The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204

CHAPTER 10

Isla barely had time to register Graham’s presence before he stepped

inside, the door closing sharply behind him. The small space of the

entryway seemed to shrink with his towering presence, his storm-

dark eyes boring into her with such intensity that she stumbled

backward.

Her heart pounded as she twisted the frayed edge of her apron

between trembling fingers. The worn fabric felt like the only anchor

keeping her upright. For a moment, she dared to look at him–just a

fleeting glance–before her gaze darted back down to the floor, where

her bare feet shifted nervously against the scuffed wooden boards.

This is absurd, she thought. She had been planning to go back to him

anyway, to swallow her pride and beg for a second chance. And yet,

now that he was here–so close and so angry–her legs felt like lead, and her throat had closed up tight.

She wasn’t guilty of anything, she reminded herself. She hadn’t stolen from him, hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, she’d left his home so she wouldn’t be a burden. After all, they weren’t related by blood. She owed him nothing.

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Chapter 204

And yet…

She dared another glance upward, her eyes betraying her by lingering

far too long. They drifted from his polished leather boots, shining

even in the dim light, up the perfect line of his tailored black

trousers, and paused on his chest–broad and unmistakably muscular

beneath his dark shirt. It was maddening, the way her gaze stuck

there as if her brain had short–circuited.

“Are you done glaring at my chest?” His voice sliced through the

silence like a blade, deep and laced with barely controlled anger. Isla

flinched, heat rushing to her cheeks. “Or would you mind explaining

why the hell you’re here–working as a maid, if that apron and your

bare feet are any indication–while I’ve been losing my mind looking

for you?”

His words hit her like a physical blow.

“I’ve spent two weeks wondering if today would be the day the police

would find your body dumped in some ditch,” he continued, his voice

tight. “Dead.”

He stepped closer, his towering form crowding her personal space,

and Isla took another instinctive step back. He bent slightly, leveling

his face with hers, his furious eyes pinning her in place. “Do you even

realize what you’ve done?”

Chapter 204

The fire in his gaze made her want to shrink, to curl in on herself like

a leaf touched too harshly. She had never seen anyone this angry—

not him, not anyone.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. How could she explain? How could she put into words the grief, the desperation, and the pride that

had led her to leave that night?

Graham must have seen the turmoil in her face because his tone

softened just a fraction. “Why, Isla? Why would you run away like

this? I know you were grieving. I was too. But why leave home? Why vanish without a word, in the middle of the night, like some

criminal?”

Her eyes filled with tears, her vision blurring as his words cut deeper than she expected. Before she could look away, he gripped her chin- not roughly, but firmly–and tilted her face up to meet his gaze.

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” he said, though his tone had gentled, his fingers light against her skin. This time, his touch burned in a different way, sending an unsettling heat through her.

Her tears began to spill, the first drops streaking down her cheeks before she could stop them. Graham’s brows drew together, his

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