Chapter 266

Without hesitation, his hands shot to her shoulders, gripping them tightly as he pushed her away, putting cold distance between them.

He remained silent, the weight of his unspoken words pressing heavily between them.

Serena looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, brimming with desperate longing.

Her voice quivered as she whispered, "Nathan, do you know what I dreamed? I dreamed that you didn’t love me anymore, that you were walking away from me."

She swallowed hard, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her nightgown. "No matter how much I ran after you or how desperately I begged, you never even glanced back."

A shaky breath escaped her lips. "I woke up in a panic, and in my fear, I fell right off the bed."

Her lower lip trembled as she searched his face, her eyes shimmering with fragile hope. "Nathan, tell me—it was just a nightmare, wasn’t it? You won’t leave me, will you?"

When Nathan heard Serena repeat the same question yet again, his jaw tightened imperceptibly.

A flicker of irritation crossed his features before he exhaled sharply through his nose.

His dark gaze locked onto hers, unwavering and firm, as he answered in a low, rough voice, "Serena, I’ve answered this question more times than I care to remember."

Serena bit down on her lip hard enough to leave marks, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. "I just…" Her voice cracked. "I can’t shake this fear. Nathan, you don’t understand—I feel like I’m drowning in uncertainty."

A tear slipped free, tracing a slow path down her cheek. "I’m terrified that one day, you’ll walk away and never look back."

Her breath hitched as she clutched at his sleeve, her eyes pleading. "Nathan, don’t you see? Without you, I—" She choked on the words. "I wouldn’t even know how to breathe anymore."

Nathan’s expression darkened further, the weight of her desperation pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.

His tone turned icy, sharp enough to cut. "Everyone has their own path, Serena. You can’t tie your entire existence to another person. You need to find meaning in your own life."

Serena’s gaze dropped to the floor, her tears falling freely now, silent sobs wracking her slender frame.

She didn’t argue, didn’t speak—only the quiet sound of her crying filled the tense silence between them.

Nathan clenched his teeth, the echo of her words sitting like a lead weight in his chest. The pressure was unbearable, tightening around his ribs until it was hard to draw a full breath.

His patience was wearing dangerously thin, but he forced himself to remain composed.

With a clipped exhale, he finally said, "Get some rest." His voice left no room for negotiation.

Serena gave a small, jerky nod, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. But just as Nathan turned to leave, she lunged forward suddenly, her lips aiming for his cheek.

Nathan’s eyes widened in shock, his body recoiling instinctively before her lips could make contact.

The near-kiss hung in the air between them, unfinished.

Serena froze, her expression shattering into raw hurt as she stared at him, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

The rejection stung worse than any slap.