Chapter 118
Chapter 118:
Sophie’s gesture ignited something inside Adrian, like a spark racing along a hidden fuse.
His lips moved with wild urgency, scattering kisses over her cheek, grazing her ear, trailing down her neck in a heat that refused to fade. Every touch set off ripples beneath her skin, her body trembling under the flood of sensation.
His palm, burning hot, slipped beneath the edge of her robe and claimed the smoothness of her thigh, the intimate pressure making his own breath grow ragged.
A low, satisfied sound rumbled from his chest as he lifted his head, his gaze molten, locking with the haze clouding her eyes. A crooked smile tugged at his mouth. His voice was low and rough, thick with longing. “Sweetheart p>
He lingered on the word, brushing his nose against hers, his breath burning against her skin. “So, is this how you’re making up for the wedding night we never had p>
Sophie went rigid in his arms.
𝘑oin t𝘩𝗈𝘂𝘀𝘢n𝗱ѕ 𝗼𝘧 𝗳а𝘯ѕ 𝘰ո
It felt as if icy water had been dumped over her, dousing the fire and yanking her back into the present.
Alice’s cruel taunts came rushing back. “Wake up. He doesn’t care who the woman is. All he’s ever loved is the name Alice Barnes. As long as someone has that name, he’ll play the part of a devoted husband p>
Did Adrian care for her, or was it only the title of wife that bound his feelings?
If Alice had stood at the altar that day, would she be the one in his arms now, kissed and held, claimed without hesitation? Perhaps their wedding night wouldn’t have been delayed at all. Perhaps Alice would have already…
The thought turned Sophie’s stomach. A surge of revulsion climbed up her throat, instinct demanding she push him away. She shoved her hand against his chest, forcing sudden space between them.
The movement froze everything.
Adrian’s lips stilled. His eyes, moments ago blazing, shifted to confusion and disbelief. He glanced down at the woman beneath him, feeling the unyielding force of her palm and the sudden chill radiating from her stiffened body.
“Baby,” Adrian said, his voice softer than usual as he tried to catch the eyes that kept slipping away from him. “Talk to me. What’s going on p>
Sophie’s teeth pressed hard against her lip while she fixed her gaze anywhere but on him.
The words she wanted to say tangled in her throat, impossible to release.
Would Adrian have given Alice the same tenderness if she had been the one to marry him? If Sophie hadn’t been in that place, would he still look at her with this affection?
Every second in front of Adrian made her feel smaller, weaker. What she dreaded most was the answer—the thought that the truth could shatter everything between them.
She didn’t dare expose the fragile balance they had built. Instead, she clung tightly to the comfort of a lie, cherishing the illusion even as it ate at her. Fear pushed her deeper into the mask of Alice, because at least that mask let her live quietly by his side.
Her lashes lowered, and her voice came out as a trembling whisper. “I’m sorry. I just… I’m not ready yet p>
How could she give herself to him completely while hiding behind another woman’s name, while he loved her without knowing the truth? She told herself she needed more time. Just until she could summon the courage to strip everything bare.
Adrian froze as her words settled in.
He turned to Sophie with wide eyes, as if what she had spoken had knocked the breath right out of him. She had pulled the plug even now, right when it mattered most.
He let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
He had the urge to grab Sophie and make her understand exactly what she had done, to shake some sense into her. But no matter how strong the feeling was, he couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on her.
His back went rigid as he pulled away, every movement tight with restrained anger. His voice came out in a low growl, each word bitten off between his teeth. “One of these days, you’re going to drive me insane p>