Chapter 114

I turned around to leave, but his voice came from behind, stopping me in my tracks. My heart lurched as I heard his footsteps coming closer. My breathing grew shallow and rapid as I sensed him standing right behind me. I remained stiff, not daring to turn and look back at him. Slowly, his arms wrapped around me from behind, and I froze, my breath catching. "Congratulations," he murmured, his breath brushing my ear, making me shudder. "You played well. I wanted to celebrate your victory." I didn't speak. I couldn't. My whole body was tense under his embrace. But I didn't move to break free. As if captivated by his warmth, I remained still, savoring the feeling of his closeness, his touch, and the familiar scent of his cologne. "You ran away from me that night," he continued, his tone soft and coaxing. "It hurt me. I thought you would never want to see me again. So I asked Bruno to call you and invite you to dinner." I finally broke free from his embrace and turned to him. "Why?" I asked