once seemed temporary were now arranged neatly, as if they were prepared to stay for as long as it took.

And what unsettled anyone who saw it the most he never seemed to hesitate.

There were no signs of him wanting to leave.

No signs of giving up.

As if waiting was the only thing that mattered to him now.

Inside, Valerie stood by the window for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She pulled the curtain open just slightly, enough for her gaze to fall upon the yard that was no longer empty.

Her eyes found him immediately.

It was always like that.

As if she never needed to search.

Demian stood there calmly, his thick coat dusted with a thin layer of snow. His face wasn’t clearly visible from that distance, but his posture, the way he stood, and that almost unnatural calm everything about him was far too familiar to ignore.

Valerie stared at him longer than she realized.

Her chest tightened, not from the cold, but from something deeper. She didn’t know whether it was anger, fear, or... something she refused to name.

Slowly, she let the curtain fall back into place.

Her hand lingered there for a moment before dropping weakly to her side.

Her thoughts drifted back to the words she had heard days ago.

Don’t let your pride... be the thing that destroys everything.

Ethan’s voice echoed too clearly in her mind.

Valerie let out a long breath, then stepped away from the window. Her gaze shifted to Deon, who was sleeping peacefully in his small bed, his tiny face untouched by everything happening around him.

"Should I... go out?"