Chapter 42: Chapter 42: A Confession at Last

Lila’s POV

I practically stumbled back to my room—no, the guest room. Although Jasper had hinted multiple times that I should move into the master bedroom, I had stubbornly clung to this little fortress of mine. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, gasping for breath as if I had just escaped a life-or-death chase.

The room was quiet, with only the bedside lamp casting a soft, gentle glow.

I threw myself onto the bed, sinking into the pile of fluffy pillows. The mattress let out a soft groan, but the sound made me freeze instantly.

’Wait… Something about that sound isn’t right.’

The last time Jasper and I were in here… that klutz Zoe burst in, and Jasper got so angry he smashed the bed with a single punch, causing it to collapse. I remember splinters flying everywhere, Zoe screaming and covering her eyes, while I, utterly mortified, was wrapped in Jasper’s jacket and carried to the master bedroom.

The memory made me snort with laughter.

’That guy… The Young Clan Leader of the Hale family, who always seems so calm, self-possessed, and strategic… how can he be so… childish in private? He’s like a possessive wolfhound guarding its food. If anyone dares to touch his bone, he looks ready to tear them to shreds.’

But… it was this same “childish” man who had stood by my side without hesitation when I was humiliated by Penelope, even at the risk of offending the entire Goodrich and Vanderbilt families. With his almost domineering methods, he had created a sanctuary just for me.

I rolled over, my cheek brushing against the soft pillowcase, and my eyes began to drift around the room.

’Was this really the same “guest room” I had first moved into?’

On the desk sat the brass lamp I’d once casually praised for its “retro design”; he’d had someone buy it at an auction and deliver it overnight. In the closet hung custom clothes with no logos but impeccable tailoring, made to my exact measurements by his personal tailor. Even the rare book on deconstructivist architecture on the nightstand was something he’d had someone track down in Europe, all because I’d once skimmed the digital version in a library.

Everything in this room was saturated with his presence, a testament to his thoughtfulness.

He had never forced me to do anything, yet in this quiet, subtle way, he had slowly permeated every part of my life, my territory.

I shot up in bed, hugging my knees as a powerful wave of guilt washed over me.

’What am I doubting? What am I running from?’

’Just because of a few ambiguous words of apology from Caleb this afternoon, I’m starting to waver? Starting to doubt Jasper’s feelings for me, and even my own trust in him?’

’Lila, you’re such an idiot.’

’Jasper isn’t Caleb. He doesn’t weave lies with sweet words; his love is hidden in his seemingly domineering and cold actions. He gives me space to work independently, respects my career choice, and even mobilized the full power of the Hale family to investigate my parents’ deaths just to put my mind at ease.’

’And me? I’m ready to retreat because of some vague, unfounded anxiety.’

I leaped off the bed and ran barefoot toward the door.

’No, I can’t just hide like this. I need to tell him that nothing happened this afternoon, that Caleb is well and truly in my past.’

I yanked open the door and practically sprinted down the hallway toward the study at the far end.

The wooden floor was cold against my feet, but my heart was burning. I could even hear it hammering in the silent hallway, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

Breathless, I reached the study door. Just as I was hesitating, wondering if I should knock—

BANG!

The door was ripped open with a tremendous sound.

An indescribable light erupted in Jasper’s eyes, which were usually so deep and unreadable. It wasn’t anger or accusation, but an almost ecstatic… excitement?

“Lila?” His voice was raspy. Before I could react, his powerful arm wrapped around my waist, pinning me against the trembling door.

The next second, his lips crashed down on mine.

The kiss was fierce, filled with the desperate urgency of recovering something lost and a long-suppressed desire. He didn’t build up to it like he usually did. Instead, he forced my lips apart and drove his tongue inside, ravenously stealing my breath. His arms were banded around me so tightly, it was as if he wanted to meld me into his very bones and blood.

He kissed me until I was dizzy, my mind going completely blank. All I could do was instinctively grip the front of his shirt, surrendering to his sudden, overwhelming passion.

After a long moment, he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged. His gaze was dark, tinged with a lingering fear, and his voice was terribly hoarse. “I thought… you still couldn’t let him go.”

His thumb gently caressed my lower lip. The gesture was tender, yet it carried an unconcealable pain. “I thought there was still a place for him in your heart. I thought… you would leave me for him.”

My heart gave a painful squeeze.

’So he was in his study just now, suffering through the same torment I was?’

I quickly grabbed his hand, explaining urgently, “That’s not it! Jasper, let me explain!”

I took a deep breath, trying to make my voice clearer and more resolute. “This afternoon at the construction site, I really didn’t say anything to Caleb. I didn’t even let him touch me. He wanted to talk to me in private, and I refused. I was just… I was just wondering why he’d fake an illness to trick me into seeing him, and why he said all those bizarre things.”

I looked into his eyes and said, enunciating each word, “But I’ve figured it out. He’s really and truly in the past for me. Now… the only one on my mind now is you.”

I whispered the last few words, my cheeks burning. It was the first time I had ever laid my heart so bare for him.

Jasper’s whole body jolted. His golden eyes locked onto mine, as if trying to pierce through my soul to verify the truth of my words.

“Really?” he asked, his voice carrying a tremor he himself didn’t seem to notice.

“Really.” I nodded emphatically, squeezing his hand. “So, can you stop being angry, okay?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he gave me a deep, searching look before yanking me into his arms, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe.

“Lila…” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his voice muffled but filled with an unprecedented satisfaction and relief. “Do you have any idea? After hearing you say that, I was tempted to lock you in here and never let you leave.”

I let him hold me, a syrupy sweetness spreading through my heart as if it had been soaked in honey.

’So this is what he’s like… The Wolf King, so cold and ruthless in the eyes of the world, can also be this insecure and cautious with me.’

“Um…” I hesitated, but then decided to tell him everything about that afternoon. I didn’t want to hide anything else. “Caleb told me that his father ordered him to keep an eye on me and stop me from investigating. He also said… that he let me down.”

I felt Jasper’s body go rigid in my arms, and the air around him instantly turned colder.

“And then?” he asked, his voice low and laced with a dangerous edge.

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