The Unwavering Heart That Broke novel Chapter 154

Nathalie pulled her hand back right away.

There wasn’t even a hint of warmth in her eyes, just that same cool distance he'd come to expect from her.

“Why would I ever wait for you?” she shot back, her voice ice cold. The words hit Lance like someone dumping a bucket of cold water on him, killing whatever hope had started to grow in his chest.

He struggled to make sense of it. The way she pushed him away hurt more than he wanted to admit. Lance took a step closer, reaching out to hold her hand.

But she slipped away, moving just out of reach.

His eyebrows drew together, frustration flickering across his face. Suddenly, he caught her by the shoulders and pressed her gently against the wall.

This time, she had nowhere to go.

“Nathalie...” His voice was rough, like her name was getting stuck in his throat.

He leaned in, closing the space between them, searching for even the smallest sign of softness from her.

But Nathalie turned her face to the side, shutting him out completely. “If you have nothing else to say, you can leave,” she replied, her tone final.

“We’re married. We’re not supposed to be living apart,” Lance said quietly, his gaze fixed on her quiet, stubborn profile.

Nathalie’s eyes lowered. “As far as I’m concerned, our marriage ended a long time ago.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Lance’s mouth. “We haven’t signed the divorce papers. You can’t just pretend we aren’t connected,” he said, his voice low and steady.

He leaned in even closer, crowding her against the wall with his body.

“Nathalie, open the door. Let me in.”

His presence was overwhelming, a heavy mix of cologne and tension that wrapped around her, making it hard to breathe.

Nathalie shoved at him, pushing back with more force than he expected. “I’m not letting you in. Just go!”

Lance didn’t budge. Instead, he caught her hand in his. “So what will it be? Are you unlocking it with your fingerprint, or should I just put in the code?”

Her eyes flashed in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? There’s no way you know my new passcode!”

But Lance just gave her a smug little grin. “Come on, Nathalie. We were together for eight years. I know you better than you think.”

He actually could pull that off, she realized. With a single call, every hotel in town would shut their doors to her. No manager in their right mind would risk crossing someone like Lance.

So her choices were to swallow her pride, or keep fighting.

She shot him a furious look. “You’re such a jerk.”

He'd already shrugged off his jacket, his dark eyes fixed on her from across the room. “Well, you’re stuck with this jerk for the rest of your life, Nathalie. Might as well get used to it.”

Who said she had to accept this? If she couldn’t get a hotel, she’d crash at a convenience store, or just spend the night anywhere else. There was no way she’d stay here with him.

She set her jaw, determined to leave no matter what.

Lance watched something shift in her eyes. Before she could make it to the door, he strode over and scooped her up in his arms.

“Put me down, Lance!” Nathalie pounded on his chest, but he barely seemed to notice.

He carried her straight into the bedroom, set her down gently on the bed, and wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let go.