Chapter 172
Chapter 172
“I’d rather die than stay here!” Ellie yelled back at Alex, stepping cautiously back.
Standing by the ocean, Alex watched in disbelief as Ellie retreated into the deeper waters. His brows furrowed, his blood boiled. “Ellie, don’t think you can scare me like this!”
Ellie continued to stare at him defiantly, retreating further until the water reached her knees.
Alex, fuming with anger, spun in place, pointed at her and shouted, “You’re standing in a spot where even a frog wouldn’t drown–if you want to die, just walk in!”
With tears brimming, Ellie gritted her teeth and kept backing away.
Watching from the beach as the water crept up to her thighs, then her waist, Alex cursed under his breath, “So damn stubborn!”
Ellie focused on Alex, analyzing his every expression. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and pressed on farther into the
water.
That summer, she nearly drowned after falling into a chemical waste pool while trying to save someone. From that day on, she developed a deep–rooted fear of water–especially deep water.
Suddenly, a massive wave crashed over her. Ellie heard Alex shouting her name, but before she could react, the wave pulled her under.
When she resurfaced, she found herself in Alex’s arms. Panicking, she clutched desperately at the edges of his suit coat, gasping for air.
With a stormy expression, Alex cursed as he carried her to shallower water. He set her down, looking at her pale face that was scarier than death itself, and shouted, “Do you dare do that again?”
His furious voice, intense gaze, and bloodshot eyes revealed an underlying emotion–concern. Seeing that Ellie was silent, he released her, pretending to toss her back into the water. Ellie gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
But he wasn’t really going to throw her in; he just wanted to startle her, quickly pulling her back to safety. Looking down at her, Ellie hung on for dear life, and Alex softened his voice, “Aren’t you afraid of dying? So why cling to me?”
“If I’m going to die, you’re coming with me,” Ellie gasped, trying to calm her racing heart.
“Look at you,” Alex remarked, the tension within him easing as he carried her toward the shore.
They walked in silence, Ellie allowing Alex to hold her all the way back to the house. She glanced up at him; he seemed in a surprisingly good mood.
Ellie frowned, glancing at Alex. Men were as hard to read as the deep blue sea–one moment all calm, the next a storm. In the bedroom upstairs, Alex stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a white robe.
He noticed Ellie on the bed, wrapped in her blanket like a quail, her eyes glued to him. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned slightly towards her, trying to meet her gaze.
Alex said, “can we talk?”
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Chapter 172
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Ellie didn’t respond. Her eyes drifted to the window, where the sky was beginning to lighten with the dawn. Only two days left until the family reunion.
Alex watched Ellie’s pale face and lowered his voice. “Why do you have to acknowledge this kinship?”
He pressed. “You used to reject it easily when mom brought it up. Why not this time?”
When Ellie remained silent, Alex reached across the blanket to hold her arm gently.
He said, “Ellie, can’t we just go back to how we used to be?”
“We can’t go back to how we were!” Ellie averted her gaze, staring blankly at Alex.
Their eyes locked, and the emotions swirling in Alex’s gaze were intense. “As long as you’re willing, we can make it happen!”
Ellie shook her head. “No, we can’t!”
Alex hesitated, suppressing the words that almost slipped out. He questioned her word by word, “Tell me the truth! Why was it possible before, but not now?”
“Because we’ve both grown up!” Ellie, pushed into a corner by Alex, suddenly lost control of her emotions.
