Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181: From Bliss to Terror

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Chapter 181

~Aira’s POV~

The evening had been unexpected in every way. From the moment Zade picked me up, his teasing smile and easy confidence had been hard to ignore.

And now, as we stood outside the gates of Snow’s mansion, I found myself wishing the night wouldn’t end.

"Admit it," Zade said, his deep voice tinged with amusement, "you enjoyed yourself tonight."

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. "You’re assuming a lot, don’t you think?"

He leaned casually against his car, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. "I don’t need to assume. You laughed—twice. Hard by the way. I counted."

Heat rose to my cheeks. "You’re imagining things."

"Am I?" His smirk deepened, his voice dropping just enough to make my pulse quicken. "I didn’t realize I was that entertaining."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t fight the small smile tugging at my lips. "You’re insufferable, you know that?"

He stepped closer, slowly closing the space between us. "I’ve been called worse but compared to your brother, I think I am the better version," he added with a smirk.

The air between us shifted, the playful banter giving way to something heavier, something magnetic. My heart raced as his gaze softened, his flirtation fading into something deeper.

"You know," he said, his voice quiet now, "it’s nice... talking to you."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Talking to me?"

"Yes." He nodded, his expression sincere. "You. Not your past, not your reputation—just you."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. His words disarmed me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. It wasn’t just what he said—it was the way he looked at me, like I was someone worth knowing, someone worth seeing.

"That’s..." I started, but my voice faltered. "That’s rare."

"It shouldn’t be." His eyes never left mine, and I felt the pull between us intensify.

I tried to laugh, to break the tension, but it came out shaky. "You’re awfully bold, aren’t you?"

Zade grinned, a flash of mischief returning. "It’s only bold if it doesn’t work."

"You’re impossible."

"And yet, you’re still here."

I shook my head, but the smile wouldn’t leave my face. The more I talked to him, the more I realized how dangerous he was—not because of his reputation or his strength, but because of how easy he made it to forget the walls I’d built around myself.

"I should go," I said, glancing toward the gate.

"I’ll walk you to the door," he offered, but I quickly shook my head.

"No," I said, a bit too quickly. "Tempest or Zara will start asking questions, and I’m not in the mood to explain anything tonight."

He chuckled softly. "Fair enough. But you’d have to trek. How else are you going to get in without them noticing?"

"I’ll manage," I said, even though I wasn’t entirely sure how.

He leaned against the car again, his gaze studying me. "You’re stubborn."

His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought he was... we were going to— _{ƒreewebηoveℓ.com}