The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 1029

Naylor didn't hesitate. He looked her dead in the eye and said, "I want a straight answer from you!"

Katrina's chest tightened. She averted her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, I'll spell it out for you. Are we completely done, or are we getting back together? I am not leaving here tonight until you give me a definitive answer."

Katrina's eyelashes fluttered frantically, and her hands trembled by her sides.

Naylor closed the distance between them, stepping directly into her personal space. The proximity was overwhelming.

He stared down at the woman in front of him and reiterated his demand. "Are we breaking up forever, or are we getting back together? I want an answer tonight."

Katrina finally met his gaze. "Don't back me into a corner. I don't have the emotional capacity for this right now. All I want is to focus on my job and spend whatever time I have left with my mom."

Naylor immediately countered her logic. "That's not an excuse. We can be together, and you can still excel at your job and take care of your mom. In fact, if we get married, it'll make her even happier."

Katrina just stared at him, absolutely speechless.

The elevator suddenly pinged again, and the doors slid open as a neighbor from the same floor stepped out.

Katrina instinctively turned around and rushed toward her front door.

Terrified she was going to lock him out, Naylor lunged forward, reaching the door at the exact same moment.

The neighbor stepped out, clearly startled by the tense scene playing out in the hallway, and quickly scurried down the opposite end of the corridor.

With Naylor pressing heavily against her back, Katrina felt like she was standing on hot coals.

"Naylor, you—"

"I'm not leaving until you give me a straight answer."

Naylor delivered the ultimatum with absolute certainty. Using his height and physical advantage, he completely caged her in from behind, snatched her keys right out of her hand, and unlocked the door himself.

Katrina panicked. "You're acting like a thug!"

"I never claimed to be a good guy."

Naylor stepped inside, tossed the keys onto the entryway table, grabbed her arm, and hauled her inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

Now trapped in the cramped entryway, Katrina stared at the dangerous, unyielding determination in his eyes. A sharp spike of panic hit her. She glared at him. "Naylor, don't you dare try anything!"

"Heh," Naylor let out a dark, mocking laugh, his gaze shifting into something predatory and arrogant. "When did I ever say I was going to try anything?"

"..."

"Or is it that, deep down, you actually want me to try something?" he taunted, his eyes deliberately dragging down the length of her body.

"Shut up! I absolutely do not!" Katrina's face burned crimson as she fired back instantly.

Watching her react, Naylor realized that after months of her keeping him at arm's length, this fiery, flustered version of her was infinitely more intoxicating.

"Katrina..." His expression suddenly softened. He took a slow step forward.

But tonight, Naylor was fully prepared to burn it all down to get his answer. He had nothing left to lose.

"Naylor, you know exactly why I broke up with you. Why are you dragging this out?"

With his fingers still gripping her chin, she was completely trapped under his intense gaze. She finally snapped and laid everything on the line. "Given what was happening with my mom, I needed to get married immediately. But you didn't believe in marriage. I wasn't going to put you in a position where you felt trapped."

"Well, aren't you just incredibly selfless and considerate," he mocked bitterly.

"..." Katrina bit her lip and stayed silent.

"But didn't you think you should at least ask me first? At least wait for me to say no before you pulled the plug on us?"

But she hadn't. She had made the decision for him, entirely on her own.

"I already knew you were against marriage. Why would I subject myself to the humiliation of begging you? Leaving each other with some dignity is basic decency among adults." Katrina finally found her footing, her logic returning as her voice grew steadier.

But Naylor just shook his head. "The fact that you were so ruthlessly logical about it honestly made me wonder if you ever even loved me at all, or if you were just playing me the whole time to drain my bank account."

"I was not! Of course I loved you! I loved you so much that I couldn't bear to force you into something you hated!" Katrina blurted out before she could stop herself.

Hearing that raw admission, the heavy, suffocating gloom that had plagued Naylor for months instantly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of triumph.

"You loved me so much that you were willing to break your own heart just to make sure I wasn't inconvenienced?"

His voice dropped to a near-whisper. The hand gripping her chin slowly slid upward, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.