Chapter 276

---- Chapter 276 The moment Giselle heard the word "marry", she thought he'd lost his mind. She had no desire to keep struggling with Donovan and tried hard to push him away. But the instant he felt her resistance, he only grew more unhinged . He lowered his head and claimed her mouth ina forceful kiss , urgent and invasive , taking complete control and giving her no chance to resist. It had been so long, so unbearably long, since he'd kissed her like this, since he'd tasted her. It felt like an entire century had passed.

All the pain and loneliness , the agitation and inner conflict, the longing and regret , he poured every drop of it into that deep, consuming kiss, as if he could devour her whole. Held in his unyielding grip, Giselle couldn't move or break free. Even her lips and tongue were under his control, leaving her dazed, breathless , and unable to think. She pounded his shoulder in protest. When he finally lifted his head, his arms were still locked tightly around her, refusing to let go.

Faced with the heat in his gaze, so intense it felt like it could burn her to ash, she had no choice but to look away. ---- Maybe it was the need to break free completely that made her meet his gaze again. A faint, bitter smile curved her lips. "I forgot to tell you the truth. In the two months I was gone, I was forced to service more than a hundred men. I've done everything. So don't come near me. I'm filthy-inside and out. Let go of me." The words "a hundred men" didn't even make him blink. His eyes stayed just as intense and fevered, as if the number meant nothing to him.

"No matter what you've become, I want you. Even if you were missing an arm or a leg, I'd still want you," he said quietly. What he didn't say was that even if she turned to ash, he would keep that ash forever. "Forget it." Giselle could hardly stand the sight of his lovesick expression, Late-blooming devotion was cheaper than weeds. His so-called tenderness stirred nothing in her but disgust and awkwardness. Finally, her voice sharpened. "I just crawled back from the gates of hell, and all I want is to sleep peacefully in my own bed.

Everything you're doing right now only reminds me of those men at that place, forcing themselves on me. Can you let go?" Something in Donovan's expression faltered, the words hitting their mark. ---- She used his hesitation to shove him off and bolt for the door, as if reliving her desperate flight through the forest. He stood and watched her run, but this time he didn't chase her. Drawing ina deep breath, he ordered the driver to get the car. "Ms. Holt, it's not safe for you to go alone. Let me take you," the driver, Hank Porter, called after her.

Fresh from hell and still carrying shadows in her heart, Giselle agreed. From Donovan's villa to her apartment complex meant crossing the city from northeast to south. With traffic, it took nearly an hour before they pulled into the familiar underground garage. Following Donovan's orders, Hank didn't just drop her off. He walked her to her door, waiting until she stepped inside and shut it before leaving quietly. Stepping into her long-unseen home, Giselle was surprised to find it spotless .

The floors gleamed , the shelves were dust - free, and the bed and wardrobe neatly arranged-as if someone had been cleaning daily. On her bed lay one of Donovan's jackets. She collapsed onto the mattress , rolling onto her side, and caught the familiar scent of his cologne clinging to her pillow. ---- It was obvious now. In the two months she'd been gone, Donovan had been coming here often, sleeping in her bed, likely with the housekeeper tending to his every need.