Continuation of the confession scene 4

When he finished, his thumb brushed slowly over the side of her neck, just below her ear, lingering there for what felt like an eternity.

“Perfect,” he whispered, so quiet she almost didn’t hear it. “It suits you. Everything suits you.”

When she turned back around, his eyes were fixed on hers—heavy, intense, dark with that hunger she knew so well. For a split second, she saw it all there—raw, unmasked desire, the exact same thing that lived in her own chest. Then he stepped back quickly, putting distance between them, his expression closing up again like he had just caught himself doing something terrible.

But Lila knew. She knew everything.

They sat down to eat, but neither of them ate much. The air between them was thick, heavy, charged with electricity, every glance loaded with meaning, every accidental brush of hands sending sparks flying.

Elias cut his steak slowly, precisely, his movements controlled—too controlled, like he was holding himself back with every ounce of strength he had.

“Have you thought about what you want to do now?” he asked finally, breaking the heavy silence. “You got your university acceptance letters last week. Oxford, Harvard, Sorbonne… any of them would be lucky to have you. You can go wherever you want. I’ll pay for everything, you know that.”

Lila paused, her fork hovering over her plate. There it was again. He was trying to send her away. Again.

She looked up at him, tilting her head slightly, letting her eyes go soft, a little innocent, a little teasing—something she knew drove him absolutely crazy.

“I don’t want to go anywhere, Elias,” she said softly.

He froze. His knife and fork stopped moving entirely. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she said slowly, watching his face closely, drinking in every flicker of emotion that crossed it, “I don’t want to go to university abroad. I want to stay here. With you.”

“Lila…” His voice was low, warning. He put his cutlery down, leaning forward slightly over the table, his eyes intense. “You can’t stay here forever. You need to go out into the world. Meet people your own age. Live your own life.”

“Why?” She leaned forward too, matching his movement, the air between them suddenly so thick you could cut it with a knife. “Why do you want to send me away so badly, Uncle Elias? Am I such a burden to you? Is having me here really that unbearable?”

The question was a lie, and they both knew it. But it hit him exactly where she wanted it to. His face crumpled for a split second, pain flashing in his eyes, and he looked away, his jaw tightening painfully.

“You know that’s not true,” he said, his voice rough. “You are the most important thing in the world to me. That’s exactly why I want you to go. You deserve more than… this. More than a big empty house and an old man like me.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***