Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 369

Stephen blinked, completely thrown off. Did he even ask her anything like that just now? The only time he mentioned it… was in the car… Wait, last time!

A spark of hope flashed in his eyes. He turned her hand over in his, holding her palm gently. “When you say you chose me, do you mean…”

Rebecca’s lips curled into a smile. “A trial period of three months. I’m willing to give dating you a try. But for now, can we keep it just between us?” She hesitated for a second, then added, “I just think… if things don’t work out, I’d rather not have the whole world know about it.”

She’d thought it through. She was ready to try, but she wasn’t ready to go public.

Stephen just stared at her, completely speechless. The silence stretched on so long it started to get awkward.

What was that supposed to mean?

Rebecca’s nerves got the better of her. “You… don’t want to?” She bit her lip and tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tight, pressing her palm to his cheek.

“Am I dreaming right now? Pinch me. I need to know this is real.”

Rebecca let out a giggle. She pretended she was about to pinch him, but she just couldn’t do it. “It would be a shame to leave a mark on that handsome face.” Instead, she gave his chin a playful squeeze.

His stubble was rough under her fingers, somehow both irritating and completely adorable.

That was when it finally clicked for Stephen. He wanted to say something, anything, but nothing seemed good enough. He just breathed her name. “Rebecca.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, holding her so tight it was almost desperate. He closed his eyes and pressed his face into the curve of her neck, as if he never wanted to let go.

They stood like that, saying nothing at all. Just the pounding of their hearts said everything for them.

After a while, Rebecca nudged his shoulder gently. “By the way, Liam called earlier and said there was some issue with the Coralbridge Bank contract. What happened?”

Stephen’s eyes snapped open. He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. “Actually, it turned out there wasn’t really a problem.”

It just so happened the Duncans had branches in other cities too. He hadn’t planned on working with the Larsons, but if sending Paul away meant keeping him out of Coralbridge, maybe it was worth considering. Not that he’d ever tell Rebecca any of this.

Her cheek pressed against his chest, Rebecca froze for a moment, then broke into a quiet chuckle. Men really were all the same when they got jealous.

She couldn’t help teasing him. “So, you were jealous just now? Is that why you had Liam call me back upstairs with that excuse?”

Stephen’s cheeks went red. “Yeah.”

His honesty caught her off guard. The worst thing in a relationship was when one person never asked and the other never said anything. They’d just agreed to try being together, and he was already this sincere. Her heart warmed at the thought.

She figured it was the right time to be honest, too, to give him a little reassurance. “Paul did tell me he’s into me, but I turned him down. To me, he’s Judy’s family, and someone who helped my mom. That’s all.”

They kept chatting like that for ages. By the time they finally went downstairs, almost all the lights in the building had gone out.