Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 196

hapter 196

“Then it’s best you tell me where you’re going,” he said firmly, his voice low and unyielding, “so I can pack my bags.”

The seriousness in his tone startled me. He wasn’t joking-he meant every word. I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, he stepped closer, his gaze locking onto mine with a fire that refused to be extinguished.

“Lucian said some things,” he continued, his voice raw with emotion, “but we were never in agreement. Only a fool would let his mate go. I can’t let you go,

Scarlett. I would be lying to myself if I said I could. I didn’t even know why I agreed to go along with it in the first place.”

His hands gripped my arms gently but with purpose, as if he was afraid I might vanish if he let go. His words spilled out in a desperate rush, each one

cutting through the walls I’d built around myself.

“Please, give me a chance to prove to you that I’m sorry,” he pleaded, his voice trembling with sincerity.

“A chance to redeem myself. I won’t justify what we did-I can’t. You shouldn’t have stood trial to begin with. You had no fault in this, and yet I stood by and let it happen.” His words faltered for a moment, and I saw the pain flash across his face.

“I’m not running, Scarlett. I’m not letting you go to Keith. I hold no grudge, no anger about him-only regret. Please, let’s try again. I swear to you, you won’t regret it. I can’t ever replace you. We can never replace you. If you leave…” His voice broke slightly, his breath catching. “If you leave, you’ll leave us

empty. With nothing.”

His desperation was tangible, his every word carrying the weight of someone who had nothing left to lose. “I won’t fault you if you go, but I’m begging you

-don’t.”

I stared into his eyes, feeling the passion and raw emotion that burned in them. It mirrored my own, breaking through the barriers I had tried so hard to maintain. My voice was softer, quieter, but it carried the same intensity as his.

“Prove to me just how much you want me to stay, Clay,” I said, my words deliberate and unwavering. “I want you to prove it to me.”

For a moment, the room was still, the air heavy with everything we weren’t saying. Then, without warning, his lips crashed against mine, desperate and full of intent. The kiss wasn’t just an apology-it was a declaration, a promise, a plea. It carried emotions that no words could ever fully capture, and I felt every one of them as his hands moved to cup my face, holding me as if I were the most fragile thing in the world.

I pressed my palms against his chest, feeling the heat of his skin, the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. His muscles tensed under my touch, and his cinnamon scent enveloped me, intoxicating and familiar. My body responded instinctively, melting into his embrace as every wall I had erected came crumbling down.

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Clay lifted me effortlessly, his strength a stark reminder of the power he held, not just physically but emotionally. He set me down gently on the cool surface of the kitchen table, his blue eyes blazing with need. His gaze bore into mine, and in that moment, there was no mistaking what we both wanted. The air between us crackled with unspoken desire, with the magnetic pull of two souls that had been apart for far too long.

His fingers brushed my cheek, his touch reverent, and I knew my own longing mirrored his. We needed this-needed each other in a way that went beyond words or reason. And as his lips found nune again, I gave in to the moment, letting the intensity of his love consume me. For now, nothing else mattered.

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