Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 290
Chapter 290
He reached out, not to hand the phone to Charlotte, but to press
the end call button directly.
The screen went dark.
The kitchen fell into a dead silence, with only the sound of
water dripping from the not–quite–closed faucet.
Drip… drip… drip…
Hammering against Charlotte’s heart, which had almost
stopped beating.
She stood stiffly, holding her breath, not daring to turn and see
the expression on Bradley’s face.
Bradley didn’t speak.
He just slowly, step by step, walked over to Charlotte, his tall
figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped her.
“Shouldn’t you give me an explanation?”
“I…”
Chapter 290
Charlotte slowly backed away until her body hit the counter,
with nowhere left to retreat.
Bradley moved closer, bit by bit.
He placed his arms on the counter on either side of her,
trapping her in the small space and completely cutting off her
escape.
The familiar scent on him was now full of aggression, pressing
down on her until she could barely breathe.
Bradley lowered his head, his deep gaze locking onto her
panicked, flickering eyes.
His voice was so low it was almost a rasp, each word seeming
to be squeezed from between his teeth:
“Lying to me?”
He repeated the words, his eyes churning with incredulous fury
and a deeply wounded pain.
Even though he had already guessed this would happen,
actually hearing it still hurt Bradley.
“Getting Simon to pretend to be your boyfriend?
Chapter 290
Charlotte, do you want nothing to do with me that badly?
So much that you’d resort to this kind of trick to lie to me?”
His questions were like a cold whip, lashing at Charlotte’s heart.
She opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to make a
sound.
All the excuses and pretexts she had prepared beforehand seemed incredibly pale and ridiculous at this moment.
“Look at me!”
Bradley’s voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable
command.
His fingers on her chin tightened slightly, forcing her to lift her
pale face.
“Tell me, why?”
“I… I just…”
Her voice trembled, her words jumbled, “At the time, I didn’t
know what to do… I was afraid you…”
“Afraid of what?”
Chapter 290
Bradley took a step closer, the distance between them so small
their noses were almost touching.
His warm breath brushed against her cheek, yet it carried a
biting chill.
“Afraid I’d cling to you?
Afraid I’d disturb your new life after coming back?
Or afraid that I… still like you, and that would be a burden to
you?”
His directness and sharpness left Charlotte with nowhere to
hide.
Her eyelashes trembled violently, a fragile sheen of tears
welling up in her eyes.
“It’s not like that, Bradley, listen to me…”
“Listen to what?”
Bradley cut her off abruptly, the corner of his mouth twisting
into an extremely bitter, sarcastic smile.
“Listen to you spin another lie to trick me?
Chapter 290
Charlotte, in your eyes, just how stupid am I?
Or how much do you hate me that you need to push me away
like this?”
He took half a step back, looking at her with an incredibly
unfamiliar gaze, one filled with disappointment and heartbreak.
“After all these years…”
His voice dropped, laced with an exhausted hoarseness.
“I thought even if you didn’t like me, at least… at least we still
had the bond from growing up together. Not to the point where
you’d use ‘deception‘ against me.”
Charlotte looked at the clear pain in his eyes, her heart feeling
as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, hurting so
much she could barely breathe.
She subconsciously reached out, wanting to grab his sleeve,
“Bradley, I’m sorry… I…”
။
But Bradley avoided her touch.
He gave her one last look, a look so complex it broke
Charlotte’s heart.
Chapter 290
There was anger, hurt, disappointment, and a hint of… a finality
she couldn’t understand.
At that moment, Charlotte panicked.
Bradley avoided her outstretched hand.
The movement wasn’t harsh, it was even gentle, but it was like a cold, dull knife, grinding cruelly into Charlotte’s heart.
He gave her one last look, a look so complex it was suffocating.
Anger, hurt, disappointment, and a kind of cold, final resolve
that terrified her.
Then, he turned and walked toward the door without a word.
His tall back was straight, but it radiated an indescribable
loneliness and desolation.
“Bradley!”
Charlotte cried out instinctively, her voice filled with a panic and
pleading she hadn’t even realized was there.
Bradley’s steps faltered for a moment, just for a moment.
He didn’t turn back.
Chapter 290
His hand gripped the doorknob, and he pulled the door open
decisively.
The light from the hallway flooded in, instantly illuminating half
his silhouette and stinging Charlotte’s eyes.
She knew he should have stayed, listened to her explanation,
even if it was just a weak excuse.
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.