His gaze drifted to her lips, a subtle shift that sent a flutter of awareness racing through her. He remained silent for a moment, his expression still difficult to decipher. Alice stood in front of him, caught between the urge to close the distance and the fear of what might happen if she did.
As if he read her thoughts, he reached for her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers as he gently pulled her closer. She found herself standing between his legs, the space between them shrinking as she looked down, her heart racing.
"Alice, look at me," he whispered, his hand finding the small of her waist, pulling her closer. The warmth of his touch sent a rush of emotions coursing through her, and she met his gaze, her heart pounding. His eyes were intense, filled with a mixture of longing and sincerity that made her breath catch.
Alice felt her heart race as Victor cupped her cheek with his other hand, sending a jolt of lightning through her. His thumb brushed against her skin in a tender gesture. When he leaned in, capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss, it felt like the world around them had stopped. Everything stopped. Even her breathing stopped.
His kiss was tentative at first, sweet and gentle, awakening something deep inside her. She found herself leaning into him, basking in the warmth of the moment. But just as she began tolose herself in the moment, he pulled back slightly, searching her eyes as if gauging her reaction.
His gaze made her heart flutter, and before she could think, he was kissing her again, this time with an urgency that took her breath away. Alice tried to keep up the pace, but in actuality, she was only relying on her emotions. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Her hands found their way to his hair, pulling him closer.
But suddenly, he broke the kiss again, standing up and creating a momentary distance between them. Alice felt a pang of loss, sad that it had ended so soon, but then he reached for her again, drawing her in closer. When their lips met once more, she didn’t hold back.
She melted against him, lost in the sensations that overwhelmed her senses. The kiss deepened, fierce and passionate…stirring emotions she didn’t know she had deep inside her. Alice felt as if she were floating; she couldn’t think. Everything that plagued her thoughts was swept away in the heat of the moment.
Finally, he broke away again, both of them panting, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breath. Alice’s mind raced, overwhelmed by the intimacy of what had just happened. He cupped her face with both hands, caressing her cheeks.
They stood there, both panting, their hearts racing, and at that moment, she knew that her feelings for him had crossed a line she couldn’t uncross.
"Victor…" she whispered, clutching onto his shirt.
"Yes, Alice?" he answered breathlessly.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You can."
"Why did you decide to marry me?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and palpable. Victor pulled back slightly, the tenderness of their intimacy giving way to a tension that made Alice’s heart race for an entirely different reason. She worried, wondering why her question had caused such a change in the moment.
"Why did you decide to marry me?" she repeated, her voice even softer now. It felt vulnerable to ask, yet the question burned within her, demanding to be voiced. She needed to understand the choice that had bound them together, especially now, in the wake of their kiss.
"My father… he added a clause to his will. I must marry before I can access the rest of my fortune."
The words hit Alice like a cold gust of wind, stealing the breath from her lungs. She blinked at him, searching for a hint of a joke, a sign that this was all just some cruel misunderstanding. But Victor’s gaze remained resolute, devoid of the warmth that had just ignited between them.
"That was the only reason you got married?" she asked, taking a step back. "For…money?"
Victor made to take a step forward but stopped, his expression caught between frustration and vulnerability. "Yes," he said, his voice strained. "That was the reason. I’m not looking for love, Alice. I can’t?—"
"You’re not looking for love?" she interrupted, the words slipping out, half incredulous, half wounded.
Alice felt her anger rising, unexpected and unsettling, tightening her chest and sending a flush to her cheeks. She knew, logically, that this had always been a marriage of convenience, an arrangement crafted for necessity rather than desire. She’d accepted that even though she always wanted to know the true reason…or so she thought. But after their kiss, after the moment they just shared, his confession felt like a betrayal, piercing and raw.
He exhaled, eyes searching hers, as though he, too, was struggling to find the right words. "I don’t think I’m capable of it," he admitted softly. "I can’t give that to you."
"You can’t or you won’t?" she questioned angrily. "Do you know how utterly ridiculous you sound right now, Victor?"
"Alice—"
"Why did you just kiss me then?" she stammered. "What was that? You must have felt something."
Victor’s gaze softened, almost pleading, yet distant, as if he was already slipping away. "I’m sorry," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
With a sharp breath, Alice turned on her heel, unwilling to let him see the pain flickering in her eyes. She could barely see the path in front of her with the tears in her eyes, but she kept walking. The heat of his words washed over her, and the sting of his excuse cut deeper than she expected. How could he reduce the intimacy of their kiss to that?
The hope she’d clung to for him, for them, crumbled, taking with it all her strength.
Once she got to her room, her legs gave way, and she sank to the floor, her hands resting limply in her lap. A single tear traced down her cheek, then another, until she could no longer hold back the flood of emotions she’d tried so hard to contain.
"That cursed wall," she sobbed.
