Eryx didn’t wait for another word. His grip tightened around Lunara’s wrist as he pulled her toward the door.
"Mr. Grantham, wait!" Lunara stumbled slightly, trying to keep up with his long strides. "You’re hurting !"
He didn’t slow down, his jaw clenched and eyes stormy with unspoken frustration. The second they stepped out of Regina’s office, he slamd the door shut behind them, causing Lunara to flinch.
"Eryx! My na is Eryx!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway.
Lunara stared at him, wide-eyed. "What...?" she stamred, completely thrown off by his sudden outburst.
"You always called ’Mr. Grantham’," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "Like I’m just so business associate. Like we don’t—like I never—" He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "You really don’t see a problem with that?"
Lunara straightened her posture, gripping the contract in her hands. "That’s what you are to now, Mr. Grantham," she said, keeping her tone as steady as possible.
His jaw tightened. "You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to act like I was never—" He stopped himself, taking a step closer. His voice was lower now, quieter but no less intense. "You can push away all you want, Lunara, but don’t pretend I never ant anything to you."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to hold his gaze. "You... you never ant anything to ," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I am your husband!" His anger flared at her words, his frustration boiling over.
"Cor—" She stopped, rembering his warning from earlier. Instead, she took a deep breath and steadied herself. "You never acted like one before, so why now? After two years? And to be honest, we never had the kind of relationship where we could even pretend to be a married couple." Her voice wavered slightly, but she refused to look away.
Eryx let out a sharp breath, his grip tightening for a brief second before he let go of her wrist. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair. "You really believe that, don’t you?"
Lunara clenched her fists at her sides. "What else am I supposed to believe?" Her voice held a quiet bitterness. "Two years, Mr. Grantham. Two years, and not a single word from you. You expect to just pretend none of that happened?"
His jaw ticked, but he didn’t respond right away.
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "You married because it was convenient for you. And when you got what you wanted, you left. And now—now, suddenly, you care?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Eryx didn’t answer imdiately. His lips parted as if to say sothing, but then he hesitated, his gaze flickering with sothing she couldn’t quite place.
That only made her more suspicious.
"You don’t even know, do you?" she said, her voice quieter now, but sharper. "You can’t even tell why you’re acting like this all of a sudden."
Eryx clenched his fists. "It’s not that simple."
"It is," she countered. "It is that simple. You had two years to reach out, to act like my husband. But you didn’t." She let out a scoff. "Why does it matter to you now?"
All the facts that Lunara spurted out made Eryx’s lips sealed.
Lunara’s frustration boiled over as she exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to her hip. "I just don’t get it," she said, shaking her head. "You married two years ago for whatever reason you had—fine. But it wasn’t so contract marriage with rules or conditions. You never said I couldn’t act like a wife, you never told to stay away, and you never asked for anything from ." Her voice wavered slightly, but she pushed through. "You just married , threw money at , and disappeared. Like I was nothing. And now, suddenly, you act like I matter to you?"
Eryx remained silent, his jaw locked tight.
Lunara let out a bitter laugh, taking a step back. "You don’t even have an answer, do you?"
She turned away, exhaling a loud sigh before facing him again. "You know what? I’m actually glad I got to say all of that out loud. Even if I didn’t get an answer, at least I finally put it out there." She crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "But don’t expect to just stand here and pretend everything is fine. I’m done trying to understand whatever ga you’re playing, Mr. Grantham."
Eryx suddenly closed his eyes and bit his lip, not out of frustration, but because he couldn’t handle how unintentionally adorable Lunara was. The way she rambled when she was frustrated, the way her nose scrunched slightly when she was annoyed, it was almost unfair.
Lunara, completely unaware of the effect she had on him, scoffed. "Are you seriously ignoring now?"
Eryx exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "You’re really sothing else, you know that?" His voice was softer now, almost amused.
She frowned. "What is that supposed to an?"
He smirked, finally opening his eyes. "Nothing. Just... carry on."
"Carry on? You pulled out of your mother’s room, demanded that I listen to you, the ’entitled husband,’ and now you’re suddenly unwilling to finish what you started?" Lunara crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin. "Do you even know what you want, Mr. Grantham?"
Eryx let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You really don’t hold back, do you?"
"I don’t see why I should," she shot back. "Not when you’re the one who disappeared for two years and suddenly decided to play the role of a husband."
His smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. "Maybe I realized I made a mistake."
Lunara blinked at him, stunned for a mont before scoffing. "A mistake? And what exactly was that? Marrying , or leaving ?"
Eryx didn’t answer. He just stood there, staring at her with that sa unreadable expression, his silence stretching between them like a challenge.
Lunara’s frustration boiled over. "Why aren’t you saying anything? If you dragged out here just to stare at , then—"
Before she could finish, he stepped forward and caught her lips in a sudden, firm kiss.
Lunara’s breath hitched, her mind going blank. She should push him away, should say sothing or anything but the warmth of his lips and the sheer audacity of it all left her frozen in place.
Reviews
All reviews (0)