Now They Want My Forgiveness - Chapter 260: Chapter 260
You are reading Now They Want My Forgiveness, Chapter 260: Chapter 260. Read more chapters of Now They Want My Forgiveness.
Anna jolted back to the present. "Coming," she called, her voice suddenly too bright. "Just washing up." It turned out that she'd slipped away to the restroom, stumbled upon this nightmare.
"Anna, please..." Lionel's plea was a raw scrape of sound. Panic gave him strength. His hand clamped onto her ankle as she turned to flee. "Don't leave! Save me. I'll give you anything."
"Get off!" Anna shouted. Revulsion overriding everything, she slammed her heel down onto his clutching hand. With a cry of pain, his grip released, and Anna fled without a backward glance.
Lionel's weak cries of "Anna" faded into the alley's gloom. Yet, Anna's voice, bright and false, and Monroe's concerned murmur carried clearly from just around the corner.
"What's wrong?" Monroe asked, taking her arm. "You're pale."
"Nothing." Anna forced a shudder, clinging to his arm. "Just a filthy beggar. I gave him 20 dollars, but he asked for more. It was terrifying."
"Disgusting," Monroe muttered. "Glad you're alright. Let's get away from this filth."
Anna nodded fervently, practically dragging him away. "Yes. Get out of here."
A sound escaped Lionel—part sob, part bitter laugh. 'A beggar?' The irony was a knife twist. '20 dollars? She hadn't tossed a single coin.'
He knew what she was. Knew what she'd done to her own family. Even her father and brother, she would abandon them. Yet survival instinct blinded him, making him beg the viper for help. The final, crushing realization: he was the biggest fool of all.
Stella glimpsed movement in that alley—a flash of expensive fabric that looked like Lionel's coat, a swirl of blonde hair like Anna's. But the next stall snagged her attention before the thought could fully form.
Hours later, buzzing with laughter, Stella floated home beside Jordan, the alley glimpse long forgotten.
Just as they reached the doorway, Jordan moved. One arm shot out, palm flat against the wall beside her head, boxing her in.
Stella startled, her back pressed to the wall.
"Did you enjoy tonight?" His gaze pinned her, intense in the dim porch light.
Stella nodded, a soft, genuine smile blooming. "Happier than I've been in a very long time."
Jordan held her gaze, the silence thickening, humming with unspoken words.
Stella's breath caught. 'The way he looked at me, it felt like he might kiss me!' The thought sent a jolt through her. 'But why? He loves someone else.' A wild, impossible idea flashed, 'What if it's me? Oh no... How could it be?'
The suspended moment stretched, taut. Finally, Jordan pushed off the wall. "Alright," he rasped, the word scraping his throat. "Get some rest."
No kiss came. Relief washed over Stella. 'See? Imagined it. Overthinking again.'
Drained by the day's joy, Stella sank into a heavy, dreamless sleep. However, unseen by her, Jordan lay staring at the ceiling, Stella's laughter echoing in his mind, her face imprinted behind his eyelids.
In the past, watching her from afar had been a sweet torment, but manageable. Now, sharing the same space every day—her presence a constant in his home, his wife in law—felt like dancing on the edge of a precipice.
'Just one kiss. Soft, brief,' he thought. He knew she needed time to heal. But the need to touch her, to simply hold her close for a moment. 'Is that too much to ask?' he wondered.
When Stella emerged the next morning, she found Jordan looking haggard, with deep, bruised shadows beneath his eyes. "Whoa. Rough night?" Stella asked, genuine concern in her voice. Without thinking, her fingers lifted, drawn towards the shadows beneath his eyes.
But Jordan flinched back. Not answering, he turned abruptly and walked away.
Stella stood frozen, bewildered. Then, sharp and unexpected, hurt pierced through the confusion, tightening her chest.
"Anna, please..." Lionel's plea was a raw scrape of sound. Panic gave him strength. His hand clamped onto her ankle as she turned to flee. "Don't leave! Save me. I'll give you anything."
"Get off!" Anna shouted. Revulsion overriding everything, she slammed her heel down onto his clutching hand. With a cry of pain, his grip released, and Anna fled without a backward glance.
Lionel's weak cries of "Anna" faded into the alley's gloom. Yet, Anna's voice, bright and false, and Monroe's concerned murmur carried clearly from just around the corner.
"What's wrong?" Monroe asked, taking her arm. "You're pale."
"Nothing." Anna forced a shudder, clinging to his arm. "Just a filthy beggar. I gave him 20 dollars, but he asked for more. It was terrifying."
"Disgusting," Monroe muttered. "Glad you're alright. Let's get away from this filth."
Anna nodded fervently, practically dragging him away. "Yes. Get out of here."
A sound escaped Lionel—part sob, part bitter laugh. 'A beggar?' The irony was a knife twist. '20 dollars? She hadn't tossed a single coin.'
He knew what she was. Knew what she'd done to her own family. Even her father and brother, she would abandon them. Yet survival instinct blinded him, making him beg the viper for help. The final, crushing realization: he was the biggest fool of all.
Stella glimpsed movement in that alley—a flash of expensive fabric that looked like Lionel's coat, a swirl of blonde hair like Anna's. But the next stall snagged her attention before the thought could fully form.
Hours later, buzzing with laughter, Stella floated home beside Jordan, the alley glimpse long forgotten.
Just as they reached the doorway, Jordan moved. One arm shot out, palm flat against the wall beside her head, boxing her in.
Stella startled, her back pressed to the wall.
"Did you enjoy tonight?" His gaze pinned her, intense in the dim porch light.
Stella nodded, a soft, genuine smile blooming. "Happier than I've been in a very long time."
Jordan held her gaze, the silence thickening, humming with unspoken words.
Stella's breath caught. 'The way he looked at me, it felt like he might kiss me!' The thought sent a jolt through her. 'But why? He loves someone else.' A wild, impossible idea flashed, 'What if it's me? Oh no... How could it be?'
The suspended moment stretched, taut. Finally, Jordan pushed off the wall. "Alright," he rasped, the word scraping his throat. "Get some rest."
No kiss came. Relief washed over Stella. 'See? Imagined it. Overthinking again.'
Drained by the day's joy, Stella sank into a heavy, dreamless sleep. However, unseen by her, Jordan lay staring at the ceiling, Stella's laughter echoing in his mind, her face imprinted behind his eyelids.
In the past, watching her from afar had been a sweet torment, but manageable. Now, sharing the same space every day—her presence a constant in his home, his wife in law—felt like dancing on the edge of a precipice.
'Just one kiss. Soft, brief,' he thought. He knew she needed time to heal. But the need to touch her, to simply hold her close for a moment. 'Is that too much to ask?' he wondered.
When Stella emerged the next morning, she found Jordan looking haggard, with deep, bruised shadows beneath his eyes. "Whoa. Rough night?" Stella asked, genuine concern in her voice. Without thinking, her fingers lifted, drawn towards the shadows beneath his eyes.
But Jordan flinched back. Not answering, he turned abruptly and walked away.
Stella stood frozen, bewildered. Then, sharp and unexpected, hurt pierced through the confusion, tightening her chest.
End of Now They Want My Forgiveness Chapter 260. Continue reading Chapter 261 or return to Now They Want My Forgiveness book page.