Chapter 96
What exactly was he planning to check?
She had no way of knowing, but she could say for certain that it would go far beyond common sense. The moment she saw the man’s face, distorted and tinged with a bleak light, Blair knew.
A bad feeling clawed at her chest. Without realizing it, she took a step back, her back hitting the cold door.
By the time she realized there was nowhere left to retreat, Edmund suddenly reached out.
Expecting contact, Blair flinched, her shoulders tensing. But his warmth touched nothing. Only his gaze, still piercing through her, remained unchanged. Blair blinked, looking up at Edmund.
Click.
The sound of metal locking echoed behind her. She followed the sound with a downward glance and sighed. Stupidly, she finally understood. His hand wasn’t reaching for her; it was locking the exit she could have used to escape.
“…What do you think you’re doing right now?”
“I hate being interrupted.”
“I’m asking what kind of stupid thing you’re trying to pull.”
“Stupid thing, Blair.”
Edmund, who had turned the wide space into a private enclosure for just the two of them, laughed low as he closed the distance again.
“I’m only checking whether my wife is telling the truth. And while I’m at it, I’m curious whether her love for me is still the same.”
The sight of him smiling made Blair furious. She couldn’t stand his relaxed, almost playful attitude. More than anyone, she knew that once peeled back, a badly twisted temperament lay crouched underneath.
“Don’t touch me. I’ll scream.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m curious. What would you scream?”
Instead of answering, Blair shot him a sharp glare. She bit her lip hard, unwilling to let him hear her heated breathing. At that, Edmund lifted the corner of his mouth and raised his hand, rubbing her lower lip with his thumb.
“Help? That your husband’s gone mad and is trying to threaten his wife? That would really shatter my reputation nicely.”
His cool finger pried open her bitten lip and slowly stroked it. His fingertips invaded even the inner membrane, pressing and caressing until the original shape of her lips was crushed and blurred.
“If you want me to stop, shouldn’t you beg me? Tell me to stop, beg me, plead for me to believe you. You can plead all you want.”
“….”
“Oh. Sounds like something I’ve heard often in bed.”
Blair, who had been repeating nothing but ragged breaths, lifted her hand. But before it could reach his cheek, her wrist was caught midair.
“Let go of me!”
“Do you resent me?”
“Yes. You bastard.”
“Then show me yourself.”
Her heart raced so violently that her pulse thundered in her ears. Edmund looked down at Blair as she struggled to steady her breathing, then slowly leaned his upper body forward.
Even as she watched his face draw closer, Blair didn’t avoid him. But neither did she close her eyes as if to go along with a kiss, like she always did. The man who closed the distance without any resistance pressed a kiss to her lips.
He didn’t part them to enter, but stayed pressed close enough that their soft membranes touched, lingering thickly. He buried the bridge of his firm nose against her slightly plump cheek and scattered his breath. Smack. His lips pulled away with a sound, yet remained hovering right there for a moment.
Then, in that tender voice of his, he whispered, “Are these lips that are lying, or lips flushed with excitement, calling my name?”
Her cheeks, burning red, were painfully hot. The tears she’d forced herself to hold back finally spilled over.
“Who are you….”
Her voice, mixed with a sob, trembled pathetically. Blair couldn’t hold back the surge of grief any longer.
“Who the hell are you… to keep shaking me like this?”
Edmund said nothing. He did not murmur soothing words or reach out to wipe away her tears. He only looked down at the sobbing woman in silence for a while.
But the eyes fixed fully on her stiffened ever so slightly. That, too, made her angry. It felt like he was shaken by her reaction after provoking her so thoroughly.
Blair roughly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and turned her head away from his face. Only then did Edmund lift his hand, gently cupping her chin and fixing her gaze.
“Blair.”
“Go away.”
“Look at me.”
“No.”
No matter how she turned her head, she couldn’t escape him. Edmund persistently followed her face, then tilted his head and carefully brushed his lips against hers. Four times, five times, and after that, the count no longer mattered as the soft sounds continued. Each touch was a pitiful kiss, as if spilled in place of an apology.
“If you’re angry at me, then say it. You can resent me and blame me, okay? I’ll listen to anything.”
“What good does that do now?”
“You want me.”
Edmund continued, almost whispering, “Even when you want to push me away, you still want to fall into my arms in the end.”
Blair, breathing out wetly, glared at Edmund with reddened eyes.
“Then what do you want? Do you want me to hike up my skirt and spread my legs right here, in the place where you meet business partners every day and pore over documents?”
“I want you to come back to me.”
His lips, carrying a confession, brushed over the tears clinging to the corner of Blair’s mouth.
“I want it to be like the beginning again, for your heart to look only at me.”
For a moment, it felt as though her breath stopped. Blair closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and stared at the floor as she let out a trembling breath.
Was what the man before her wanted really love? Or was it a desire to bind her to him again? She couldn’t bring herself to believe it.
And yet, at the confession she had wanted to hear so badly, her foolish heart pounded relentlessly. The affection she’d kept hidden away, the love she’d wanted to throw away anywhere after being so thoroughly hurt, quietly revealed itself.
“Then tell me. What do I need to do?”
“…Why are you acting so desperate now, of all times?”
“Because I can do anything for you.”
Edmund let out a short laugh, as if exhaling a breath. That twisted smile held self-mockery, resignation, and arrogance he still couldn’t discard. A pointless anger surged up. Trapped tightly in his arms, all Blair could do now was pour out her resentment.
“I don’t need it. Words that aren’t sincere.”
“That hurts. You know I don’t do things I don’t mean.”
At last, the man stretched out both arms and pulled Blair into an embrace.
“You said you loved me. You said it had to be me.”
He then rested his cheek against her hollow shoulder, pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, and kissed the rim of her ear.
“Say it now, Blair. That you can’t do without me.”
“…You’re right. I won’t deny it. But what about you?”
From their chests, now pressed tightly together without a gap, a frantic pounding raced, impossible to tell whose it was. Edmund, who had been planting kisses as if to burrow into every place their breaths touched, slowly straightened his upper body.
Blair still gasped for breath, unable to steady it, and stared straight at him.
“What on earth is your heart saying?”
“Me too.”
Thump thump, the pounding was now completely out of control. His voice broke as his breath tangled slightly.
“I love you.”
The confession spoken in a low, subdued tone did not feel real. Blair’s eyes, brimming with tears, wavered.
How long had she waited to have her feelings returned by him? Despite having so many chances, the man who never revealed his true heart chose only now to confess, and the timing felt unbearably sad.
If only she’d heard those words before learning about the will, she wouldn’t be doubting their weight like this. If that were the case, nothing could have broken her love for him. Back then, it would have been fine even if she was deceived.
“I don’t know anymore. Our conversation should have ended before I heard the will.”
“It’s not too late even now.”
Edmund quietly cupped her face. His slightly cool temperature was a warmth she knew all too well. It felt like a temperature meant to calm the two of them, both boiling out of control.
Blair stayed silent for a while, resting her cheek against his palm. What more could she say now? Whether the feelings he offered were sincere or calculated, she’d reached a point where she could no longer tell the difference.
So, knowing all of that, she accepted his warmth anyway, as if she couldn’t resist. Even knowing it might not be sincere, that illusion itself was the last comfort left to her. She wanted to hold onto the lingering heat of the emotion she once called love, to pretend not to know and embrace the feelings he’d revealed far too late.
Looking down at Blair as she stubbornly clung to her silence, Edmund once again grasped her face. Holding her firmly with both hands so she couldn’t escape anywhere, he crashed down and swallowed her lips.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Februarymoon10
He’s evil