Chapter 96: There, there, my sweet angel, mommy won’t let the big, bad snake take you
Isabella’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her perfectly sculpted brows lifting as she leaned in, her golden curls bouncing with the movement.
"Ohhh..." she trilled, dragging out the sound as if she had just uncovered a juicy little secret. "Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?"
She clasped her hands together dramatically, pressing them against her chest like a wounded princess. "Cyrus, darling," she sighed, tilting her head with an exaggerated pout. "You wouldn’t keep things from me, would you?"
Of course, she was acting—but that didn’t mean she wasn’t serious. If she was going to take him in under her precious name, she had to confirm he wasn’t hiding something dangerous. A man didn’t just show up needing shelter unless he was running from something. And if that something came knocking on her doorstep? Ohhh, she refused to let some hidden mess ruin her very peaceful, very fabulous life.
Cyrus remained silent.
She gasped softly, placing a delicate hand over her heart like she had just been betrayed.
"My stars," she whispered, her voice high and airy. "You are keeping secrets! I knew it!"
Then, without missing a beat, she flipped the switch—her pout vanishing as she fluttered her lashes and beamed at him. "Okay, spill! Where are you really from?" She playfully bumped his arm, her voice laced with honeyed persuasion. "Because if you don’t tell me..." She tapped her chin in thought before dramatically pointing a finger at him. "I’ll assume something wildly ridiculous! And then I’ll tell everyone!"
At that, Cyrus tensed.
Isabella caught it instantly. Ohhh? So that did get a reaction.
But beneath that slight stiffness, there was something else—guilt. He didn’t want to keep things from her.