Chapter 20: Naomi’s Choices
Naomi’s body froze, the thoughts swirling in her mind like a chaotic storm. Why was she even thinking about that book? Just then, Zylan stopped in front of her, using the tips of his fingers to gently raise her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Naomi quickly shifted her gaze away, avoiding eye contact. The intensity of his stare was overwhelming. He then turned and sauntered over to her bed, lazily sitting down on the plush, soft mattress as he spoke with an air of nonchalance.
"Seems like I’ll be spending my night here," he announced, a smirk playing on his lips.
Naomi’s heart raced as she quickly interjected, "No, you can’t! We... are not yet married." She said this with a hopeful tone, wishing he would relent and leave.
"That doesn’t matter," he replied, his tone cold and unreadable as he lay back, as if he owned the room.
"Yes, it does! It matters a—" Her words were abruptly cut short when she saw Zylan pull out the book from her nightstand, the very book that had her flustered.
"No..." Naomi exclaimed, jumping onto the bed, her heart pounding as she reached for the book, quickly grabbing it from him. But Zylan, with an infuriatingly casual demeanor, still held onto it. At that moment, all she wanted was to disappear with the book and bury her embarrassment deep within.
"Please let go," she pleaded, her cheeks growing even warmer as she struggled to take the book back. Zylan’s curiosity flickered in his eyes; he found her intriguing, and now he needed to know what was in that book that was making her so flustered.
"Why should I?" he asked, still gripping the book tightly. His tone was serious, and it felt as if only Naomi was struggling. It was as if he wasn’t even putting any effort into holding the book, while she fought for it as if her life depended on it.
"B... because it’s not for you," she stammered, trying to regain her composure.
Before she could react further, Zylan began to read the cover. "My Dar—"