Rebirth After Being Betrayed by My Husband by Isabella Reed

Rebirth After Being Betrayed by My Husband

Chapter 41

Finished

Ethan wanted to say the words lingering on the tip of his tongue, but he held back. “No, I don’t like you,” he said instead, knowing full well the truth was far more profound. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he feared that revealing his feelings now might end their fragile bond before it even began.

He was acutely aware of how deeply her past heartbreak had scarred her. The betrayal she suffered from Ryan had left her distrustful, and Ethan had vowed to himself to heal her wounds. He wanted to be the one to fill the cracks in her heart, but he knew he had to tread carefully. He couldn’t afford to scare her away. Slowly but surely, he would work his way into her heart, ensuring that when he took his place there, it would be forever.

Hearing his reply, Lily sighed in relief, though an unexpected pang of sadness crept into her chest. She didn’t understand why his words left her feeling so conflicted. “Good,” she muttered, suppressing a yawn.

“Why did you ask?” Ethan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

“No reason,” she shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

“Liar,” he said with a teasing smile. “I know why you asked.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “You do?”

He nodded confidently. “It’s because you’ve started liking me, right? My kiss made you fall in love with me. And let’s not forget how handsome and irresistible I am. You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

Lily rolled her eyes but decided to play along. “Yeah, that’s exactly it, Ethan. I’ve completely fallen for you.”

Her response caught him off guard. He had only meant to tease her and hadn’t expected such a bold reply. “Really?” he asked, leaning closer to her.

She smirked. “Of course not. You’re delusional if you think one kiss is enough to make me fall in love with you.”

Relief washed over him, and his lips curled into a mischievous smile. Unbuttoning the top of his shirt, he leaned in slightly, his tone turning playful. “Would you like more, then?”

hadn’t expected him to be so shameless. Noticing her momentary daze, Ethan decided

to ogle me, it’s only fair that I get to

to indignation. “Pervert!” she

reaction. Tugging at the edge of the duvet, he whined, “Lily,

glare sharp. For a moment, she was captivated by his playful expression, but his shameless words snapped her back to reality. “How shameless can you

dismissively. “Fine, I’ll stop. Besides, there isn’t much to see anyway.”

did you just say?” she

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Chapter 41

repeated, emphasizing each word with a teasing

Finished

a pillow and began hitting him with it. “How

hitting me?” Ethan protested, trying to dodge her attacks. “I

truth?” she mocked. “So you’re

wrists, gently taking the pillow from her hands and tossing it aside. Looking into her fiery eyes, he smiled softly. “No, you’re not beautiful,” he said, his voice lowering. “You’re

a moment, replaced by a flicker of confusion and something else she couldn’t quite name. Before she could respond, he pinched her nose lightly, breaking the

shoved him away. “You’ve had your fun. Now leave!” she snapped, pulling the duvet tightly around herself. In her mind, she was calling him every name

moving to the other side of the bed. He lay down casually and gave her

hated to admit it, this man was dangerous–not because of his teasing words or shameless actions, but because of the way he made her

frozen in disbelief, her eyes fixed on Ethan, who had shamelessly made himself comfortable in her bed. Anger flared in

he had every right to be there. “This is my house, Ethan! You can’t just do this!”

warning. “If you don’t leave, I

an inch. Her patience snapped.

was about to strike, his hand shot out, grabbing her ankle. “Ahh!” she yelped as he pulled her off balance, causing her to fall onto his chest. His arms wrapped around