The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 215

The moment those words dropped, the air in the bedroom seemed to freeze instantly.

Nora's face flushed visibly red, the color spreading from her neck all the way to her ears.

She gripped the blanket tightly with both hands, wishing she could dig a hole straight through the mattress and bury herself alive.

She had actually asked such a degrading, undignified question!

Running to ask a man whose eyes and heart only held Giselle if he liked her was utterly ridiculous.

"I... I had too much to drink."

Nora stammered, scrambling for a rational excuse for her breakdown.

"People always spout completely illogical nonsense under the influence of alcohol. Don't take it seriously; it was just me rambling when my brain was fried. Sorry to bother you last night, it won't happen again."

She babbled her explanations, desperate to turn the page on this suffocating chapter.

Watching her frantic display of shame and regret, looking as if she wanted to bite her own tongue off, a trace of amusement flashed through Gideon's eyes that even he didn't notice, and his lips twitched into a smirk.

"I never knew Mrs. Hayes possessed such a..."

Gideon paused, looking at her intently. "Genuine side."

Biting her lower lip under the man's half-smiling gaze, Nora felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

He actually wasn't angry? He actually wasn't mocking her with his usual cold, disgusted tone? He was even smiling?

In their three years of marriage, Gideon had only ever given her cold shoulders and stern warnings. Unless he was facing Giselle, he never showed this kind of relaxed, teasing expression in front of anyone else.

This Gideon—sitting by her bed this morning, bringing her water, and even cracking jokes—made Nora feel extremely unsettled and unfamiliar.

"In the future, if you run into trouble you can't fix, come straight to me. Running off to a tavern to drink your sorrows away won't solve any funding or project gaps."

Nora sneered internally. Now he remembers they're married? Where was this "husband and wife" talk when he issued the blacklist order on Lawrence Atelier, or when he cut off the capital chain and forced her into a corner?

Go to him? What use was going to him? He was the one who signed the execution order, the one who drove her to a dead end. Now, swooping in to play the merciful savior only made him look ridiculous.

"I'll keep your advice in mind, Mr. Hayes."

Nora set down the glass, lifting her eyes to meet Gideon's gaze directly, her tone as stagnant as dead water. "I've already sorted out the Lawrence Atelier's haute couture project. Pierce's company's capital injection came right on time; it won't delay the upcoming schedule."

Hearing Pierce's company mentioned, Gideon's brow twitched imperceptibly.

"As for the necklace Julian commissioned."

Nora continued, a mocking curve playing on her lips. "I will absolutely give it my all to design the most dazzling birthday gift for Giselle, guaranteeing it matches the noble status of the eldest Hayes daughter."