?Chapter 1018:


    “You crave me, don’t you?” A crooked smile touched his lips. “The finest hunters often wear the skin of the prey… so tell me, my future sister-inw—between the two of us, who’s truly hunting whom?”


    Rosanna’s breaths came faster, her pulse thudding wildly from the rush of adrenaline.


    It dawned on her that Austen posed a far greater threat than she had bargained for; he had already caught on to her game.


    Yet the question still hung in the air—was she stalking him, or was she the one being stalked?


    A sudden spark lit her eyes, and shezily traced a circle across his chest with the tips of her fingers.


    “What is it you hope I am?” Rosanna asked, locking eyes with him, her lips curved in a teasing smile. “And tell me, who was the one who stood here with his shirt hanging open… Were you seducing me, too?”


    “Oh?” Austen’sugh was low, and he found her far more fascinating than he had expected. “So you’re saying you’ve been trying to seduce me? I’m your fiancé’s brother. Doesn’t it bother you that he might hear about this?”


    “It does…” Rosanna’s softugh brushed the air as she looped her arms around his neck. “But I’m not losing sleep over it, because I know… you’ll keep it to yourself.”


    Her eyes sparkled, and before he had the chance to reply, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.


    In the stormy months she had spent with Axell, Rosanna had mastered the art of keeping a man hooked.


    No man who tasted that kind of charm ever walked away untouched. The shift in Axell’s behavior toward her—right down to his readiness to make her his wife—spoke volumes.


    g?lnσν???s?c?m brings endless adventures


    All she required now was a secluded moment to reel in the true power behind the Nelson family name.


    Austen had already handed her that moment on a silver tter. There was no way she would let it slip through her fingers.


    For her, the titles of hunter and prey were meaningless.


    What truly counted was ensuring Austen would crave her from this moment on, bending to her will whenever she wished. That would be enough. Austen’s focus began to waver; what…


    What had started as a simple test of Rosanna’s control had already spun out of his grasp far sooner than he expected.


    His breath came hot and uneven, his sight hazy as he surrendered to the pull she had over him.


    At the same time, in Maia’s hospital room, sunlight slipped past the curtains, spilling warmth over the vase on the bedside table. The pale yellow petals trembled as if stirred by an unseen breeze.


    Kathie had spent a while chatting with Maia and was getting ready to head off. She gave Maia’s hand a light pat and murmured, “Maia, if anythinges up, call the doctor right away. I’ve got to go make dinner for you and Ethan…” Her eyes swept over the rest of the room, and she added with a smile, “I’ll cook extra today. All of you can shareter.”


    Then Kathie rose to her feet, her gaze lingering on Chris for a few heartbeats, full of admiration with a faint touch of regret. “Oh! If only Maia could meet someone as dashing as you one day.”


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    .<fn583b> Content originallyes from find?novel</fn583b>