My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 491

Emily shot him a sidelong glance. “At least you know your place.”

“Of course I do.”

Tristan, always ready to push his luck, immediately sidled up to her. He clung to her sleeve with both hands, looking pitiful and helpless, fingers pinching the fabric as he gave it a tentative shake.

Emily ignored him. “Sit still.”

But Tristan leaned in even closer, brushing back his hair to reveal his still-reddened cheek. He angled his face towards her. “Look, the mark from your slap is still there. I remember it well. I swear I won’t upset you again. I just worry about you—that’s why I wanted to come along.”

Emily’s voice was cool. “Keep pretending.”

Tristan blinked innocently. “What was that?”

She glanced at him, then reached out and pinched his swollen cheek, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Tristan’s eyes lit up for a moment, then he winced, brow furrowing in pain. “Ow, easy… That hurts…”

Emily shook his cheek a little. “So you know what pain feels like.”

He stared at her with big, wounded eyes. “It does hurt.”

Emily let out a cold laugh. “If you know it hurts, why’d you slap yourself?”

Tristan froze for a second, then blinked again, feigning innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She scoffed. “No way a slap mark lasts two days. It should’ve faded by yesterday—if anything, it’s worse now, the color’s changed. Do you think I’m blind?”

She tightened her grip on his cheek, none too gently. “Let me guess, you slapped yourself, didn’t you? Playing the victim, hoping I’d feel guilty?”

Tristan gave her a sheepish smile. “See, I knew you were sharp. Didn’t misjudge you.”

“But,” he added, his expression earnest, “I didn’t want to make you feel guilty. I just… I just wanted you to stop being mad at me. You’ve ignored me for two days—I feel pretty miserable, you know.”

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