Page 111 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

His hand slid around my waist, careful and gentle. I could feel the warmth of his palm through the thin fabric of my clothes. I rested one hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my fingers.

My heartbeat stumbled. I searched his face, expecting to find the familiar teasing grin. Instead, there was nothing but sincerity.

The distance between us disappeared almost without either of us noticing. His forehead rested lightly against mine, our breaths mingling as I felt his fingers move slowly along my waist, almost as though he were reassuring himself that I was really there.

“I thought I’d lost you today,” I whispered.

“You didn’t.”

“I was terrified.”

“I know.” He lifted one hand to my face, his fingers brushing gently along my cheek before tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You saved me.”

A tear escaped before I realised I was crying.

He smiled softly. “Hey…” His thumb brushed the tear away, lingering against my skin. “No more crying.”

I nodded. “I’ll try.”

His thumb moved once more across my cheek before his hand settled gently against the side of my face.

Then he leaned in. The kiss was gentle and tentative, as though neither of us wanted to break whatever fragile miracle had brought us here. His lips were warm against mine. I closed my eyes and let myself forget everything for those few seconds—the blood, the fear, the people waiting outside, the secrets that still stood between us.

When our lips parted, I rested my forehead against his again, wishing I could somehow stop time.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the world seemed brighter, warmer, safer, as if every danger and every nightmare had simply vanished.

Kai brushed his thumb across my cheek, his gaze so impossibly tender that it stole the air from my lungs. And for one dangerous, beautiful moment, I let myself believe that maybe we could stay like this forever.

“I love you,” he whispered.

My heart stopped. For a second, I couldn't breathe. I closed my eyes for the briefest moment, wishing those words didn't mean so much. But they did. They meant everything.

“Don't.” My voice trembled. “Don't say that.”

I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears. When I opened them again, his smile was gone. He was watching me, the tenderness in his eyes replaced by something else.

Hurt. Disappointment. Maybe even fear.

“You know we can't.” I searched his face, hoping he already knew the answer. Hoping I wouldn't have to be the one to say it aloud. “This.” I gestured weakly between us. “Us.”

His thumb stopped moving against my hand. “So that's it?” His voice remained calm, but I could hear the hurt beneath it. “You decided for both of us?”

“It's not that simple.”

“No?” His eyes hardened slightly.

“We have family. We're in the middle of a war. We don't even know if we'll still be alive tomorrow.”

The world hadn't stopped just because we had.

And maybe that was the problem. There would always be something waiting for us. Family. Loyalty. Enemies. Secrets. Blood.

How could I choose love when everything around us was telling me that love was the one thing I couldn't afford?

“Exactly.” His answer came so quietly that it caught me off guard. He shifted slightly, wincing when his back moved.

Instinctively, I reached toward him. “Careful with your back.”