When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 563

The atmosphere tightened for a moment.

Anneliese sensed it, yet she had no bandwidth to deal with anything else. Her thoughts were a snarled mess.

She lifted her gaze briefly, only to recoil at the torrent of emotion crowding Jonathan's dark eyes. Her damp lashes dropped instantly as she forced herself to speak.

"Sorry. I need a moment alone."

Jonathan's extended hand twitched, then—true to form—he ignored her request and swept her into his arms anyway.

"You—" Her whole body went stiff. She bit down on her lip and shot him a hard look.

Lowering his head, he murmured, "What now? Are you planning to shut me out forever? Try it, Anneliese."

Impatience and something darker smoldered in his eyes, leaving his intentions unmistakable.

A sinking dread pooled in Anneliese's stomach, panic spiraling faster than she could catch it.

She angled her face away, refusing to look at him again.

Carrying her out of the dressing room, Jonathan strode to the bed and gently set her down.

His hand wrapped around her ankle. She couldn't tell if he was burning hot—or if her entire body had turned ice-cold.

The instant his skin touched hers, heat shot through her, a jolt racing up her leg.

She leaned back, braced on one elbow, and instinctively tried to pull free. His grip tightened, turning from casual to unyielding, keeping her exactly where he wanted her.

Her slight movements sent her hem fluttering, a flash of white catching the light.

Noticing where his attention darted, a faint flush crept across her pale cheeks—an inconvenient bloom of color.

"Let... go." She averted her face, embarrassed. Her voice was cool but unsteady, and the wobble irritated her.

Jonathan watched the return of color in her expression—anger mixing with mortification—and something inside him finally loosened.

His thumb brushed along the small ridge of her ankle bone, warming her chilled skin, as he spoke in a slow, resonant voice.

"When we first crossed paths, you threw yourself at me. You poked at me nonstop. Don't even think about running now.

"Marriage isn't playacting. You're bound to me in this lifetime.

"Don't entertain those thoughts. You won't survive the consequences."

Every word landed with weight, his voice rough and final.

His grasp on her ankle felt like an unseen cuff, threatening to lock shut at any second.

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