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The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride (By Tessa Wren) novel Chapter 44

The evening feels different from the others. There’s an unpretentious change in the air, a slight pressure that I can’t exactly put. It’s like something is going to occur something that could either break us apart or unite us.

I sit in the lounge area, tinkering with my fork, not really tasting the food before me. I’ve never been a lot of an eater, however this evening, the food feels particularly unappealing.

The lavish dishes Alexander ordered are all fine dining, too rich and elaborate for my simple tastes. The flavors are too bold, too fancy, and I find myself pushing the food around on my plate, lost in thought. sureshat a clos

Across from me, Alexander is focused on his phone, eyes flicking from the screen to his glass of wine. He doesn’t look up at me. The distance between us is as it always has been–an unspoken wall that neither of us has bothered to address.

But then, something shifts. Just a flicker, a small moment, but it’s enough to make my heart skip a beat.

“Leila,” he says suddenly, his voice deep and low. I look up, startled by the unexpected sound. It’s the first time he’s spoken to me since we sat down.

“Mm?” I ask, unsure if he’s really talking to me or just caught in his own world.

“You’ve been quiet tonight,he observes, his eyes flickering over me with an intensity I’m not used to. It feels strange to be seen by him, truly seen. But there’s no judgment in his gaze–no coldness. It’s almost… curiosity?

“I… didn’t know what to say,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… so much. Everything’s so… overwhelming.”

I feel vulnerable admitting this. Part of me expects him to dismiss it, to wave away my feelings as if they don’t matter. He’s always been distant, closed off. But instead, there’s a strange pause. Briefly, I assume I envision it, however his appearance relax, just somewhat.

“I know it’s been a great deal,” he expresses, nearly to himself. His voice has a peaceful unpleasantness to it, similar to he’s taking on some struggle under the surface. “I would have rather not hurried you into this., I didn’t want you to feel… trapped.”

Trapped. The word hits me harder than I anticipated. It’s anything but a word I’ve heard him express, not in relation to me. He’s always been so controlled, always so sure of himself, but this this feels different.

“You didn’t want me to feel trapped?” I repeat, a small, bitter laugh escaping my lips before I can stop it. “Then why didn’t you ask me? For what reason didn’t you give me a decision?”

Alexander’s look glints away, and I get a brief look at something in his eyes came.

a short glimmer of distress, of disappointment. Yet, it’s gone as fast as it

“You know why,” he says quietly, his jaw tightening. “It wasn’t about us. It was about… survival.”

“Survival,” I repeat, my heart sinking a little. “That’s how you see me? A means to an end?”

“No,” he says, his voice firmer now, more resolved. “It’s not like that. You’re not just a tool to me, Leila. You’re…”

He trails off, his hand gripping around his glass. I can see the pressure in his shoulders, the manner in which his eyes darken. I don’t know what to think about it, or of him.

“You’re what?” I press, the words slipping out before I can hold them back.

Chapter 44 1

Chapter 44 2

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