Chapter 167
Lila nodded, expecting Kieran to scold them or at least say something about how reckless they had been.
To her surprise, he simply nodded knowingly and said nothing more.
Lila sat quietly across from him, eyes on her phone. But her gaze kept drifting in his direction.
Kieran’s expression was cool and focused as he worked on his laptop.
It felt like an eternity had passed, and Lila wondered what was taking Noah so long to finish cleaning up. But when she glanced at the clock, only five minutes had gone by.
Maybe she could pretend to be busy and slip away to her room for a bit.
Just as she was about to make her move, Kieran’s smooth, deep voice broke the silence.
“Aren’t you tired of sitting so stiffly?” he asked, his eyes lifting from the screen.
“Huh?” She looked up, blinking in confusion, then realized what he meant.
“I’m… I’m fine.” Lila rubbed her lower back awkwardly.
“Isn’t the company keeping you busy these days?” she asked.
Lila hadn’t expected Kieran to be home at this hour.
He wasn’t in his usual suit. Instead, he wore a simple black T–shirt and black casual pants. The sharp coldness he usually carried was softened, like winter’s chill
touched by the first hint of spring warmth.
Lila couldn’t help but admire how perfect he looked, every detail flawless.
Kieran took a sip of water, then poured a glass for her.
He slid it over.
Lila’s eyes darted to his slender, well–defined fingers before she shook her head.
“I’m not thirsty.”
She had never been one for drinking water.
Without a word, Kieran grabbed a jar of honey from the shelf and stirred a spoonful into her glass.
He pushed the cup back toward her.
“It’s sweet.”
His voice held a subtle tenderness. It was like a breeze rustling gently through the trees, soothing and warm.
It was as if he were coaxing a child. Lila’s heart fluttered, skipping a beat before pounding wildly in her chest.
The odd sensation left her dazed. She quickly grabbed the cup and drank it all in one go.
The warm honey water slid down her throat, easing the flutter in her chest.
Lila exhaled softly. Maybe she was just exhausted from work and lack of sleep, making her heart act strangely.
She set the cup back on the table and met Kieran’s slightly amused gaze.
“I guess I was thirsty after all. You know I can’t resist sweet things.”
Lila rambled, feeling flustered. “I’ll go rinse the cup.”
She stood up in a hurry and accidentally tripped over the table leg.
Lila fell forward into Kieran. He caught her, but his balance slipped, and they tumbled onto the sofa.
Kieran’s arm instinctively wrapped around her waist. The soft scent of jasmine from her hair filled his senses, making him pause for a moment.
Had they ever been this close before?
Kieran looked down at her face. His eyes traced her furrowed brows, the delicate curve of her nose, and her lips, still glistening slightly from the honey water.
His gaze darkened. The thought of pulling her close, pressing her against the wall, and kissing her deeply felt dangerously real, testing his self–control.
Just then, Noah came downstairs. As he rounded the comer, he stopped dead.
On the sofa, he saw the two of them tangled together.
His foot, halfway forward, froze. He quickly stepped back and hid behind the wall, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
Who were those two people downstairs?
Chapter 168
