The Jilted Heiress' Return to the High Life - Chapter 403

Chapter 403:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

Yet here he was, in a rare attempt at love, feeling none of that—no strings tugging at his time, no desperate need for his presence.

Corrine let out a soft chuckle, the kind that carried the weight of amusement and a touch of exasperation.

“You men are impossible. When a woman clings, you lament about losing your space. When she stands on her own two feet, suddenly she’s too independent, not feeding that delicate ego of yours.”

Nate fell into brief contemplation, the corner of his mouth twitching.

“A therapist once told me I lack a sense of security. Some men crave freedom, but me? I need someone to ground me.”

Corrine arched a brow, mischief flickering in her gaze.

“And this therapist… who might they be?”

“Me,” he said without missing a beat.

Back at her apartment, Nate lingered at the doorstep, reluctant to let go of her hand.

“Can we set aside some time this week to have dinner with Grandma?”

“How about tomorrow?” Corrine suggested easily.

Her eyes lifted to meet Nate’s, catching the flicker of surprise in his expression.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head slightly.

“I just thought you’d put it off for a few more days.”

“I haven’t seen her in a while either.”

Nate’s lips parted, as if to respond, but instead, he exhaled a quiet laugh.

“Then goodnight.”

Corrine nodded.

“Goodn—”

Discover more galnovels﹒com

Before she could finish her sentence, Nate’s arm coiled around her waist like a tide pulling her in, his other hand cradling the back of her neck. Without hesitation, he dipped his head and captured her lips, his touch both firm and coaxing.

Corrine’s eyelashes fluttered in surprise, but she instinctively looped her arms around his neck. Memories of his past kisses surfaced in her mind, each one a lesson she now attempted to replicate—albeit with an endearing awkwardness.

Yet, it wasn’t long before she noticed a shift in Nate. His breath grew uneven, his grip faintly tightening as if he were momentarily adrift.

She caught the distant haze in his eyes—a look of someone momentarily unmoored, as if the ground beneath him had vanished. A fleeting, triumphant smile curved her lips.

Corrine shoved Nate away in an abrupt motion, slipped inside like a shadow in the night, and shut the door with a decisive click.

For a beat, the air remained still, the weight of the moment hanging between them. Then, Nate let out a low chuckle, the sound laced with amusement. Running his fingers over his lips, he lingered on the sensation, as if tracing the ghost of something fleeting yet intoxicating.

“She’s really starting to play the game,” he mused, a smirk curling at the edges of his mouth.

Inside, Corrine’s gaze swept over the entryway, her eyes catching on the neatly arranged gift bags. A flicker of realization dawned on her. Without a second thought, she grabbed them and yanked open the door, her intent clear—to chase after Nate. But the hallway was eerily empty, no retreating footsteps, no hum of the elevator in motion. It was as if he had melted into the air itself. Her brows drew together, faintly knitting in curiosity. Then, almost instinctively, her gaze drifted toward the apartment next door—her new neighbor. A knowing smile slowly unfurled on her lips.

.

.

.