?Chapter 407:


    But Christina was unaware of the emotional minefield they stood on. Herrge eyes locked onto his, her face unreadable but intense. They stood close—far too close. Their noses were almost touching.


    Then, after a long pause, her lips parted. Her voice came out low and probing, “What’s with you? You’re acting soft. That’s not like you.”


    He didn’t reply. His jaw tightened. Her question caught himpletely off guard. He had no words ready.


    Originally, he hadn’t even been fully conscious of what he felt for Christina until he’d brushed death not long ago. It was only then, in the face of losing her forever, that he realized just how much she meant to him. Even thinking about a future without her sent pain through his chest. Despite the short time they’d known one another, something inside him had already chosen her.


    Oddly enough, he found himself grateful for that brush with danger—it gave him rity. Without that moment, he might’ve buried these feelings for good and missed the one person who stirred something real in him.


    Dn’s mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound followed. He bit back the desire to confess his feelings for Christina. He had no idea if her heart leaned toward him. A bold move now might ruin whatever they had. He wasn’t one to engage in actions where sess was uncertain.


    So, he resisted the temptation to throw caution to the wind and dere his love. He worried that speaking up now might create an irreparable rift between them. Moreover, Christina had just ended a rtionship—leaping into something new might feel too soon for her. He honored her choices and wished whatever grew between them would unfold at its own pace, without pressure or expectations.


    The moment Christina noticed Dn’s withdrawn expression, she lost her yful mood. “That’s more like you,” she remarked, smiling faintly as she took a step back to give him some space. “Come on, we should get going.”


    Her abrupt withdrawal stirred a quiet ache in Dn’s chest. His fingers, which had only just uncurled, slowly tightened again as he exhaled in silence. Bridging the emotional gap wouldn’t be simple. He’d have to put in real effort. Yet, for someone who had never been in a rtionship, even the basics of courtship felt foreign.


    Confronted with this emotional maze, Dn feltpletely out of his depth. Compared to reviving a copsing business, love felt like an impossible equation. Then a thought surfaced—Ralphy. Maybe he’d have some wisdom to offer.


    L?t??τ чh?ρτ?r? ιn gɑl??οv?l?.сo??


    “You’re not moving?” Christina tilted her head, noticing Dn’s stillness and nk face. “nning to stand here until morning?”


    Snapping out of his trance, Dn responded with steadyposure, “No. Let’s head out.”


    “Okay then!” she replied with a nod.


    He walked ahead and opened the car door for her, gently cing his hand above her head as she stepped in. “Careful. Don’t bump your head.” She’d had a few drinks—he didn’t want her to get hurt from a clumsy moment.


    Christina didn’t dwell on it and hopped in cheerfully.


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