Chapter 124
Antonuo straightened his collar and smoothed down his tic, sati
He glanced at Zabelle, who stood watching hun, her expression solter than usual. Fick he meant what she said when he said she was beautiful. He found himself falling more and more for her.
“Thave a couple of meetings planned today,” he said, breaking the silence.
“I won’t be able to accompany you to your meeting, but like I said. I’ve assigned someone to go with you. They’ll be here at the mansion shortly to pick you up.”
Zabelle nodded, though a flicker of disappointment passed through her. She didn’t understand why she’d even hoped he might come with her.
It wasn’t like he could drop his responsibilities for something so trivial.
Antonio adjusted his cufflinks. “You’ll be fine,” he added, his voice calm and assuring. “You’re capable of handling this. Just remember what I said, give them a chance to prove themselves.”
“Okay” Zabelle replied quietly, biting her lip
“When I get back, you’ll tell me everything,” he told her and she smiled.
Amonio nodded in satisfaction and headed toward the door. He was almost out of the room when he paused
It didn’t feel right, just leaving her like this. He wanted to do something, but what was it?
A thought popped in his head and not thinking too much about it, he turned.
His strides were quick and deliberate as he crossed the space between them,
Before Zabelle could react, he cupped her face with one hand and leaned down, consuming
lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was brief yet utterly
Her body froze, her mind blank as the sensation of his lips on hers sent a jolt through her entire being. It was soft bui
firm, a kiss that carried an intensity she couldn’t immediately process.
When he pulled away,
y, Antonio’s expression was calm, but there was a flicker of something unspoken in his eyes.
He didn’t say a word, didn’t offer an explanation, and Zabelle was too stunned to demand one.
“Have a nine day,” he said to hire
Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, wide–eyed.
As the door clicked shut Leland ham, Zabelle remained rooted to the spot, her hand slowly coming They all tingled, lingering in a way that sent slivers through her.
Hier thought.
Whyt
g up to touch her lips.
tea whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. Antonio had kissed her, twice in one day, and it wasn’t even over yet
Her heart raced as a
uuto the edge of the bed, her mind trying to make sense of the n
thern acting d
differently lately, his sharp edges softening in
in ways that unsettled her.
He had always been cold, indiferent, and hateful to her. Yet now, he was much more warm and caring Atul it wasn’t just the kin
It was everything he had been doing. The way he had encouraged her, pushed her to believe in h
He was changing, and she didn’t know what to make of it.
Her hands trembled slightly as she clasped them together, her breathing un
1/2
in herself, and made her feel important.
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Chapter 124
The mouth was, she was becoming
more and
more aware of him. Every in
Every time he entered a room, her senses heightened.
She
noticed the way he carried himself, the sound of his voler, and the fleeting moments when his eyes softened as they looked at her.
These feelings made her anxious. They weren’t supposed to exist. And yet, she couldn’t ignore the growing flutter in her chest every time he was
As she tried to calm herself, another realization struck her like a lightning bolt,
The only time she had ever felt this way before was with Jeremy. But what she was feeling with Antonio was much stronger than what she felt with Jeremy
Her eyes widened at the thought, and she stood abruptly, pacing the room as her mind spiraled
Jeremy had been her first love, the man who had swept her off her feet and made her believe in fairytales until he shattered her heart.
Was she falling for Antonio!
“No, she muttered to herself, shaking her head and grabbing her hair roughly. “That’s ridiculous.”
She refused to believe it. Antonio wasn’t the kind of man she could fall for. He was cold and calculating, someone who had gotten married to her
for revenge.
But then again, he was also the man who had just kissed her with surprising tenderness? The man who beautiful!
The man who had defended her in front of her family and had protected her.
had praised her and told her she was
“What is happening to me?”
She sank back onto the bed, burying her f
face in her hands.
Her emotions were a mess, her heart at war with her mind. She didn’t want to feel this way, not again, and not after the last time.
She didn’t want to risk, opening herself up again only to be hurt.
But no matter how much she tried to push the thoughts away. Antonio’s face lingered in her mind.
His touch, his words, his kiss, it was all imprinted on her in a way she couldn’t ignore.
Zabelle, you can’t be falling,” she whispered to herself, her voice shaky.
“Get a grip, Z
She couldn’t let herself fall
Il for h
him. Not after everything. Not when she didn’t even know where she stood
I with him.
or what he truly felt.
Because he was nice to her didn’t mean he was going to fall in love with her.
And yet, as she sat there, the memory of his kiss replaying in her mind, she couldn’t deny the warmth it brought to her chest Antonio was changing, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, so
so was she.
11:14 PM
