Chapter 5

He carried a unique scent, unlike Ansel’s invasive cedar. His was colder, cleaner… like the first breath of wind across the ice fields after a blizzard, laced with the salt of the sea.

“It’s the sea!” Lilith exclaimed. “Leah, it’s fresh sea air! Not cedar mixed with rotten strawberries!”

“Miss Leah,” Andrew extended his hand in a formal gesture. “Would you dance with me?”

I stared at his hand—broad, with defined joints, warmth etched in its lines. After a moment’s hesitation, I placed mine in his.

His grip was steady, dry, and strong. He guided me smoothly into the dance. My steps were stiff at first, but his lead was sure, and I soon found the rhythm. We were close—so close I could feel the vibration of his chest against me.

The murmurs around us quieted. All eyes were on us.

When the music ended, he didn’t release me. He looked down, gray eyes unreadable.

“The air here is poor,” he said. “Let me take you somewhere else.”

I nodded.

He pulled me through the crowd, straight out of the ballroom.

His car was parked at the gate of the estate—a black Land Rover, still dusted with traces of a long journey. He opened the passenger door for me, waited until I sat, then walked around to the driver’s side.

The vehicle slid into city traffic.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Today had been chaos—I couldn’t think.

“That’s fine. I’ll take you somewhere you’ll like.”

He drove to the city center, stopping before an upscale luxury mall.

“Come on. We’re here.”

I followed him into the mall, straight into a high-end jewelry boutique.

The staff greeted him with immediate respect.

He didn’t browse the glittering displays. Instead, he pointed to the necklace at my throat. “Take it off.”

I froze, instinctively touching the diamond necklace Ansel had fastened around my neck earlier.

“I don’t like my fiancée,” Andrew’s tone was calm but commanding, “wearing another man’s gift.”

Heat crept up my face. Silently, I unclasped the necklace.

He took it from my hand and casually passed it to a clerk—like tossing away trash.

“Dispose of it.”

Then, pointing to a sapphire necklace that shimmered like a river of stars, he said, “That one.”

The clerk carefully brought it out. Andrew took it and fastened it around my neck himself. The gems were cool against my skin, yet unlike Ansel’s diamonds, they didn’t sting.

“This suits you better,” he said.

After that, he led me through nearly the entire mall—clothes, shoes, bags. If he liked it, he had it wrapped without glancing at the price. Most of the purchases were sent to a new address.

He explained the villa at that address was something he had bought in haste for me. Maybe not perfect, but well-equipped, in a good location—a temporary home.

“That’s enough for today,” he said, glancing at my stiletto heels.

When we stepped out, the evening breeze cleared my muddled head.

My hands were empty. He carried all the shopping bags in one hand, the other in his coat pocket. Under the neon lights, his profile looked particularly sharp.

“Why?” I finally asked. “Why are you doing all this?”

He stopped, turning to meet my gaze. For the first time, his gray eyes revealed an emotion I could read—the look of a man in love.

“Whatever Ansel gives you, I can give you something better.” He paused, voice low and steady. “And whatever he can’t give you—I can.”