From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 461

Laurinda couldn’t say no to Adolphus. She slipped off her jacket and twirled in front of him, catching the way his expression changed. Smiling with a bit of a tease, she asked, “Well? Am I sexy or what?”

He didn’t even try to hide how much he liked it. “Yeah, you are. But from now on, you only wear that for me. This dress isn’t for going out. Did Seraphina give you this? She’s in so much trouble.”

The idea of Laurinda showing up to a party in that dress, stealing all the attention, made Adolphus uncomfortable. Her beautiful face already turned heads. If she looked this stunning, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to get bold.

“What’s got you looking like that?” Laurinda leaned down, worry in her eyes. For a second, she wondered if he was about to faint again.

“I was just thinking I should hide you away,” he admitted, staring up at her with those serious dark eyes. Then he added, almost sulking, “Laurinda, I’m jealous.”

Hearing him say that so directly caught her off guard. Maybe the injury really had loosened his tongue.

She couldn’t stand seeing him down like this. Placing her hands gently on his cheeks, she spoke softly. “Don’t be jealous. Tonight, I was Adolphus’s girlfriend at that party. No one with sense is going to try anything. You don’t have to worry.”

He didn’t seem convinced, so she reached out, playfully tilted his chin, and kissed him softly. Her voice dropped to a whisper near his lips. “I meant what I said. I’m yours. No one can take me away from you.”

The words were for him, but she needed to hear them too. She’d already made up her mind. No one could change the fact that she wanted to be with Adolphus.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her back, making sure she felt it. When he finally let go, Laurinda took a deep breath, heart still fluttering. She lightly tapped his shoulder.

“Alright, it’s late. I’m going to get cleaned up. That party wore me out. You stay put and rest.”

She helped him settle on the bed, picked up her clothes, and slipped into the bathroom. The hospital wasn’t fancy, but she managed to wipe off her makeup and shower before getting into comfy pajamas.

When she came out, she crossed the room, took his phone away, tucked his arms under the blanket, and crawled into bed beside him. Her arm wrapped tight around his waist, almost like she was worried he’d disappear.

Just looking at Adolphus, awake and beside her again, filled her with relief.

“It was awful, you know? You being out like that.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “You have to promise you’ll take care of yourself. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”

She put her cup down, grabbed a towel to wipe her mouth, and turned to face him, lifting her chin a little. “You’re welcome. But I should warn you, getting those doctors came with a price. My uncle found out about us, which means my whole mom’s side of the family knows you exist. You ready for that?”

The word “uncle” still sounded strange to Adolphus, but the idea that Laurinda’s family now knew about him made his heart race. Maybe it even meant he’d get to meet her real family soon. That was a big deal. He wanted them to know him, to accept him. They were important to her.

“I’ll make sure they do,” he promised, smiling wide, unable to hide his excitement.

If he could meet Laurinda’s family, he’d be one step closer to marrying her. He already wanted that more than anything.

Watching him beam at her, Laurinda couldn’t help but frown a little. “Maybe you should get your head checked again. I don’t know what happened. You used to be all sharp and clever, now you’re acting goofy.”

Hearing her say that, Adolphus leaned his head on her shoulder, pretending to sulk. “Laurinda, you wouldn’t stop loving me just because I’m a little off, would you?”

A chill ran down Laurinda’s spine. She did not like this side of him, and made a face, nudging him away.