The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86 To Close To Pretend

“I don’t know,” Elera said quietly. “Maybe. We were in front of everyone. It was expected. And you’re a businessman. You know how to play a role when you need to.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Hurt, maybe. “I kissed you because I wanted to,” he said, his voice low. “Because I’ve wanted to for weeks. Because standing there watching you reveal yourself, watching you take your power back, I was so proud and so amazed that I couldn’t not kiss you. It had nothing to do with the audience.

“Oh, Elera said, her heart doing somersaults in her chest. “Okay. Good. That’s good.”

“But,” Drakonius continued, and her heart sank at that word. “I also don’t want you to feel obligated to return feelings you don’t have. Last night was emotional. You were high on adrenaline. And I’m a dying man who you married out of necessity and not by choice. So if the kiss was just caught up in the moment, if it didn’t mean to you what it meant to me, I understand. We can go back to being partners. Colleagues. Whatever you need.”

Elera stared at him. Was he serious? He thought she’d kissed him back out of obligation? “Drakonius, I…”

Her phone rang, cutting her off. She glanced at it and groaned. “It’s Clara. I should probably take this.”

“Of course,” Drakonius said, standing up. “I’ll leave you to it. Come find me when you’re ready. We should probably discuss strategy for handling all of this.”

He left before she could say anything else. Elera wanted to scream. They were both idiots. Clearly into each other. Clearly scared out of their minds. This was exhausting.

She answered the phone. “Clara.”

“ELERA NETHYS VEX SHADOWMERE OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS,” Clara shouted. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE?”

“Destroyed my life?” Elera guessed.

“That’s what happens when the mystery author everyone’s been obsessed with for years turns out to be a billionaire’s wife with a tragic backstory and cheekbones that could cut glass,” Clara said. “You’re the ultimate package. Brains, beauty, talent, and drama. The public is eating it up”

“He thinks I only kissed him because we were in front of people,” Elera blurted out. “He thinks it was for show.”

There was a long pause on the other end. “Men are idiots,” Clara finally said. “Brilliant, wonderful idiots. You need to tell him how you really feel.”

“I don’t even know how I really feel,” Elera protested. “Everything’s moving so fast. A month ago I was engaged to a different man planning to destroy me. Now I’m married to someone who’s dying, who I’m trying to save, and we’ve got people threatening us from all sides, and I just blew up my secret identity in front of the entire world.”

“Sounds like you need to add ‘figure out your feelings for your hot husband‘ to your to–do list,” Clara said. “Right after ‘deal with media circus‘ and before ‘save said husband’s life.“”

“You’re not helping,” Elera said, but she was smiling despite herself.