Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Elian’s expression right now was downright comical.
“If you keep acting like a stud, it won’t just be half of your face next time,” Miranda warned him.
“And what exactly counts as not acting like a stud?” he asked earnestly.
Miranda paused. Did he have to act like that?
“What if you become my girlfriend?”
Miranda was momentarily taken aback. “No romance.”
Miranda fixed her gaze on Elian. “Elian, I think it’s better if we clear things up.”
With his half swollen face, Elian straightened up, listening intently.
“I know you have feelings for me. I’m not sure what your intentions are, but honestly, I don’t dislike you. However, that doesn’t mean I’m okay with some kind of secretive fling. People have emotional and physical needs. If you’re just looking for something casual, I can go along with that, but we need to be clear.”
Before she could finish, Elian interrupted her.
“No,” he said, his eyes fixed on hers. “My interest in you isn’t just physical.”
He spoke in a low, deep voice, “What restrains my impulses is how much I care about you. It has long surpassed any physical desire. I’m not looking to play around, and you shouldn’t play around either.
I fancy you. That’s why I don’t want other men eyeing you. Because of jealousy, I want to be close to you. My emotional needs and physical desires are all about you.”
Each word from him was like a brushstroke on a blank canvas, growing more intense with every stroke.
Miranda felt a stir within her. She hadn’t expected to hear such words from Elian.
Every word was so sincere. He was terrified of being misunderstood, equally afraid of his feelings being misinterpreted.
Miranda’s feelings for Elian were just at the level of mild affection – she didn’t dislike him.
She hadn’t considered anything deeper. Even when Elian sometimes acted out in flirtatious ways, she chalked it up to human nature and the result of a dopamine rush.
She never took it to heart. She treated it as Elian just being Elian. Naturally, she had never harbored any feelings beyond that.
The reason she said all that earlier was because she sensed something different about Elian that she hadn’t expected. And that difference made her uneasy.
Just like now. Her unease stemmed from Elian’s earnest and sincere words. Miranda fell silent for a moment.
“One–sided things don’t go anywhere.”
Elian asked, “So, do you like someone else?”
Miranda answered honestly, “No.”
Elian’s lips curled upward. “Well, at least you’re not running into anyone else’s arms, right? So how is this not a kind of mutual thing?”
Miranda’s eyes twitched slightly, and she raised a hand to cover her smile. “You sure know how to twist things in your favor.”
At the sight of the sparkle of amusement in Miranda’s eyes, Elian’s features softened into a smile, his handsome face shining through even the swelling.
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Chapter 223
He reached out and gently pinched Miranda’s cheek. “So it’s settled then.”
Miranda looked puzzled. “Settled on what?”
