Chapter 193
Carl did not open his mouth.
He did not move.
His body stiffened under Delphine’s touch, like a man fighting a war inside himself. The warmth of her lips was – still fresh on his mouth, but his mind refused to respond.
Delphine felt it immediately.
She pulled away slowly and stared at him, shock written clearly on her face. This was not the Carl she knew. The Carl she had always controlled, the Carl who would do anything just to look into her eyes, just to touch her skin, that Carl will be jumping for joy now. But he looked different.
She knew she had been using him, and she also knew he had known.
Yet, no matter how badly she treated him in the past, he never resisted her like this. He never pushed her away with silence.
The rejection angered her.
She knew he had every right to be angry. But now that fate had finally revealed his true identity-now that he was the real heir to the Wyndham empire-there was no way she would let him slip through her fingers.
She had already lost Gabriel to Isla, she would not loseCarl to anyone. Not now. Not ever.
If she had to destroy someone to keep him, she would.
Carl looked at her face and felt his chest tighten. He knew exactly what kind of woman she was. Toxic. Dangerous and selfish.
But he also knew one thing. If he wanted this plan to work he had to play his part perfectly.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze to her.
“You ran away,” he said calmly, but his eyes burned with resentment. “The moment you sensed danger, you disappeared.”
His eyes dropped to her hands resting on his shoulders, and irritation rushed through him.
“You used me,” he continued. “All this time, you were using me to destroy my brother’s marriage.”
He let out a bitter laugh.
“You never cared about me, Delphine. You knew how much I loved you. You knew I would do anything for you.
And yet, you wanted my brother instead.”
His jaw tightened.
“Now that Gabriel is out of the way,” he said coldly, “now that the family has chosen me… you suddenly show up.”He looked straight into her eyes.
“Why are you here?”
Delphine’s smite faltered for a brief second, but she recovered quickly. She had never survived in this world by giving up easily.
She softened her expression.
– Her hand moved up to his jaw, her fingers caressing his skin gently, and lovingly.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry for everything I did to you.”
Her voice dropped lower. “But the truth is… I love you. I care about you. You know that.”
Carl scoffed and turned his face away. She’s not even good with lies.
Love?
The word sounded like an insult coming from her mouth.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger burning inside him so he could play along.
Then, suddenly, he grabbed her face and kissed her.
The kiss was not soft but hard and rough. It was not a kiss filled with love or desire.It was a kiss filled with punishment.
Delphine gasped slightly, surprised-but she did not resist. Roughness had always excited her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and accepted his aggression eagerly.
She only pulled away when her lungs begged for air.
Her lips were swollen. Her breathing is uneven.
Carl stared at her face for a moment, then spoke. “If you truly love me like you said,” he paused, closing his eyes for a brief moment and opening it. “Let’s get married.”
Delphine froze.
Her entire body went still. Her eyes widened as she tried to understand what she had just heard. This was a miracle.
“What did you say?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I said marry me,” Carl repeated calmly. “Let’s build our own family.”
Tears filled Delphine’s eyes instantly.
Her lips trembled. Her hands shook as she stared at him in disbelief.
“You… you really mean that?” she asked softly.
Carl almost rolled his eyes, but he stopped himself.
“How can I joke about something like that?” he replied. “Besides, I need a strong and intelligent woman like you te help me run this empire.”
That was all she needed to hear.
Delphine crashed her lips against his, kissing him deeply, tenderly, like a woman who had finally won a battle. Her body pressed against his as her hips moved slowly on his* lap.
Carl cursed silently, as his body betrayed him.
He had sworn never to touch her again. Never to feel anything for her again.
But his body remembered her, and it responded to her.
His hand moved on its own, gripping her waist tightly as she continued grinding against him.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, his voice low.
“Yes,” Delphine whispered excitedly. “Of course, it’s a yes, my love.”
And that was it. The trap was set. Carl’s first assignment was complete.
Now, it was time for the next stage.
“If I had my way,” Carl said teasingly, “I would take you right here, right now.”
Delphine giggled like a child, her hands still roaming over him.
“But I can’t,” he added calmly. “I have too much work to do today.”
She pouted slightly.
“Let me finish work,” Carl continued. “Tomorrow, well go. shopping for your engagement ring. How does that sound?”
Delphine’s face lit up like she had just won the world.
She nodded eagerly. “That sounds perfect.”
Happiness radiated from her face as she thanked the universe silently. In her heart, she celebrated Isla’s disappearance and Gabriel’s fall.
She never truly loved Gabriel. Of course not. She only loved his power. And now, that power belonged to Carl.
“And one more thing,” Carl said suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts.
She looked at him quickly.
“After we get the ring,” he said, “I want to officially introduce you to my family. Especially my mother.”
Delphine’s eyes glittered with excitement. She couldn’t believe that things were moving too fast.
She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.”Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
She sniffled dramatically. “I would also love to introduce you to my family. Especially my grandfather. He will be very happy to meet you.”
Carl smiled calmly.
Perfect.
Everything was falling into place.
The second step was already in motion. All he needed now was time.
Time to make everything look real.
And he was ready to play his role until the end.