Victoria couldn’t help but wonder what kind of game Ryan was ying.

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Edward turned to her, his voice soft and reassuring. “Ryan’s still young and yful. He might just be going through a phase. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him again.”

Victoria looked into Edward’s confident eyes, and her unease seemed to fade away.

“Edward, if we’re just forcing ourselves, maybe we should stop,” she said softly.

Edward looked a bit shaken. He stared at her, surprised and disappointed. “So after everything you’ve been through, whenever things get a little tough in a rtionship, you just want to bail?”

His words cut deep,ying bare her tendency to run away from problems.

She felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I just hate causing trouble–whether I’m the one making things difficult or putting it on someone else, I always end up feeling guilty.”

“That’s just being irresponsible,” Edward shot back without hesitation.

I had no idea what to say.

Already embarrassed, her cheeks flushed even redder. “Well, since you already know what kind of person I am, why not just give up on me now?”

“I don’t want to,” Edward replied, reaching out to squeeze her fingers. “They say falling for a woman at first sight is the start of a man’s karma, but honestly, I think my karma came way toote. If only I’d met you a couple years earlier.”

Victoria was caught off guard by Edward’s self–mockery.

“Back then, I was just stuck at home, tied to the stove, hardly ever going out. Even if you had met me, you probably wouldn’t have even noticed me,” she said, her voiceced with bitterness.

“You know, yourck of confidencees from never really being cherished or loved,” Edward said, his eyes gentle as he looked at her. “When you’ve missed out on real love, it makes it hard to be brave about your feelings.”

Victoria just stared at him–Edward always seemed to see right through her.

But the way heid her whole emotional journey bare like that made her feel ufortable and a little

embarrassed.

She lowered her head, avoiding his eyes. “Sometimes I think, maybe I should just stop caring about exes or whoever I’m with now, and just love myself. Maybe that’s the best ending for me.”

“So you’re young and already thinking of joining a convent?” Edward suddenly leaned down and kissed her. “Think you could really pull that off?”

:

His words definitely meant something else, and Victoria got it right away.

Her cheeks turned bright red as she gave him a teasing look. “Why do you think I couldn’t?”

Edward just grinned at her. “I just know.”

“I’m done talking to you. Take me back to the hotel,” she huffed, pretending to be annoyed.

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Edward was driving himself today, behind the wheel of a sleek SUV. As he started the engine, three ck sedans trailed behind them.

Edwardughed at her as he drove, but she huffily turned her face toward the window, refusing to look at him.

But for some reason, her heart, once calm as a still pond, was now rippling with emotion.

When a man could see right through you and grasp your every need, it left you feeling powerless, like even your heart wasn’t yours to keep.

Edward was like Jared 2.0–an upgraded, even more intense version of the man who had once chased after her so fiercely.

She snuck a nce at him.

Edward kept his eyes on the road, not noticing her sneaking a peek at him.

She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her wildly beating heart and push away all those crazy thoughts.

Back at the hotel, Victoria quickly packed her bags. Her assistant came in to help, but when she spotted Edward sitting there looking all suave, her cheeks flushed and she started moving awkwardly, sneaking nces at him.

Victoria nced over at Edward lounging on the couch. She’d told him he could just drop her off downstairs, but he just wouldn’t take no for an answer and came up anyway.

She’d been upfront with him, saying, “I really don’t have time for anything else today,” but Edward just grinned and tagged along anyway.

“I’ll take the hotel car to the airport, so you don’t have toe,” Victoria said to Edward.

Edward stood up and nodded. “Alright, I’ll walk you down then.”

Outside the lobby, the hotel shuttle was already waiting.

Edward leaned in and whispered, “My mom wants to go offer prayers at the church in Hachester. See you

there.”

Victoria’s breath caught, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at him.

There was a yful glint in Edward’s eyes, like he was deliberately saving the best surprise forst.

b14:44 /bMonb, /bSep b22 /b