?Chapter 194:


    So, when Manley voiced the question, Elliana’s eyes immediately sought out Merlin’s face. He scowled, clearly annoyed, but held his tongue. She furrowed her brows. Was that a silent admission? “Wait, no way, Merlin. You’re not serious, are you?”


    Manley blinked, torn betweenughter and disbelief. “Seriously, Merlin? You? Just minutes ago, you were practically preaching about bachelorhood—how romance was repulsive, how you couldn’t fathom any sort of physical closeness with women. And now you’re suddenly interested in Hailee?”


    Merlin’s face burned with a sh of embarrassment, his mouth twitching, ready to respond—but Manley beat him to it.


    “Before you say anything, there’s something you need to remember,” Manley said, his voice steady but edged with warning.


    That stopped Merlin cold.


    Manley went on, “Hailee works at the Royal Club as a hostess. I know a little about her situation. She’s got a boyfriend—and she’s head over heels for him. You have no idea how much.”


    Merlin’s brows drew tighter, his lips thinning as displeasure rippled across his face. After years of feeling nothing for any woman, suddenly he found someone who stirred something in him, only to discover she already belonged to someone else. It was a cruel twist.


    “I heard they’d only been dating three months when he fell gravely ill. Since then, she’s been working nonstop to pay for his treatment. And now, she’s nning to donate a kidney to him,” Manley continued, spilling out everything he knew.


    He let the weight of those words hang before turning to Elliana. “I’m right, aren’t I?”


    Elliana’s lips tightened, but she said nothing. She didn’t owe them an exnation, and Hailee’s story wasn’t hers to share. But her silence was taken as confirmation by the others.


    Merlin’s face darkened.


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    He hadn’t expected Hailee to be the type to give so much of herself, especially for someone she’d known for not too long. That kind of love, that level of devotion, was foreign to him. And it burned. Jealousy reared its head, sharp and sudden. Just how deeply did she love this man to make such sacrifices?


    The thought twisted inside Merlin like a de. He yanked at his cor, irritation evident, and muttered coolly, “Her affairs have nothing to do with me.”


    That was his way of saying he was giving up on Hailee.


    Elliana felt an immediate rush of relief. Hailee was far too gentle, too pure, too naive for the cutthroat world of Merlin’s circle. The idea of Merlin—cold, unpredictable—disrupting Hailee’s life had left her uneasy. His decision to back off was the best oue.


    Just as Elliana let out a quiet breath, she noticed something—Merlin’s piercing gaze had turned on her.


    Elliana’s frown deepened, subtle but sharp. Merlin had never shown her kindness—not once. Their first encounter at the Royal Club had been nothing short of cold. He’d even urged Cole to divorce her. Now, with that same piercing stare fixed on her, she couldn’t help but wonder what game he was ying.


    There was a weight to Merlin, the kind that only came from years on the battlefield. His past in international special forces clung to him like a shadow—hard, disciplined, and dangerous. When he looked at someone, it wasn’t just a nce. It was an assault. Most people buckled under that pressure.


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