Chapter 173
Read ahead of public and coin chapters ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ GoM kofi ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊
The man above her was not the River Ross she had known. She had understood that in her head, but somewhere deep down, she had still denied it. And now, she was finally forced to realize it, painfully.
The hand gripping her thigh slid down along her calf and slipped off the shoe dangling from her foot. He pressed her down completely, leaving no room to escape beneath the weight of his solid body.
Her lips, forced open again, were claimed as his tongue slid in and tangled with hers—tight, aching, relentless, sucking until her tongue tingled with raw sensation.
“…mm—”
A soft, incomplete moan slipped out, her pale throat trembling. Her already wounded lips split again, a thin line of blood forming. The metallic taste spread faintly, sliding across her wet tongue.
The Duke was impatient. Restless. Obsessive.
If she closed her eyes, he felt desperate and almost frantic. But when she opened them, the man before her only looked… coldly beautiful. Detached. Except for the faint redness at the corners of his eyes, his expression was dry—almost chilling.
That dissonance sent a faint shiver through her.
“…ah…”
The slick sound of their bodies brushing together was indecently vivid. When her heated hips twisted instinctively, he let out a low laugh against her lips.
Her body, heightened by pregnancy, reacted sharply to every rough press of his. Every sensation was overwhelming.
Because she knew exactly what kind of pleasure this man could give her and how far he could push her.
“Ah… ngh…”
Gasping, she twisted her restrained wrists. That small resistance seemed to snap him back to himself.
His breath faltered, and slowly, he let her go. The strand of saliva stretched thin between them broke with a soft snap. Vanessa looked up at him, lips parted and damp.
Her blouse had come undone in the struggle, revealing pale skin beneath, but she didn’t even notice. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her neck and collarbone still marked with the faint, mottled bite marks from before.
“……”
Theodore watched her in silence, his gaze deepening.
Then he slowly straightened and stepped down from the bed, standing upright with composure. He brushed back his disheveled black hair and adjusted his rumpled clothes, his movements calm.
“You should rest for today, Vanessa. Don’t make any hasty decisions. It’s been a tiring day, for both of us.”
“……”
“As for this new arrangement, think it over. Whatever you ask for… you’ll have it.”
“…How… am I supposed to trust you…?”
“I thought you said you loved me.”
The man’s hand brushed lightly against her cheek, his gaze unexpectedly gentle. If she hadn’t known he was a liar, she might have been completely deceived by it.
He twined a strand of her golden hair around his finger, smiling lazily.
“Then why not… just come to me?”
His whisper was like a devil’s temptation. It was cruel, base, and destructive to the soul. It shook her values, made her want to yield, perhaps something even more terrifying than that.
It felt as though the dam she had been holding up was finally collapsing.
The strength in her back and shoulders that had held rigid to preserve her dignity slowly drained away.
‘I’m so tired.’
Her heart had already been worn to shreds.
Her uncle was a murderer. The road ahead was overwhelming. And if she showed weakness, the world would devour her whole.
So she had focused only on enduring. Instead of grieving what had happened, she had chosen to act. Because she couldn’t afford to sit there, broken and helpless.
Step by step, slowly, painfully, she had made it this far. But…
Why couldn’t she stop here? Why couldn’t she lean into this man’s arms? Why couldn’t she just close her eyes and surrender to the comfort he offered?
She loved him. Even if… he had deceived her.
Have you lost your mind, Vanessa? Her eyes snapped open, cold sweat breaking across her skin.
* * *
“Ten days. After that, we end it cleanly.”
At those words, Theodore smiled—sharp, almost predatory. He neither agreed nor disagreed.
“In that case, stay here for the time being. At least for those ten days.”
“…Here? In this hotel?”
“And if you decide you want to extend the arrangement, tell me anytime.”
His tone made it clear that there were no other terms to negotiate.
