Chapter 22: With Everything I Have (R18)
If not for those intoxicatingly clouded eyes and trembling lips, Mellie would never have believed this was real.
“… Edric.”
Mellie felt the warmth of his large hands cupping her face and gazed up at the man who had just stolen her first kiss.
His blond hair shimmered brilliantly under the chandelier light, and his blue eyes seemed to burn with yellow flames—fire blazing in the depths of an ocean.
Mellie couldn’t doubt it any longer. Those flames were evidence of his longing.
But she needed to ask. There was so much she wanted to know, so much swirling in her mind.
Yet, at the forefront was the most urgent question.
“This… this doesn’t make sense. Don’t you have someone you’re
meant to marry?”
“Is that the only reason it doesn’t make sense?”
“… …”
“Is that really all?”
Edric’s hands slid down from her face to rest on her shoulders, firm yet gentle.
“I broke off the engagement.”
“… What?”
“I ended it,” he repeated, his voice calm and unshaken.
“A few hours ago.”
Mellie stared at him in disbelief.
Why? Why had he done such a thing? What could have possibly driven him to make such a drastic decision?
Her questioning gaze demanded answers, but Edric offered none.
“Is that enough for you? Or do you have another excuse to push me away?”
His tone was sharp, as though daring her to challenge him further.
Mellie began to grasp what was happening. Their relationship was shifting, transforming into something that blurred the lines between friendship and love.
When had this begun?
When had their one-sided affection, ten years of silent yearning, turned into something so reciprocal and undeniable?
Mellie didn’t know how to process this sudden change. It felt like she was teetering between a dream and reality, unsure of where she stood.
But Edric didn’t seem to share her hesitation.
“Mellie.”
His voice trembled ever so slightly.
“Do you hate me?”
The tremor wasn’t just in his voice—it was in his hands too, which slowly moved down from her shoulders to the buttons of her blouse.
“Tell me, Mellie.”
With deliberate care, his fingers tugged at the top button.
Mellie’s breath hitched.
Without breaking eye contact, Edric unfastened another button. Then another.
“If you don’t want this, then tell me. I’ll stop.”
“… …”
He paused at the fourth button, his fingers resting lightly there. His eyes, no longer burning, reflected a quiet restraint—proof of his resolve to honor her wishes.
Edric wasn’t driven by fleeting desire. That much was clear.
“What should I do?”
His voice, mingling with the heavy silence, sent shivers down her spine.
“Should I stop?”
His words were a mix of longing, temptation, and self-control.
The choice was hers.
If she refused, he would likely smile ruefully, button her blouse back up, and whisper, “Forgive me, Mellie. Let’s just remain friends.”
Then they would leave this hotel. Return to their separate lives, their distinct worlds.
Mellie asked herself, Can I do that?
Could she simply laugh off what had just happened and pretend none of it mattered? Could she go back to being his friend, indifferent and unbothered?
“No.”
Mellie couldn’t do it.
Not after feeling his lips against hers. Not after seeing the unguarded intensity in his gaze.
She could no longer deceive herself.
“I don’t hate it.”
“… …”
For the first time in nineteen years, Mellie found the courage to speak her heart.
It was just a fragment of the truth, but it was enough for now. She didn’t need to confess the depth of her love all at once. That could come later.
Edric’s lips curved into a smile.
His stiff fingers relaxed, and Mellie realized something—He’s nervous too.
The thought that even Edric, who is composed and confident as he seemed, could feel vulnerable made her heart race.
Gently, he undid the fourth button.
The fabric loosened, exposing her collarbone. Mellie felt her face flush, her breath catching as the room seemed to grow warmer.
Edric kissed her again.
This kiss was softer, sweeter—filled with tenderness.
Before she realized it, her blouse slipped off entirely, leaving her upper body bare.
—
Flashback –
When Edric heard Mellie had gone to the square with Sir Francis Adele, his mind went blank.
By the time he regained his senses, he was already in the high-class shopping district, searching for her.
But Mellie wasn’t there.
He found her in Milrod Square.
Her hair was tousled by the wind, and her face glowed with a calm confidence he’d never seen before.
Did that bastard do this?
The thought that someone else had inspired such a change in
her filled Edric with a sense of defeat.
Yet, seeing her bright expression dim upon noticing him stirred something deeper within him.
He couldn’t lose her. Not to anyone else.
—
Present
Edric sat up, his shirt discarded. His well-defined muscles seemed to gleam even in the dim light.
Mellie trembled under his gaze, her senses heightened.
He leaned down and kissed her again, the intensity shifting—this time, there was no hesitation, no restraint.
Edric’s hands explored her, his touch igniting a fire that consumed them both.
In this moment, there was no doubt, no hesitation.
Mellie surrendered completely.
Even if this night left no promise of tomorrow, she would cherish it with everything she had.
