The Jilted Heiress' Return To The High Life

Chapter 1116:

Nate caught her hand mid-motion, his grip firm but not forceful. He stepped closer, erasing the space between them, pressing her against his solid frame. His deep and unreadable gaze bored into hers—cold and laced with something smoldering. “Why did you act on your own?”

“I didn’t want to distract you,” she murmured, her arm slipping around his shoulder. “This family gathering is important to you. I didn’t want to trouble you over something trivial.”

She didn’t want to be a burden. More than that, she refused to be used against him.noveldrama

Nate’s expression hardened. That reasoning wasn’t acceptable to him. His fingers traced the curve of her jaw as he murmured, “Corrine, you mean more to me than anything.”

“I know,” she whispered, “But my presence has already caused you enough trouble. I—”

Before she could finish, he silenced her the only way he knew how.

His hand slid to the back of her head, cradling her in place, while his other gripped her chin, leaving her no room to pull away. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a claim, raw and possessive, his breath melding with hers as if he could consume her hesitation whole.

Corrine’s fingers clenched around his collar, her breath stolen in a single heartbeat.

Just when the intensity became too much, just when she thought she might drown in him, his lips softened. The fire in his touch melted into something fluid, something achingly tender. A caress. Like flowing spring water.

Somehow, that gentleness unraveled her more than the fervor had.

When he finally pulled away, Corrine slumped against his shoulder, breathless. A delicate blush dusted her cheeks, her lips slightly parted as though still feeling the remnants of his touch. Her glassy eyes shimmered, unshed tears clinging to her lashes, turning her gaze into something utterly captivating.

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Nate brushed his knuckles against her cheek, his thumb ghosting over the corner of her eye. “Let her leave with Moses tonight.”

It was merely a suggestion, but Corrine heard the unspoken implication beneath it.

She pressed her lips together before shaking her head. “That’s not possible.” Karina was in no state to be entrusted to Moses—not after everything she had been through.

Her eyes searched Nate’s, her fingertips tracing the faint crease between his brows. “Karina was kidnapped because of me. She doesn’t know this place, and she’s still shaken. I can’t just send her off with someone else.”

Even if Karina said nothing, even if she masked her fear behind a strong front, Corrine could see the truth.

“She needs someone she trusts. Someone who understands.”

A beat of silence stretched between them before Nate exhaled, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. “You always have your reasons, don’t you?”

He pinched her earlobe gently. “But tell me, doesn’t your fiancé deserve a little emotional support too?”

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