After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen

Chapter 174 That Man Has Crossed the Line

Isabel did her best to control her breathing and heartbeat to keep the man from noticing that she was pretending to be asleep. She waited quietly for the man's next actions. Mwah ...

A faint sound broke the silence as a gentle kiss pressed her lips.

Her heartbeat nearly missed a beat.

How dare this man sneak a kiss while I'm "asleep"!

Isabel thought of these days when they shared the same bed. Now she realized just how comfortable he'd gotten with these secret kisses. How many times had he done this when I was unaware?

What's happening to me? I was never this careless. It was because the environment in which she grew up in her previous life caused her to be vigilant at all times, whether it was day or night. Even in the deepest of sleep, the slightest disturbance would wake her. Could it be because I've unconsciously dropped my guard and grown less careful around this man?

The thought made her head throb.

She didn't know if it was a good thing or bad to feel so defenseless around him.

Lost in a haze of confusion, she barely noticed as his cool lips brushed her forehead, landing in a light kiss.

However, it didn't stop there. Slowly, he let his lips trail down her forehead, nose, chin, the curve of her neck, and across her collarbone...

If he went any further, she would have to drop the pretense.

Thankfully, he seemed to have some restraint. Instead, he shifted his attention to her hand, lifting it gently. He kissed her palm, then turned it over, pressing a kiss onto the back of her hand. Not a single hand was left untouched.

Isabel felt her temples throb in frustration. She almost couldn't stand the urge to sit up and snap, "Hey, I'm asleep, not dead! Are you done? Or are you planning to savor every inch?" Finally, he withdrew, seemingly satisfied.

Isabel sat up, staring at the closed door with an exasperated expression. She glanced down, inspecting her hand before touching her forehead, her nose, and her lips.

of his kisses, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that each place he'd kissed now bore an invisible mark, an

Isabel dwelled on it, the

while, she shook her

distractions. Time

phone from the bedside table and quickly typed

you ever heard of

response came almost

"The Nelsons? From Daytonia?"

"Yeah."

there's a Nelsons among the elite family circle. Maybe they're from a smaller one." Isabel typed back, "It can't be a

curiosity spiked. Why is Isabel looking into

they offend you?" he asked, trying

She wasn't going to let past betrayals cloud her view. Her current brothers deserved better than that.

Isabel lay back down, reaching beneath her shirt to retrieve the emerald guardian angel pendant. She held it in her hand, sifting through fragments of memories that had resurfaced. "Ivana? Could this be Ivana Shade, Xander's mother?" She murmured, speaking

Xander received a call from

guardian angel pendant to Isabel?" Her tone was

it, so I'm

darkened, and her voice held a distinct

was Leslie's! She gave it to you, remember? And didn't she say she wanted you to marry her when you

child back then, Ivana had always seen that girl as her biological daughter. She'd dreamed of the day

Nelsons perished in a terrible fire years ago. That fire had left no trace, and Ivana had mourned for days,

fond of her, always clinging to her while calling her name just like little Leslie once had. It brought her a glimmer of

she's gone." Xander stared out the window, his brows

her things to Isabel!"

her." Xander sighed, rubbing his temples. "We were just kids back then. You