When She Ended It With Divorce (Chiara and Titus) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Just as the tension between them thickened, Titus’s phone abruptly rang again, shattering the fragile moment.

Without glancing at the screen, he snatched it up and barked, “I told you, I’m not coming. Are you deaf or something?”

A brief silence followed. “Titus,” Elaine’s voice came hesitantly, startled by the harshness in his tone. “What are you doing right now?”

Although the phone wasn’t on speaker, every word was clear enough for Chiara to catch, even from beneath him, where she felt trapped and vulnerable.

Her eyelids fluttered open, locking onto Titus’s dark, inscrutable gaze. She held his stare for a fleeting moment before turning her face away, weakly pressing her hands against his chest in a silent plea.

But this time, Titus didn’t budge. His eyes remained fixed on her, unblinking and intense.

She pushed harder, desperation creeping into her movements, but it was no use. Resigned, she looked back up at him.

His grip on her shoulders tightened, eyes flashing a sharp warning: stop struggling.

“What is it?” he snapped, voice cold and clipped.

On the other end, Elaine heard no other voice, but she instantly recognized that tone—icy, detached, the usual mask Titus wore. Still, it made her wonder what she had interrupted.

Suppressing her doubts, she spoke softly, clutching the phone like a lifeline. “I ordered some late-night food. Thought you might want to share it. Are you busy? I can come to the office.”

Chiara’s gaze shifted away, her expression unreadable as Elaine’s gentle, pleading voice drifted through the line.

Yet Titus, who would normally drop everything for Elaine without hesitation, didn’t move. “I’m home,” he replied flatly.

A stunned silence answered him. Elaine didn’t respond immediately, but the line remained open, her hesitation to hang up almost tangible.

The whole situation felt wrong with Elaine listening in. Chiara frowned, shoving against his chest again, trying to break free and rise.

Titus’s voice lowered to a husky whisper right by her ear. “I said, don’t move.”

Cold fury sparked in Chiara’s eyes. “Let me go,” she snapped. “I’m not into whatever this is.”

From the other side, Elaine’s voice trembled with disbelief. “Titus, what are you doing?”

Chiara almost found the question laughable. The implication of what Titus was doing at this late hour was painfully obvious.

To her surprise, Titus answered bluntly, “My marital duties. Gotta go.”

He ended the call before Elaine could protest and silenced his phone. No more interruptions, he murmured, his attention snapping back to her.

But the moment had already fractured for Chiara. A surge of resistance rose within her, undiminished by his earlier claims about Elaine.

Her mind wandered to the photograph—the softness in his eyes that Elaine must have seen. The idea of him being drawn to Elaine, of their inevitable closeness, left a bitter taste lingering in her mouth.

“I don’t want this,” she said firmly. “Let me get up.”

Titus mistook her resolve for a passing mood. “Don’t be like that,” he coaxed, lips trailing along her jawline.

Chiara lay still, turning her face away as he continued. But when his kisses drifted lower, a fresh spark of defiance ignited her voice. “Titus, I said no.”

He froze, lifting his head to really look at her. The frown creasing her face and her complete stillness spoke volumes.

For the first time, he sensed the sharp imbalance in their desires, but the fire burning inside him left little room for retreat.

“Are you sure you don’t want this?” he whispered, voice low and tentative.

“I’m sure,” she replied without hesitation.

“But I do.” His hand found her skin, moving with slow, deliberate tenderness.

Chiara pushed herself up, catching his wrist firmly. Her gaze turned icy. “I know this is part of our marriage, but I won’t be treated without respect.”

She refused to be a convenience to use and discard, or merely a body to warm him at night.

Her words struck him like a physical blow, instantly cooling his passion. He released her and shifted away, studying her closely. “Is this about that phone call?”

Chiara held his gaze for a long moment before nodding quietly, her admission steady and unflinching. “Yes. It is.”

Her straightforwardness stole the words from his mouth. He could only sit there in silence, watching her.

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