Chapter 995:
In a flash, a thought struck Christina—Dylan carried an unexpected pull on her heart. Could it mean she was beginning to fall for him? As the thought surfaced, a low groan escaped Dylan’s lips.
Christina snapped back to reality and caught the flush spreading across his face—then froze as she realized her hand had brushed against something hot. Her brows knitted slightly as she looked down at the hand that wasn’t holding the towel. To her shock, it had landed on Dylan’s most private area—and the firmness she felt left no room for doubt. How mortifying! She wished the earth would open and swallow her whole.
Her cheeks burned as she jerked her hand away at once. “S-sorry, I… If I said I didn’t mean it, would you believe me?” she stammered, her voice uncharacteristically unsteady. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, and she couldn’t even bring herself to meet Dylan’s eyes. She feared he might think she had taken advantage of him.
Christina could not fathom why, in a moment of absent-mindedness, her hand had trespassed upon Dylan’s private area—and he had reacted!
Dylan’s eyelids lowered, his long lashes trembling faintly, while his thin lips pressed into a hard line. He sat there in silence, the corners of his eyes tinted with a subtle red.
He understood too well that showing a harsh face might drive Christina further away, yet wearing a mask of bashfulness might actually pull her closer. Christina, mortified beyond words, wished the ground would open and swallow her whole. But when her eyes fell on Dylan’s downcast lashes and tightly pursed lips, his gaze shimmering and reddened, panic washed over her.
In that instant, her embarrassment dissolved, leaving only remorse and guilt. She was to blame for his aggrieved look. Chloe had revealed that Dylan had never been in a relationship, and he disliked physical contact with others. To be taken advantage of in this way, it was only natural for him to feel somewhat wronged.
𝙉𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 → gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸳𝖼𝗼𝗺
He was usually as cold and distant as winter frost, yet seeing him now in such a vulnerable state left Christina at a complete loss. Why had the untouchable, unapproachable man suddenly turned into a pitiful puppy?
In that moment, Christina realized that Dylan was a truly inexperienced man when it came to relationships. The longer she looked at his aggrieved expression, the more uneasy she felt.
“I didn’t mean it. Please believe me,” Christina hurried to explain, though deep down, she knew words could hardly clear things up.
“You don’t want to take responsibility for me?” Dylan pressed, seizing the moment, his reddened eyes shimmering with a pitiful plea.
Christina opened her mouth, but no words came. If he had remained cold and indifferent as he always did, she could have simply apologized and brushed the matter aside. Yet, the sorrow in his gaze tugged at her heartstrings, leaving her unable to utter a harsh syllable—she didn’t even want to raise her tone.
Dylan took in every flicker of her panic and hesitation. Outwardly, he looked no more than an innocent puppy, but inside, he was smiling like a sly old fox. His trick had worked—Christina had fallen for his act.
As long as he could win her heart, he didn’t mind playing a few shameless cards. After all, if he didn’t hurry to carve out a place in her heart, he might forever be stuck in the friend zone.
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