Chapter 1009:

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Lianne’s POV:

Ethan let out a quiet laugh at my remark.

He placed his pen aside, then lifted my face by the chin until our eyes met.

His expression held both warmth and unwavering resolve as he tried to put my mind at ease. “When the right moment arrives, we’ll deny everything. Whatever people hear will remain nothing more than outside speculation. They won’t find a single piece of evidence connecting us to any of it.”

Even after hearing his assurance, the uneasiness in my chest refused to disappear completely.

His fingers slipped away from my chin before he drew me against him, holding me close. When he spoke again, his tone was deep and earnest. “Lianne, you’re everything to me. I don’t care what it costs. As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

а𝗱𝗱𝗂𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝖾 𝘀𝘵𝗈ri𝖾𝘀 оn 𝗴а𝗹𝗇𝗼𝘃𝖾𝗹ѕ.c𝘰𝘮

Resting my cheek against him, I listened to the steady rhythm of his voice. The weight pressing on my heart remained.

To secure the antidote I needed, Ethan had deliberately made himself the center of a massive controversy. He had stepped straight into the line of fire and thrown everything into disorder.

Seeing just how far his devotion was willing to go made it impossible for me to feel entirely at ease.

I sat near the foot of the bed, watching him from the side as he bent over the paperwork in his hands. My thoughts wandered in too many directions at once, leaving me caught between gratitude, fear, and guilt.

Perhaps he noticed how long I had been staring, because he eventually raised his head. His voice softened as he said, “Forget everything else for now. Just stay with me.”

I gave a small nod, but before I managed to answer, he closed the distance and captured my lips.

The kiss was soft and unhurried, as though he were trying to remind me that I wasn’t facing any of this alone.

I slipped my arms around his waist and allowed myself to sink into the comfort he offered, pushing every troublesome thought into the back of my mind.

Then, at the most intimate moment, the door suddenly opened.

“Ethan, I—”

Jeremy’s sentence died before he could finish. Ethan and I both turned toward the entrance. Jeremy stood there with Tracy beside him, and the two of them immediately stopped when they realized what they had interrupted. An unmistakably uncomfortable look crossed their faces.

They began backing away almost at once, but I hurriedly stopped them, embarrassment flooding my cheeks. “Don’t leave! Just come inside.”

Jeremy halted, then broke into an amused grin. “Relax. It’s only us. You two don’t have to look so embarrassed.”

Tracy walked in behind him and dropped into the seat beside me, flashing me a mischievous wink.

I answered with an annoyed look, though the warmth burning across my face gave me away.

The amusement disappeared from Jeremy’s expression as he turned toward Ethan. “Brian has finally made his move.”

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