Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie and Landon) novel Chapter 328

Chapter 328 Trust Me

Natalie’s POV:

“Leonardo,” I asked a serious question, my fingers lightly tracing the stubble on his jaw. “In your heart, what is love?”

Leonardo was caught off guard by my sudden question. He was silent for a moment before answering carefully, “Love is about making someone happy. It’s about protection.”

“No,” I said with a somewhat helpless smile, shaking my head.

Under his puzzled gaze, I gently kissed his chin. Then, I looked straight into his eyes and said clearly, “Love is heartache. It’s fear. It’s a lack of confidence.”

Leonardo’s POV:

A violent tremor flickered in my eyes. Her words sent ripples through my heart. I understood. She was talking about me.

Even though my expression of love had been a complete mess, she was still here, trying to understand me, to embrace me.

Suddenly, I felt a faint, tickling sensation on my shoulder.

Natalie was gently kissing it, right above the spot on my collarbone where she had bitten me earlier. Her tongue was soft, licking over the area, spreading the red mark that wasn’t quite a wound, leaving a damp imprint that belonged only to her.

A jolt like an electric current shot from my shoulder, spreading through my entire body.

I shuddered slightly, caught between enjoying this intimate comfort and a restless tightness in my throat. At this moment of total surrender, such closeness threatened to shatter my last shred of self-control.

“Natalie…” I could only rasp her name. “I really don’t want you to regret this…”

“Trust me,” she interrupted, lifting her head from my jaw. She gently cradled my face- stubbled and etched with weariness-in her hands. Her gaze was gentle and firm. “And trust yourself, just this once. Even if the road ahead leads to hell, having someone to walk through it with you can make it a kind of heaven.”

With that, she stood on her toes and kissed my cold, slightly trembling lips.

This kiss held no teasing or provocation. It was pure comfort tenderness, and a love so thick and unreserved that it felt tangible.

A chill mixed with humiliated fury shot up my spine. I forced myself to stand straight, pulling my lips into a cold smile.

I sneered, “All this? Snacks and desserts? Don’t you know Leonardo doesn’t eat late-night snacks or have a sweet tooth?”

Of course, I knew these weren’t for Leonardo. I was just saying it to be difficult.

Aaron glanced at the bags. His expression remained respectfully neutral, but his words were sharp. “Mr. Sanchez doesn’t, but Mrs. Sanchez does. Mrs. Sanchez injured her hand. Mr. Sanchez was concerned there might not be fresh supplies, so he messaged me earlier. As for the sweets, Mrs. Sanchez likes them, so….” He paused, then said clearly, “Mr. Sanchez is now willing to try them.”

Every word was excruciatingly harsh, striking at my already frayed nerves. Mrs. Sanchez? Aaron called her “Mrs. Sanchez”-so naturally. Leonardo worried about her injury, remembered her preferences, and even changed his own long-held habits for her.

“You’re lying!” My voice edged toward losing control. “They were just fighting. Why would he ask you to bring these?”

“A fight doesn’t mean anything, Ms. Thompson,” Aaron said with a slight smile. His tone remained flat, yet carried a cruel, knowing edge. “Mr. Sanchez messaged me as soon as Mrs. Sanchez arrived. When someone’s really in your heart, even when you’re apart or fighting, your first instinct is still to care about them. The hardest thing in the world to block with logic is feeling, isn’t it?”

His words cut straight to the core, forcing me to face reality. If logic could truly block feeling, why was I standing here like a pathetic ghost, watching the warmth shared by others?