Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached out, not to hand the phone to Charlotte, but to press\u00a0<\/p>\n
the end call button directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The screen went dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The kitchen fell into a dead silence, with only the sound of\u00a0<\/p>\n
water dripping from the not\u2013quite\u2013closed faucet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drip\u2026 drip\u2026 drip\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hammering against Charlotte\u2019s heart, which had almost\u00a0<\/p>\n
stopped beating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stood stiffly, holding her breath, not daring to turn and see\u00a0<\/p>\n
the expression on Bradley\u2019s face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley didn\u2019t speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He just slowly, step by step, walked over to Charlotte, his tall\u00a0<\/p>\n
figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShouldn\u2019t you give me an explanation?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte slowly backed away until her body hit the counter,\u00a0<\/p>\n
with nowhere left to retreat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley moved closer, bit by bit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He placed his arms on the counter on either side of her,\u00a0<\/p>\n
trapping her in the small space and completely cutting off her\u00a0<\/p>\n
escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The familiar scent on him was now full of aggression, pressing\u00a0<\/p>\n
down on her until she could barely breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley lowered his head, his deep gaze locking onto her\u00a0<\/p>\n
panicked, flickering eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was so low it was almost a rasp, each word seeming\u00a0<\/p>\n
to be squeezed from between his teeth:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLying to me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He repeated the words, his eyes churning with incredulous fury\u00a0<\/p>\n
and a deeply wounded pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though he had already guessed this would happen,\u00a0<\/p>\n
actually hearing it still hurt Bradley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting Simon to pretend to be your boyfriend?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte, do you want nothing to do with me that badly?\u00a0<\/p>\n
So much that you\u2019d resort to this kind of trick to lie to me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His questions were like a cold whip, lashing at Charlotte\u2019s heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to make a\u00a0<\/p>\n
sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All the excuses and pretexts she had prepared beforehand seemed incredibly pale and ridiculous at this moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at me!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable\u00a0<\/p>\n
command.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His fingers on her chin tightened slightly, forcing her to lift her\u00a0<\/p>\n
pale face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me, why?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026 I just\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice trembled, her words jumbled, \u201cAt the time, I didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
know what to do\u2026 I was afraid you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfraid of what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley took a step closer, the distance between them so small\u00a0<\/p>\n
their noses were almost touching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His warm breath brushed against her cheek, yet it carried a\u00a0<\/p>\n
biting chill.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfraid I\u2019d cling to you?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Afraid I\u2019d disturb your new life after coming back?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or afraid that I\u2026 still like you, and that would be a burden to\u00a0<\/p>\n
you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His directness and sharpness left Charlotte with nowhere to\u00a0<\/p>\n
hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyelashes trembled violently, a fragile sheen of tears\u00a0<\/p>\n
welling up in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like that, Bradley, listen to me\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley cut her off abruptly, the corner of his mouth twisting\u00a0<\/p>\n
into an extremely bitter, sarcastic smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to you spin another lie to trick me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte, in your eyes, just how stupid am I?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or how much do you hate me that you need to push me away\u00a0<\/p>\n
like this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took half a step back, looking at her with an incredibly\u00a0<\/p>\n
unfamiliar gaze, one filled with disappointment and heartbreak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter all these years\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice dropped, laced with an exhausted hoarseness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought even if you didn\u2019t like me, at least\u2026 at least we still\u00a0<\/p>\n
had the bond from growing up together. Not to the point where\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019d use \u2018deception\u2018 against me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte looked at the clear pain in his eyes, her heart feeling\u00a0<\/p>\n
as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, hurting so\u00a0<\/p>\n
much she could barely breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She subconsciously reached out, wanting to grab his sleeve,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBradley, I\u2019m sorry\u2026 I\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u104b\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Bradley avoided her touch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave her one last look, a look so complex it broke\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte\u2019s heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was anger, hurt, disappointment, and a hint of\u2026 a finality\u00a0<\/p>\n
she couldn\u2019t understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, Charlotte panicked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley avoided her outstretched hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The movement wasn\u2019t harsh, it was even gentle, but it was like a cold, dull knife, grinding cruelly into Charlotte\u2019s heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave her one last look, a look so complex it was suffocating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anger, hurt, disappointment, and a kind of cold, final resolve\u00a0<\/p>\n
that terrified her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, he turned and walked toward the door without a word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tall back was straight, but it radiated an indescribable\u00a0<\/p>\n
loneliness and desolation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBradley!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte cried out instinctively, her voice filled with a panic and\u00a0<\/p>\n
pleading she hadn\u2019t even realized was there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s steps faltered for a moment, just for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t turn back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 290\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hand gripped the doorknob, and he pulled the door open\u00a0<\/p>\n
decisively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The light from the hallway flooded in, instantly illuminating half\u00a0<\/p>\n
his silhouette and stinging Charlotte\u2019s eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She knew he should have stayed, listened to her explanation,\u00a0<\/p>\n
even if it was just a weak excuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 290 Chapter 290\u00a0 He reached out, not to hand the phone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29587\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}