Chapter 549: Chapter 548- Yours

“So… do you regret what you told him?” Ruby asked after hearing everything.

She was stunned that things had escalated so far. Annabelle had shouted at Adrian… and then ran away.

But in truth, it was understandable.

Everyone knew how desperately Annabelle wanted to rid herself of the curse of being Nytharos’s apostle. It disgusted her more than anything. And while Adrian possessed a way to remove the mark of divinity from her, he hesitated because of the tangled nature of their relationship.

It was no secret that Adrian saw Annabelle more as a child than anything else. And it was not entirely his fault. In their previous life, things had been the same.

But Annabelle had always loved Adrian as a man. Even after he promised to change the way he looked at her, he had never truly moved past the role of a doting elder.

Annabelle was devastated. Truthfully, any woman in her place would have been. Some might have reacted far worse. Considering how devoted she was to Adrian, her restraint was almost astonishing.

Ruby tightened her hold on her friend’s hand. “Hey, talk to me. You know you can trust me, right?”

She had rarely seen Annabelle sink into despair like this. It was nothing like the guilt she carried after accidentally hurting Ariana, nor the frustration she felt after losing during the ambush.

This version of her felt different.

More broken. More painful.

Annabelle never lifted her head. Her eyes remained moist as she murmured, “Maybe he’s right to feel that way about me… I always act childish. I’m clingy. I never even think about how I dress.”

Ruby sighed softly. “You know that’s not true, Anna. Adrian likes you for who you are.”

Annabelle shook her head. “That only deepens the line between the child he raised… and the woman I want him to see.”

Ruby’s shoulders slumped.

In this state, comforting her would not be easy.

She was still searching for the right words to lift her spirits when the air in front of them suddenly shifted. A thick scent of alcohol spread through the room.

Both of them looked up.

Adrian stood there, slightly flushed. His clothes were disheveled, his eyes dark and heavy.

He turned to Ruby. “Mind… giving us a moment?”

The redhead nodded and rose to her feet. Before stepping out, she paused. “Are you okay?”

Adrian nodded and offered a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I just needed some courage… and I got plenty.”

Ruby exhaled softly. She could only hope things would turn out fine between them.

She cast one long look at her best friend before leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind her.

Time to retreat to the guest room and chat with Sarah.

Adrian took a slow breath and looked at Annabelle.

The raven-haired girl immediately rose to her feet. “Darl—”

“Shhh…” Adrian stepped closer and gently covered her mouth with his hand.

“You talk too much. Let me speak first, alright?” he murmured. The scent of his cologne mixed with the heavy trace of ale on his breath.

Her heartbeat spiked. A blush spread across her cheeks, but she nodded.

Adrian guided her to the bed and made her sit down.

Instead of taking the seat beside her, he lowered himself and crouched in front of her.

“Ah—why—” Annabelle’s eyes widened.

Her words never came out.

Her lips were sealed.

Not by his hand this time.

By his kiss.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt as though it might burst from her chest.

Her fingers trembled. Her body shivered as she slowly closed her eyes and surrendered to the warmth of it.

This was her first kiss.

Though the kiss lasted only a few seconds, to her it felt endless. Her body had reacted so intensely that time itself seemed to blur.

When he finally pulled back, a faint frown tugged at his lips. “Didn’t I tell you? I speak first, you listen. So… shu-u-ut up.”

His words slurred slightly. The syllables broke apart. He was clearly drunk, a side of him she had never witnessed before.

Adrian shifted and settled on his knees before her, gently taking her hands in his.

Looking down for a moment, he spoke in a quieter voice. “You said I look at you like a child… that I don’t react to your charms…”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers.

“Do you know how hard it is for a man in his twenties to ignore a beautiful, grown woman who is always so carelessly close to him?” His grip tightened slightly around her fingers. “The way you dress without thinking. The way you lean into me. The way you walk out of the bath as if you have no idea what you’re doing to me.”

