<b>Chapter </b><b>613 </b>


    47


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    Fear had me in its grip, but the real heat of his lips brushing mine scorched my heart.


    Edward’s kiss started gentle, then grew deeper, and for some reason, it made me irrationally angry.


    I shoved him away with both hands, but his eyes were still hazy with lingering desire.


    He gazed down at me from above, lips curling in amusement. “Are you mad?” he teased.


    Of course I was angry. Anyone would be upset at being yed with like this.


    “Don’t mess with me anymore,” I said, turning my back to him, my eyes stinging with tears.


    Edward sighed softly, then came over and hugged me from behind, his voice low. “Sorry, I just wanted to <b>see </b>if you’d get angry.”


    I was startled and tried to twist out of his arms.


    He chuckled quietly. “I won’t scare you again. Just don’t leave, okay?”


    “Am I just a duck you’ve got by the throat?” I shot back at him, angry.


    Edward let go and stepped back. “No, to me, you’re like an untouchable swan.”


    I turned to face him, totally shocked.


    His eyes flickered as he looked at me. “Or maybe… a dream I can never reach.”


    I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes.


    Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the yard.


    My heart skipped a beat and my face went pale, worried that someone from the Lynn family had tracked us down.


    Edward leaned in and whispered reassuringly, “It’s probably just someone bringing dinner.”


    Feeling relieved, I sank back onto the couch.


    Today felt like itsted forever.


    Edward brought over a basket and opened it up, revealing hot food containers packed with dinner.


    He set everything out on the table and called me over. “Come on, let’s eat,” Edward said.


    I forced myself to get up and walk over.


    Edward sat down beside me and joined me for the meal.


    11:56 <b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>11 </b>


    47


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    Outside, the sky was inky dark, and everything was so quiet that all the hustle and bustle of the world felt like it was a million miles away.


    After grabbing a bite, I nced at the clock–it was only 8:30.


    “<b>I </b>want to take a shower and get some sleep,” I told Edward as sleepiness hit me.


    He nodded. “Let me take you upstairs.”


    I followed him, stepping onto the curved, spiraling staircase up to the second floor.


    The hallway lights came on, and I saw there were about five or six rooms up here.


    Edward led me to a big bedroom. “This is where you’ll sleep tonight,” he said.


    I walked in, and when the lights switched on, I saw the ce was decked out in a retro style.


    “Whose room is this<b>?</b><b>” </b>I asked.


    “Mine,” Edward replied.


    “Is this the room you used to share with your ex–wife?” I asked, feeling a bit awkward.


    Edward pressed his lips together, silent.


    I quickly added, “Can I sleep in a guest room instead?”


    He lowered his voice and asked, “Does it bother you?”


    I couldn’t help butugh. “It’s not that I mind, I just think it’s a matter of respect. I don’t really like sleeping in the master bedroom.”


    Edward just said “Alright” and led me to a guest room nearby.


    The room was a bit smaller, but everything inside was still really tasteful.


    “Someonees by every week to clean and freshen up the ce, so you can rest easy here,” Edward said.


    I nodded. “Thanks.”


    Edward looked crestfallen, probably because I’d pushed him away earlier. It was like I’d burst his bubble and snapped him back to reality.


    After he left, he quietly closed the door behind him.


    I took a shower<b>, </b>making sure to hang my clothes up high so they’d stay dry.


    After a hot shower<b>, </b><b>I </b>felt even sleepier. I got dressed, slipped under the covers, and settled into bed.


    The nkets were still chilly, but the room was warm, and before long, I drifted off to sleep.


    11:56 Thu<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>11 </b>


    <b>47 </b>


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    I slept straight through until morning. When I woke up, it took me a while to realize I was in an unfamiliar ce.


    I pushed myself up in bed, and a beam of sunlight streamed through the window, warming the nkets beside me.


    I got out of bed, went to the bathroom to freshen up, then opened the door and went downstairs.


    Just as I reached the stairs, I heard voices drifting up from the living room below.


    “Isabelle’s twenty–three now. She’s not a little kid anymore–she’s old enough to get married and be a mom,” someone said.


    “Impulsive? Now she calls it that after everything blows up. Did she ever stop to think about the consequences before she acted? Obviously not. She just counts on her family to bail her out whenever she screws up,” another voice chimed in.


    “My dad knows all about her and Ryan, and even the Chambein family’s heard. Are you still trying to stir things up over this?”


    “Drugging someone isn’t some minor thing. It’s a criminal offense–go check thew yourself.”


    Hearing that, I instinctively stepped back and identally bumped into a side table, making a loud tter.