บททั้งหมดของ Contractually Yours: บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Dante's POV "Ah, fuck—sorry, boss!" Shark blurted out immediately, his voice cracking as realization hit him all at once. He didn’t wait. He turned too fast, nearly stumbling in his hurry to escape the room, backing toward the door and muttering apologies repeatedly like saying it once wasn't enough. “Shark. Wait,” I said calmly, gently pulling away from Jem, who was now completely silent. And as for me— I remained way too calm for someone who had just been caught kissing him—my new boyfriend… maybe even my future husband. Whatever Jem was becoming to me, it was getting serious. I didn’t even flinch or act surprised. I remained composed, almost unnaturally unbothered. That alone was enough to make Shark stop in his track. But even as I asked him to stay, he didn’t bother to turn around to face me. He stayed frozen near the door, head lowered, unable to look back at me. Jem, on the other hand, had gone completely still. His face was turned downward, his fingers twitching

Jem's POV “Oh…” I muttered in panic almost immediately, my voice shaking slightly. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Dante isn’t around—” I was already shifting away from the bed, just in case she realized I didn’t belong here and decided to throw me out. I couldn’t even finish my sentence before the woman suddenly rushed further into the room. "Oh my God, it's you!" Her entire face transformed back into warmth as she grabbed both my hands, looking me over like she was confirming something she had been waiting for. “The doctor just called and told me you were awake,” she said quickly. “I was about to call Dante with the good news. I didn't even know he'd already brought you back here.” She guided me gently back toward the bed. "Come. Sit. Sit." I obeyed, still processing her energy. "How are you feeling?" she asked, already bright again. I gave a small, shy smile. “I’m feeling fine, Ma’am,” I answered quietly. She immediately laughed, playfully tapping my back like I wasn’t even a stranger

Jem's POV I couldn’t watch Dante leave just like that. So I acted immediately. Just before he grabbed the doorknob and was about to step out of the room, I quickly blurted out, “I’m sorry.” The words slipped out before I could even decide if it was the right thing to say or not. Dante stopped immediately. And since he was still facing away from me, I took the chance to avoid looking directly at him. "I didn't mean to shut you out," I said quickly, my voice uneven. "I swear I didn't mean to." Then Dante turned fully around. And without hesitation, he dropped the things in his hand back onto the table and started walking toward me again, slower this time. My fingers moved nervously against the edge of my clothes, fidgeting without control as I kept my head lowered, unable to look up at him. He stopped in front of me. Then slowly, almost too carefully, Dante crouched down right in front of me again. His hands cupped my face gently, tilting it upward, guiding me to look at h

Jem's POV The question caught me off guard and I almost felt my heart jump into my mouth, blocking every trace of air from my lungs. I looked away immediately, swallowing hard, trying to steady myself. My mind went blank. Then panic took over. “My girlfriend,” I stammered. “She’s my girlfriend.” Dante’s expression furrowed instantly. “Wait… you have a girlfriend?” His voice sharpened. I hesitated, my throat tight. “She’s… my ex-girlfriend—” I corrected quickly, barely keeping up with my own lie. Dante suddenly burst into laughter. “Fuck… shit, you’re much more of a loser than I thought,” he laughed again. “Don’t tell me you’re still obsessed with your ex-girlfriend?” He shook his head, still amused. “You really are not over her.” I finally snapped, heat rushing to my face. “I’m not obsessed with anyone.” Dante kept smiling like he didn’t believe a word I said. Then he tilted his head slightly. “So you’ve been with girls all your life…” he said, almost proudly, like he was

Jem's POV I couldn’t bear the closeness between Dante and me on the bed anymore. It suddenly felt suffocating and before I could even think it through properly, I jolted up from the bed and stood there abruptly, my arms hanging loosely by my sides, my body stiff and unsure of what to do next. Dante didn’t speak. He simply glanced at me as I stood beside the bed unable to say a single word, completely caught off guard by my own reaction. For a brief moment, neither of us moved. Then Dante smiled, looking away from me for a second, almost like he was trying to process something, before shaking his head slightly to himself. When he looked back up at me again, his eyes swept over me slowly, and I suddenly became aware of how exposed I was—standing there shirtless, with nothing on except a white pair of boxers that felt almost too loose on my body, barely even fitting around my waist. The weight of that awareness lingered between us, stretching the silence in a way that mad