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Chapter 25/The Slip of a Tongue

Chapter 25: 25/The Slip of a Tongue

Chapter 25

Stephanie’s Point of View

The moment she left, I approached the box and opened it with curiosity. A stunning red dress emerged, and on top of it was a small card. I began to read the words written in a confident hand: "My Redhead... I realized that red is the color that suits you best. Wear it tonight for me. —Cedric."

I smiled involuntarily as I reread his words, a strange warmth invading my chest. But the smile vanished instantly when the door opened and Alexander walked in. He was wearing an elegant blue suit; I immediately guessed it belonged to Cedric, given their similar builds.

He closed the door behind him with a provocative slowness, then approached with steady steps that robbed me of my personal space. He snatched the card from my hand and read it coldly, then said in a voice thick with jealousy, "You’re wearing it for him?" He pointed toward the red dress lying in the box, then added as his eyes scanned my features, "It will look sexy on you... I’m sure of it."

"Alex... leave the room! I don’t want Cedric to find you here," I said pleadingly, feeling danger hovering around us.

But he didn’t move. Instead, his hand reached out with sudden boldness and grabbed the end of my robe’s belt, pulling it slowly to untie it.

He said in that husky voice that confuses my senses, "I’ll help you put on the dress."

I gripped the belt tightly before it could slip away completely, saying firmly despite my trembling hands, "Stop it, Alex!"

He withdrew his hand slowly with an irritating calmness, as if my touch only fueled his memory further. "I just want to help you," he said.

"I don’t want it... get out of the room now!" I shouted, trying to regain control of my scattered breath.

He gave a cryptic side-smile, his eyes following my agitated features. "I love the fierce girl inside you."

I felt my knees weaken, so I sat down slowly on the edge of the bed; everything he said and every look he threw my way made me lose my balance entirely. "You’re going to make things very difficult between us, Alex," I whispered, my voice laden with anxiety.

He knit his brows and asked coldly, "Why?"

"You and Cedric are brothers... and don’t tell me I have nothing to do with him because I know that... but these feelings of ours aren’t right. They’re a mistake!"

The moment I uttered the word, I saw his eyes shine with a strange glint the spark of victory. He took a step closer and leaned in. "Our feelings... are you admitting that you have feelings for me?"

I froze, wanting to slap myself. I didn’t realize what I had said; it was a slip of the tongue, revealing the word I had been trying to bury in the depths of my heart. "I... I didn’t mean that!" I stammered in obvious confusion.

But he gave me no chance to retreat. He leaned over me with his massive frame until I was completely cornered, bringing his face so close that I could feel the heat of his breath penetrating my pores. "What did you mean?" he hissed with challenge.

"Nothing," I whispered, averting my gaze to escape the influence of his blue eyes.

He made a faint sound of disbelief. "Mmm... but I haven’t taken my prize yet."

He was so close that I felt the pressure of his body surrounding me on the bed. In a desperate attempt to regain my composure, I said, "There is no prize... move away!"

He knit his brows, his expression both reproachful and provocative. "That’s not fair... you’re breaking the rules."

I exhaled in frustration, my heart pounding violently against my chest. "Alex... you’re talking about something that happened six years ago!"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with an old memory that nearly made me crumble. He said in a deep, resonant voice, "Do you remember when you used to beat me... and you would demand your prize?"

Damn it! Why is he talking about these things now? Why choose this exact moment to reopen wounds I thought had healed? With a lump in my throat, I said, "That was when we were together... not now."

He replied with a cold confidence that made the blood freeze in my veins: "We’ll be together again... I don’t mind."

"Move away, Alex, and stop this nonsense!" I hissed, trying to push him off me, but he was like a mountain immovable.

He reached out very slowly, and I felt the chill of his fingers against my warm, damp skin as he brushed the strands of my red hair away from my face with a lethal tenderness. He fixed his gaze on mine and said with possessive sternness: "I’m not moving."

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Cedric’s Point of View

I left Lucas’s place with thoughts racing through my head, but the image of Stephanie overshadowed every business matter. As I got into my car, I felt a pang of regret; I shouldn’t have left her alone like that after last night.

I wanted to make it up to her in my own way, so I stopped at a florist and bought a large bouquet of red roses their petals were lush, reminding me of the hair color that had begun to captivate my senses

I placed them on the front seat beside me and drove toward the house, my heart beating faster than usual. I imagined her in the red dress I had chosen for her, wondering if she liked my taste or if she would be stubborn as always. I reached the house, stepped out of the car, and entered with long strides filled with suppressed excitement.

I saw the maid in the hallway and asked with a longing I tried to hide, "Where is Stephanie? Is she in her room?"

"Yes, sir," she replied with a bow.

I hurried up the stairs, the bouquet in my hand like a ticket to her heart. But the moment I neared her door, my feet turned to stone.

I paused for a second and listened closely; there were strange sounds coming from insideunclear whispers and a suspicious movement I wasn’t used to hearing when she was alone.

"What is this?" I muttered in shock, feeling a sudden constriction in my chest.

My expression shifted from a smile to a deathly stillness. I placed my hand on the doorknob, the cold metal piercing my palm. I pressed down slowly and then threw the door open with force, only for time to stand still before what my eyes witnessed.