Chapter 247

I walked into the break room, exhausted, and kicked off my shoes before collapsing onto the leather couch.

The leather couch wasn't breathable, so it wasn't very comfortable, but I was too tired to care.

My body and mind were both drained.

I covered my eyes with the back of my hand to block out the light, hoping to catch a nap.

Just then, I heard the door open and footsteps approaching.

I didn't move my hand, pretending to be asleep.

I knew who it was just by the sound of the footsteps-Royce.

I couldn't let him see my vulnerable state, so I chose to fake sleep to avoid the awkwardness.

Royce turned off the lights, leaving only the faint glow from the window to illuminate the room.

I could feel him standing next to me, watching me, so I stayed perfectly still.

He leaned down, and my heart started racing.

What was he going to do? I had no idea.

I wanted to open my eyes to see what Royce was up to, but I knew that would ruin my act.

So, I kept my eyes shut tight, hoping he would leave soon.

But he didn't move. After a while, I felt something cool brush against my face-it was Royce.

He gently moved a strand of hair from my face, and I thought he might finally leave.

I exhaled quietly, but then I felt his breath getting closer, warmer.

He was so close I could almost feel his presence.

My heart pounded faster, and I didn't know what to do.

Then, I felt a soft kiss on my lips.

I was shocked but couldn't react, so I just endured it.

He finally stood up and walked towards the door.

I was sure he was leaving, and my heart started to calm down.

Thank goodness I didn't open my eyes, or that kiss would have left me completely flustered.

I heard the door open and close.

I let out a long breath and opened my eyes.

"Caught you, you're not asleep."

I flinched and quickly shut my eyes again.

Royce walked over, "Stop pretending. I saw you open your eyes. If you keep pretending, I'll kiss you again."

I opened my eyes and glared at him, "What were you doing just now?"

"Stealing a kiss while you were asleep. Would you let me kiss you if you were awake?"

I blushed, realizing he knew I was pretending.

"Wait, you knew I was pretending and still kissed me?"

Royce shrugged, "Of course. It would be creepy to kiss you while you were actually asleep."

He always had a way of making things sound reasonable, leaving me speechless.

"You can't kiss me again. What are we, anyway?"

He didn't answer, just shook his head in protest.

"What does that mean?" I asked, frowning.

Royce just pressed his lips together, refusing to speak.

I was exasperated, "I'm asking you to explain."

"I can't promise not to kiss you. You're gonna be my girlfriend, then my wife, and we'll spend our lives together."

Suddenly, I understood how wonderful it felt to be part of someone's life plan.

I had never been chosen so firmly before. Hearing Royce say that almost brought me to tears.

But then I remembered the gap between us, and Yvonne, who was so vibrant and young.

They were a perfect match, while I felt old and worn out.

I felt a wave of sadness.

If only I had met Royce earlier, if only...

But life doesn't work that way, and there are no do-overs.

I stayed silent, looking down.

Royce seemed to sense my mood and frowned, "What's on your mind?"

"Are you upset because of Yvonne?"

I was startled and looked at Royce, wondering how he knew what I was thinking.

But I couldn't admit it, so I shook my head, "Of course not."

Royce sighed and put his arm around my shoulders, "Don't pretend. I'm not an idiot. I can tell how you feel."

"Do you dislike Yvonne? Or do you dislike her being around me?"

I stayed silent, staring at the floor, trying to avoid the topic.

"So it's the latter. If it were the former, you would have said so."

"No, I don't dislike Yvonne. I don't dislike her being around you. I'm just feeling down, okay?"

"Of course, that's fine. I'm just trying to understand your feelings."

"You're hard to read, so I need a few chances to get it right."

"Hypothetically, if you don't like Yvonne being around me..."

I glared at him, and he quickly added, "Just hypothetically. Are you so possessive you can't even entertain a hypothetical?"

I had to give in.

"Hypothetically, if you don't like Yvonne being around me, it means you like me, right?"

"So, you came to the break room because you couldn't stand seeing Yvonne with me, which means you really like me."

"But why run away? You should have grabbed me in front of everyone and kissed me to claim me as yours."

He stroked his chin, looking serious.

I was embarrassed that he had guessed my feelings, but his over-the-top analysis made me laugh, "Do you think this is a soap opera? I'm thirty."

He looked smug, "So I was right. You do like me and can't stand Yvonne being around me!"

His confident statement made me realize I had said too much, so I quickly shut my mouth.

"Alright, stop biting your lip. If you need to bite something, bite my finger."

He touched my lips with his cool fingers, making me release my lip.

I gave him a helpless look, "Your analysis is way off. I just fell into your trap."

"Stop guessing."

If this continued, he would figure out all my secrets, and that scared me.