Chapter 470
Chapter 470 Petty
Of course he was still angry. Anneliese knew she couldn’t really walk out.
If she left now, their war of silence would begin in full force.
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She scoured her mind, replaying every word she’d spoken, trying to find the one that had almost made his walls break. Then, like a spark in the dark, something clicked.
Could it have been that?
Her eyes lifted to the tall, motionless figure at the balcony rail. His back was straight, his shoulders hard as stone. She bit her lip, and heat crept up her cars.
Jonathan stood facing the river, a wall of silence. He looked as if she didn’t exist, but every nerve in him was tuned to the sound of her behind him.
He heard the door slide open, then close again. His hands tightened on the rail. A dry, humorless laugh escaped his lips.
So that was it. She had already given up. All her sweet words had been nothing but a moment’s whim.
And yet, how absurd. Those words had lodged in his chest. His heartbeat was still unsteady.
That little traitor.
For once, the unshakable Jonathan felt something like frustration claw at him. He reached for his tie, ready- to loosen it. Then, someone’s arms wrapped around his waist. A warm, familiar body pressed into his back, holding him tight.
His eyes flickered with surprise. He looked down and saw pale hands laced across his stomach, fingers woven tight as if they feared he’d pry them off.
Her cheek brushed against his back, soft and shy. Her voice came low, with a trembling smile.
“You thought I left, didn’t you? You were disappointed, weren’t you p>
He answered with a sharp, cold laugh.
Anneliese rolled her eyes silently.
He was stubborn, but she had seen his hands tremble when he thought she was gone. She had seen the veins stand out on his knuckles as they gripped the rail.
Her lips curved. She rubbed her face softly against his back and spoke in a voice that melted like honey. “Mr. Fullbuster, I’m serious about this. I think… I’ve fallen for you. You can decide what to do with that p>
The words rushed out. Her neck burned hot.
Anneliese had never been good at this. Growing up without a family, she had carried
her fear like a shadow. She had never been the type to speak her heart.
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Chapter 470 Petty
She had always shown it quietly, with loyalty and devotion, not with words.
Even with Zacharias, she had never said she liked him, never said she loved him.
He had been the one to whisper it over and over.
He had fooled her with promises as easy as breathing,
She had learned the hard way. Words could be sugar-coated poison. A woman couldn’t live on the sound of them. She had to look at what a man did, how he made her feel.
Jonathan was different. With him, she felt warmth. With him, she felt safe. He gave her steadiness. He gave
her answers.
He made her feel that, whenever she needed him, he would be there.
That was why she dared to speak now. That was why she could finally say she liked him.
But the courage cost her. Her heart pounded wildly. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him
to answer.
One second. Two. Thirty. A full minute.
He said nothing. He didn’t turn. He didn’t even look at her.
Her heart crashed. The fire that had leapt high inside her turned to ash, cold and heavy.
She thought of the woman he had once loved. She thought of the agreement that had started this marriage.
She had believed, because he never mentioned it again, because he never pushed papers at her, because he never demanded a divorce, that he had let it go. She had believed that by building a life with her, he had chosen to build something real.
But maybe she had been a fool. Maybe he only saw her as a wife in name, a role anyone could fill.
Maybe the kindness he gave wasn’t for her at all. Maybe it was simply the way he treated whoever stood in that place.
Or maybe it was simpler. Maybe he already belonged to someone else, and that was why he couldn’t return her words.
She had only been fooling herself. She had handed him a confession he never wanted. She had weighed him down with feelings he didn’t ask for.
The thoughts twisted around her heart like thorns. They pressed deeper with every breath. Salt burned inside her chest, and her whole soul felt tangled and raw.