Chapter 6
I took a deep breath and used all my strength to shake off Kieran’s grip.[]
He stumbled backward, staring at me in disbelief.[]
Without sparing him another glance, I walked straight to Dex.]
I took his hand in mine. His fingers instinctively curled up but he didn’t pull away.[]
Holding Dex’s hand. I slowly approached him.[]
Then I stood on my tiptoes and gently pressed a kiss to his lips.[]
The room immediately fell silent.[]
“Who says I don’t like him?“]
Dex’s eyes trembled violently.[]
Those usually calm eyes now filled with incredulous surprise.[]
I almost wanted to laugh.[]
It was rare to see the always composed and self–controlled Dex so shocked he couldn’t even speak.[]
Kieran’s already dark expression now looked black as thunder.[]
He forced out a cold laugh through clenched teeth: “Fine, Riley. Don’t come crying to me later when you regret this.“[]
He paused, his gaze like a poisoned arrow cutting right through me.].
“Mara and I will be having our wedding very soon. Even if you change your mind and come begging, it’ll be too late!“[]
Those words sounded familiar.[]
Dex had once said something similar to me, warning me not to choose him so I wouldn’t regret it later.[]
But the same words from these two different men carried completely different meanings.[]
One spoke with humble hope and careful treasuring, afraid I was making the wrong choice and would suffer later.[]
The other was full of offended rage and resentment, convinced I couldn’t survive without him, waiting to watch me fail.[]
Kieran said nothing more, roughly grabbed the pale–faced Mara, and stormed out of the ballroom.[]
Mara stumbled as he dragged her along, the triumphant smile still not completely faded from her face.[]
Only after their figures completely disappeared from the doorway did Dex seem to wake from a dream.[]
Chapters
He looked at me, his voice slightly hoarse: “Riley, am 1… drunk?“[]
“This isn’t all a dream, is it?”
“Did you really… choose me?“]
Seeing him like this, my heart softened.[]
I reached out and gently squeezed his fingertips, letting him feel my presence.[]
“What about now? Still feel like a dream?“]]
He stepped forward and pulled me tightly into his arms, his chin resting on top of my head, his voice filled with barely contained excitement.[]
“This is perfect. You chose me.“[
I leaned into his embrace, breathing in his clean, crisp scent, and the irritation Kieran had caused gradually faded away.[]
Dex walked me back to my room.[]
The entire way, he held my hand tightly, as if I might vanish if he loosened his grip even slightly.[]
At my bedroom door, he stopped and looked at me intently.[]
“Riley, thank you.” His voice was low and serious.[]
I raised an eyebrow: “Thank me for what?“]
“Thank you for… choosing me.” He paused, then added, “And thank you for giving me a chance.“[]
“Well, you better not screw it up,” I teased lightly.[]
He nodded seriously: “I won’t.“[]
That earnest expression made me smile despite myself.
A few days later, wedding invitations from Kieran and Mara arrived in my hands.[]
At the time, Dex and I were dining at a newly opened French restaurant.[]
When Kieran and Mara appeared, Dex was carefully wiping sauce from the corner of my mouth.[]
His movements were gentle and natural, as if he’d done it a thousand times before.[]
My cheeks warmed and I turned away shyly, whispering: “What are you doing? There are people watching.“[]
Hearing this, Dex just smiled softly, his eyes filled with indulgent tenderness: “I know. Just let them watch.“[]
Kieran stood nearby watching this scene, his expression darkening.]