His voice lowered, rough at the edges.

“Do you know I started wearing thicker under clothes… just so you wouldn’t notice how my body reacts to you?”

His eyes were no longer distant.

They burned.

“For you to think I feel nothing…” he whispered, almost hurt. “That’s the cruelest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Annabelle was stunned.

Truly, she had never noticed. Perhaps it was because he had always concealed it so well that she convinced herself he saw her as nothing more than adorable.

But to think…

“There’s a moral compass in my head that stops me every time I try to take a step forward,” Adrian continued quietly. “Whenever I try to close the distance between us, I feel like Avirin is somewhere, glaring at me for even thinking of putting my hands on his adoptive daughter.”

Annabelle had never known he carried such a burden.

And she understood.

All those years with Avirin, not once had their relationship been anything beyond guardian and child. And now she had returned to Adrian’s life wanting to be something more. Not a responsibility. Not someone to protect.

His equal.

His partner.

Adrian slowly lowered himself further and rested his forehead against her lap, his hands still holding hers.

“I’m not hesitating because I don’t want you,” he murmured. “I hesitate because I don’t want to taint something sacred. I don’t want to feel like I stole you from the role I once had in your life.”

His voice was softer now, almost vulnerable.

“But every time you look at me like that… every time you lean closer…” He exhaled against her. “It becomes harder to remember where the line is supposed to be.”

Annabelle let out a choked breath. “I… was hasty. I thought you didn’t find me attractive.”

He huffed softly. “Who said you aren’t attractive? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? I don’t deserve a woman as incredible as you.”

A weight shifted from her chest at his words. Yet her heart refused to slow, beating faster and harder with every second.

Adrian straightened on his knees and gently cupped her cheek.

“I’m sorry… for making you wait this long, Bella,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry for taking you for granted. I’m sorry for making you feel insecure. And… I’m sorry for not reciprocating your feelings sooner.”

Annabelle shook her head softly. “You don’t have to apologize, Darling. I should have been more understanding. It’s just… when I saw others standing so close to you, while I remained nothing more than someone you took care of… it hurt.”

Adrian nodded, his gaze gentle with understanding.

Then he slowly rose and guided her to lay on the bed.

Annabelle did not resist. Her face burned crimson, and though nervousness fluttered wildly inside her chest, she did not stop him.

Adrian placed his hands on either side of her, bracing himself above her as he looked deeply into her eyes.

“I’ve made you wait far too long,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. “And I intend to make up for it… starting today.”

Adrian lowered himself slowly, giving her enough time to pull away if she wished.

She did not.

The space between them vanished as his lips met hers again, this time slower, deeper and full of emotions.

Annabelle’s fingers curled into his shirt, clutching the fabric as if grounding herself. The kiss was no longer hesitant. It was warm, lingering, filled with all the words they had failed to say for years.

His hand slid gently from her cheek down to her waist, resting there, firm and possessive. He was in a slight rush as if she would go away if he let go.

Annabelle’s breath trembled against his lips as she responded, her other hand rising to his neck. The nervous stiffness in her body gradually melted, replaced by something softer. Something certain.

He pulled back slightly, their foreheads touching, breaths mingling.

“Still think I don’t want you?” he murmured.

Her eyes were glossy, but this time not from sadness.

Instead of answering, she leaned up and kissed him first.

That alone made his control waver.

His fingers tightened at her waist, drawing her closer as the kiss deepened again. Not wild or hurried reckless. Just years of restrained affection finally given permission to breathe.

This was passion not familial warmth.

She was desired, not pitied.

Adrian’s thumb brushed lightly against her side, soothing rather than exploring, as if reassuring her with every touch.

“I’m here,” he whispered against her lips. “Not as your guardian. Not as someone holding back.”

He kissed her once more, slow and comforting.

“As the man who loves you.”

The night was long and the couple was young.

There were several things he wanted her to know. But not everything can be spoken through words.

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