The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 293

Gideon leaned in closer, his voice carrying a lazy, teasing undertone. "If the Xavier family wants corporate investment, all I have to do is say the word, and The Hayes Group will approve it immediately. As for the aphrodisiac..."

"Nora, we've been married for three years. Fulfilling our marital duties is explicitly written into the agreement. Since Mrs. Hayes has been acting so cold toward me lately, playing along to fulfill your parents' wish didn't seem like a bad idea."

He paused for half a beat, his gaze sweeping over her slightly flushed ears, and his voice dropped to a slow, seductive drawl. "If you want it, I'll give it to you."

Nora's breathing hitched violently.

Staring at the devastatingly handsome face looming inches from hers, and the blatant amusement dancing in his eyes, her heart hammered so violently it felt like it would crack her ribs.

She never imagined that Gideon—the man who usually radiated the freezing aura of a glacier inside this very villa—could joke about intimacy with such effortless composure.

The heavy weight of the blue velvet box still resting in her palm served as a stark reminder of the "Happy Birthday" she had just received in that quiet shop.

"You're talking nonsense."

She hastily looked away, not even bothering to say goodbye as she shoved the car door open and practically fled toward the house in total disarray.

Gideon watched her chaotic retreat, a very faint smile playing in his eyes as he unbuckled his own seatbelt and stepped out into the night.

The living room was already filled with a calming fragrance. Gideon guided Nora to the edge of the bed, took a glass of warm honey water from Franklin, and placed it gently in front of her.

"It's late. Drink this and get some rest."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.

A girl as pampered as Giselle—who would cry for hours over a paper cut—would absolutely never possess the courage to carve a deep gash into her own wrist.

The so-called wound, which the doctor confirmed didn't even require stitches, was nothing more than a pathetic, theatrical stunt for the heiress to demand attention and mark her territory over Gideon.

Nora wasn't stupid enough to call out Giselle's bluff at a time like this.

Just because Gideon had gone to the Xavier residence for one birthday dinner, Giselle had trashed her entire bedroom and weaponized broken glass.

If Gideon actually stayed the night at the villa, who knew what catastrophic scandal Giselle would orchestrate tomorrow? And inevitably, every drop of that fallout would be blamed entirely on Nora.

She had just managed to save Lawrence Atelier using Julian Pierce's funding, and she had to deal with that smiling shark's relentless demands every single day.