Chapter 91
After two days of ointment, the red mark had almost faded away. Still, every time Latham thought about someone slapping her, his eyes filled with a cold, dangerous energy he didn’t bother to hide. If Elise hadn’t been her mother, Latham would’ve made sure someone paid for it, no questions asked.
But he held back, thinking of her feelings. He stood up for her, but didn’t cross any lines.
The sharpness he’d shown back in the private room slowly melted away, leaving behind a softness he didn’t even notice himself. He crouched down, eyes quietly landing on her peaceful face.
Dorothea was lost in a dream, completely unaware, her pink tongue darting out to lick her lips. Latham’s breath caught just a little. He held it for a moment, leaned in, and brushed the lightest, quickest kiss against the corner of her slightly upturned lips. It was gone as soon as it touched her, leaving behind only the warmth of her skin and her gentle scent.
He smiled quietly, watching her sleep, his gaze lingering, dark and complicated. How much longer will it take, he wondered, for you to fall for me willingly?
The next morning, Dorothea stretched and yawned. She’d had the strangest dream last night-Latham had been chasing her all over the place. She couldn’t believe she’d dreamed about him. Maybe it was because they’d been a little closer lately. Still, Dorothea pressed her lips together and made up her mind. Even if this was just a marriage on paper, she needed to keep a safe distance.
She wandered out in her nightgown and sat at the table. Latham glanced at his watch. “Dorothea, did you forget? We’re supposed to leave for the cruise today p>
She stared at the clock on the wall, blanking out for a second. Oh no. So much had happened lately, she’d forgotten all about it.
“Give me a sec, I’ll go pack now.” She was about to rush back to her room when Latham caught her wrist.
“No need to hurry. We’ve already missed the departure time. Eat breakfast first, then you can take your time packing p>
They got to the port at ten. Once they boarded, Dorothea realized this wasn’t the cruise from those two tickets she’d given Latham.
The yacht was huge-way more luxurious than she could have imagined. And besides them, everyone else on board was staff.
“Wait, what is this p>
Latham just shrugged, totally relaxed Turns out the tickets you gave me had already expired, so just bought
Y yacht last minute. So
do you like it p>
Dorothea reached out toward the seagulls soaring above the deck, unable to stop
herself from smiling. “Yeah, I really do p>
Latham’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “That’s all that matters p>
Somewhere else, Carola pointed
excitedly at a little island. “Albert, are
you
free tomorrow? Let’s go take our
wedding photos there!
Albert rubbed his forehead, following her gaze. “Sure. If that’s what you want p>
Carola’s eyes sparkled with
excitement, Not only did she want
the most beautiful wedding photos, she couldn’t wait to post them online for everyone to see. She wanted her happiness to shine right in Dorothea’s face.
Albert, though, seemed distant. He glanced at her and asked, “Carola, do you know how your dad managed to get on Latham’s bad side p>
Carola froze. “My dad did p>