"What’s wrong?" William asked, his sharp gaze narrowing with concern. He knew their plan was overwhelming—too much, too fast—but that was precisely why he had given Anna ti to process it, to reconsider if she needed to.
Yet today, he had expected her to be ready, to move forward. So why was she hesitating again?
A deep frown creased his brow as he studied her face. "If you’re still having doubts, then I don’t—"
"It’s just... strange to leave everything behind," Anna finally murmured, her voice soft and uncertain. "I know it’s too late to say this now, but I can’t help it. I wasn’t prepared for this. And now, everything is moving so fast... I feel like my heart can’t keep up."
William exhaled slowly, the tension in his jaw easing just a little.
"With a heart as kind as yours, how did you end up with so many enemies?"
Anna let out a small, bitter laugh. "I think my kindness is exactly what put here. I’m loyal. Too loyal. A walking doormat for people to step all over."
William’s expression darkened slightly. "Loyal," he echoed under his breath, the word settling heavily on his tongue. She didn’t seem to hear him, lost in her own thoughts, but his mind was already racing.
Before he could fully process the storm of emotions rising within him, Anna spoke again.
"Mr. Stark, about our arrangent..."
William straightened, his posture shifting as he focused entirely on her. "Yes?"
"I—I can’t have children," she stamred, her nail slipping against the raw, wet mark staining her right thumb with fresh blood. "I know this is just a pretend relationship, but in case you ever wanted sothing more... I just can’t give you that. I’m sorry."
Silence. A long, unbearable silence. It stretched between them like a dense, suffocating fog, creeping into her lungs and tightening around her ribs.
She knew it. She should have told him earlier. Now, he would leave. Abandon her. Nobody wanted a woman who couldn’t—
"I don’t care," William finally said, his voice as cold and sharp as a blade pressing against her chest. "And I don’t see why you should apologize for that."
Anna blinked, her breath hitching.
"But..." Her thumb dug into the wound again, her nail slipping against the torn skin. A sharp sting shot up her wrist, making her flinch. "You said I had to do everything that was needed of , so—"
A loud, almost weary sigh cut her off, the sound vibrating through the space between them.
Then she heard it—the rustle of fabric as William leaned forward, the quiet shift of the bedsheets beneath his hands as he moved closer. His warmth was palpable now, his presence overwhelming. His breath, slow and even, brushed against her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"If children were what I needed from you," he murmured, "I would have said so from the start."
Anna barely had ti to process his words before her entire body stiffened.
An unexpected warmth—gentle yet firm—closed over her left hand, stopping her nervous, destructive habit. His fingers curled around hers, steady and reassuring, pulling her thumb away from the self-inflicted wound. The contrast of his touch against her trembling fingers sent a jolt of sothing unrecognizable through her, rooting her to the spot.
William’s hands moved with a careful precision, his touch both firm and gentle as he took her right hand in his open palm. With tenderness, he pressed a soft, dry tissue over her bleeding thumb, then exhaled a slow, warm breath against the wound, as if to chase away the sting.
Anna couldn’t see him, but she felt everything. The warmth of his touch, the way his fingers curled protectively around hers, the soothing rhythm of his breath—it was all so unexpectedly comforting that a strange fear crept into her chest. If he kept this up, she might simply lt into the mont, unraveling in a way she wasn’t prepared for.
Once he finished wrapping a fresh tissue around her wounded thumb, he brought her right hand to rest beside her left, enclosing both within the heat of his own.
Anna flinched at the stark contrast in size. His hands easily swallowed hers, strong and steady, a shield against the cold. It was such a simple thing, yet the realization sent a soft, unwelco warmth spreading through her. How silly... and yet, she couldn’t ignore the way it made her feel.
"You don’t need to worry," William’s voice ca, grounding her in reality once more. "Now that you’re stepping into a new life as Chloe Dumas, anything tied to Anna Hyde will beco irrelevant. Your past may have led you here, and yes, your revenge is still a part of this path, but I want you to see this as sothing more."
He paused, his grip on her hands tightening slightly, as if urging her to listen not just with her ears but with her heart.
"This is your chance to rediscover yourself. To be more than what they made you. To live as the woman you’ve always craved to be."
A new woman.
Anna shut her eyes tightly, her mind drifting into the possibility.
But could she really do that? Could she shed the version of herself that had been molded by others and beco soone new? For so many years, she had lived the life people expected of her, shaped by duty, fear, and betrayal.
Now, William was telling her there was another woman inside her—one he could see, even when she could not.
Could she find her?
Could she beco her?
"You’re hesitating again," William grunted, his brows knitting together in irritation. "Are you still thinking about them? About him?"
She didn’t answer, but the silence spoke for her. It clung to the air between them, heavy and suffocating, like a storm cloud threatening to break.
"You can’t move forward while so many anchors are still holding you in place."
Before she could fully grasp his words, sothing warm and sweet pressed against her lips. Instinctively, Anna parted them, her breath hitching in surprise. A burst of dark, velvety chocolate lted onto her tongue, the rich sweetness mingling with a faint trace of bitterness, igniting her senses all at once.
She bit down, the smooth candy giving way beneath her teeth, releasing an intoxicating mix of flavors that sent a shiver down her spine.
A soft, indulgent smirk curled at William’s lips as he dragged his chocolate-sared thumb slowly across the curve of her lip, tracing the lingering taste. His touch was deliberate, almost languid, as if savoring the mont.
"Our relationship must look real," he murmured, his voice dark and unwavering. "For that, I need your full devotion—one hundred percent. And that ans letting go of any lingering feelings you still have for your scumbag husband."
Anna swallowed, but the chocolate felt like a pebble lodged in her throat. Her chest tightened. "I don’t know... how to do that."
William’s smirk deepened into a slow, knowing grin. His fingers trailed down, cupping her chin, tilting her face upward. "Just say the word," he whispered, his breath brushing against her skin. "And I’ll help you forget."
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