Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 185

9:23 am P P P

Scarlett

Chapter 185

Scarlett’s POV

Elsa released my hand, frowning slightly as she turned to Lucian. “You said she wants to leave, and you three have decided to set her free. So… who’s go first?”

For a moment, I felt a strange urge to smile, but I held back, letting the weight of the silence fill the room. Seeing them so speechless-these men who usually had so much to say–was a rarity. Elsa gave my hand a comforting pat, then stood. “Well, I’ll excuse the four of you to sort this out. Call me back when you’ve made a decision.” She said leaving an almost tangible tension in the air.

The silence lingered, heavy and loaded. I looked at Lucian, but his gaze dropped, revealing the fracture in his resolve. I could feel his heart breaking, see him wrestling with the vulnerability of the moment.

Elsa left, and I stood up, heading toward the door. I wasn’t ready to dive into that awkward conversation they all seemed so eager to have. Sure, I’d already decided to stay, but letting them wonder a bit longer wouldn’t hurt. I couldn’t deny it was kind of adorable-the way they looked at me with those wide, pleading eyes, a

I’d change my mind. I could practically feel the anticipation coming off them, their quiet, unspoken need for me to stay close, to

not walk a

vay to my room, I allowed myself a quiet, amused chuckle. It was a strange mix of feelings-a tug of fondness and an odd em on their toes. I reached my room and hadn’t even settled in properly when the door opened, and there he was. Maxwell. He given any warning. He just stepped in, as if his need to be there was more important than manners. I felt a jolt of surprise run s something in his eyes-a glint of desperation, maybe even a trace of recklessness. He’d decided to throw caution to the wind, and I ery inch of his tense, restless energy.

door behind him, his eyes locked on me, his face serious. He moved closer, and I kept my face blank, curious to see just how far he was willing of me was braced for this, but another part-well, another part of me was waiting, watching, almost hoping.

lett,” he murmured, his voice low as he reached out, closing the space between us. His hands found my arms, his touch gentle, warm, sending shivers ng across my skin. I felt the electric thrill of it, the tingle that came just/from being this close. But I held myself steady, keeping my calm, pretending

t to be affected.

He was breathing fast, his chest rising and falling as if he were racing against time. His gaze held a kind of vulnerability, raw and unguarded, and I could

feel his fear. He was terrified-not just of what he was about to say, but of how I might respond. It was like he was holding his heart in his hands, afraid, d

take it and just walk away.

“Scarlett,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “I know… I know we all agreed it’d be best to let you go.”

He paused, his grip on my arms tightening just a little as he fought to keep himself together. “But… I can’t,” he checked out, his voice cracking under the weight of everything he wasn’t saying. His words were barely above a whisper, but I could feel the ache, the depth of it.

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