?Chapter 949:


    Meanwhile, Arion awkwardly reached for a chair and slid it out for Wesley.


    Elena shot him a nce. “So, is he living here now?”


    A single-word reply from Wesley settled it. “Yes.”


    She gave no sign of argument, choosing instead to avert her eyes and let the subject drop.


    Once breakfast finished, Elena pushed her chair back to leave—but before she could take a step, Wesley gently caught her wrist. With heavy fatigue etched into his features and dark shadows under his eyes, he asked softly, “Stay with me a while. Just join me in the bedroom.”


    Misunderstanding the request, Elena’s brows furrowed.


    Wesley had been running on fumes after a long night on the move. All he wanted now was to be near her—close enough to find peace and finally sleep.


    But Elena thought otherwise. She knew him too well. He only used such excuses when something else was on his mind. Her face stiffened, her jaw tightening. Was sex really all he ever thought about? Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out, sharp and unforgiving. “Is sex seriously all you ever think about?”


    The usation hung heavy in the air. For a split second, Wesley blinked—thrown off by the abruptness of her tone. Then, realization hit, and a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes. So, that was what she thought. With a grin curling at the corners of his mouth, he chuckled. “And what exactly do you think I was suggesting?”


    Without waiting for a response, he drew her close. The soft trace of her scent reached him, and something inside him quietly shifted—the glint of ice in his gaze giving way to a gentler light.


    His face pressed into the crook of her neck as he inhaled deeply, steadying himself with the quietfort of her presence. Beneath closed lids, his eyes gleamed with a strange mix of peace and possessiveness.


    “You…” Elena began, her voice nearly a whisper as she stiffened. The heat of his breath brushed her skin, sending a wave of confusion across her. A flicker of difort crossed her features. Was he actually smelling her? What the hell was going on in his head?


    Elena lifted her hands, intending to push him back and speak her mind, but the shadows beneath his eyes stopped her short. He lookedpletely worn out. Something must have happened while she was asleep—something he wasn’t saying.


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    “Wesley,st night, you—”


    “I just want to lie down with you, that’s it. I won’t do anything.” Before she could get another word out, he gently cut in, halting her midsentence.


    It was in that instant Elena understood—he wasn’t pretending. He was genuinely exhausted. Whatever rejection she was about to voice faded before it could form.


    The shift in her demeanor didn’t go unnoticed. A subtle glint of relief softened the exhaustion in Wesley’s eyes. With practiced ease, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her upstairs with strides that were unhurried but full of intent.


    Left behind, Arion could only stare,pletely thrown off by what he’d just witnessed. Even with Scarface possibly lurking somewhere in the, Wesley still found the time and the nerve for something like this. Wesley was nothing if not unpredictable.


    Wesley ced Elena on the bed with deliberate care. He peeled off his shirt, then reached for the nket and pulled it over them.


    Tucking Elena into his arms, Wesley exhaled quietly, as if he’d finally found a moment of peace.


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