Chapter 518


    Ronan spoke with a tone that seemed to rewind time, and it felt like their rtionship was catapulting


    back to the days when he was the untouchable CEO, and she, Cordelia, was nothing more than an


    employee under hismand.


    Cordelia’s heart felt lighter, knowing that if trouble brewed, he would stand in front of it for her. With her


    other hand, she was fiddling with a pen, spinning it absentmindedly on the desk with such speed it took


    flight with a snap. Itnded near Ronan''s feet. Cordelia searched around before spotting it there.


    Ronan, too, stared at the pen, then nced at Cordelia as if to see whether she woulde over to


    pick it up.


    Cordelia shifted her posture, sitting up straight against the chair, stretching her arms out, and resting


    them on the desk in front of her. She made no move to retrieve the pen.


    Ronan leaned over, picked up the pen, and held it out to her. His armchair was within easy reach of


    Cordelia’s writing desk.


    She reached out to take it, but just as she extended her hand, Ronan pulled the pen back as if by


    magic, caught her wrist, and yanked her towards him.


    Cordelia fell onto him and tried to break free, but Ronan justughed. “Now that you’re here, where do


    you think you’re going?”


    She stopped struggling, her mood shifting from the gloom of a dreary, rainy day to a sudden burst of


    sunshine, simply because—Ronan was there.


    She avoided looking at him.


    “So, tell me, what’s making you cry?” he asked, looking down at her in his arms.


    A few days earlier, Cordelia was browsing through Quora when she came across a question: What


    would you do if your ex-husband wanted to sleep with you after the divorce? Many responded that it


    was just a physical need, and if no one else was around, why not? It wasn’t as if it was the first time. It


    was all the same in the end.


    At the time, she had just returned from a night with him at Millstone, and after reading that question,


    she couldn''t help but rte to it, so she read through all the responses.


    Now, Cordelia felt her tears were silly. She felt as vulnerable as a well-behaved kitten, clinging tightly to


    Ronan’s neck because she was perched so precariously that she might fall at any moment.


    “Sopliant this time. Are you trying to secure some kind of first dibs?” he teased, looking down at


    her.


    “First dibs on what?” Cordelia asked, bewildered.


    “I knew Emerson was full of it. You and your stubborn pride, since when do you fuss over first dibs?


    Emerson imed that if I were to put out a personal ad, you would want first dibs. Is that right?” Ronan


    raised his head slightly, then dipped it again to search Cordelia’s eyes.


    After a moment of silence, Cordelia thought to herself. That must’ve been Emerson’s way of trying to


    y matchmaker, lying to Ronan. Besides, Emerson had told her that personal ad was someone else’s


    doing, and Ronan didn’t even know about it. So, there was no question of first dibs. Maybe Ronan


    wasn’t even thinking about marrying anew.


    Cordelia did want children, that was true, but she was also genuinely scared to be with Ronan. Who


    would want to be with a murderer? To have a bedfellow who might wield a knife at any moment—


    wasn''t that terrifying?


    “Oh, I was only talking about first dibs if you’re not willing to have kids with me. Of course, if you’d be


    willing to loan me some cash, that would be even better,” she replied.


    Ronan chuckled, “Ah, the old seduction game never fails, does it? But shouldn’t you save your wiles for


    the bedroom?” His thumb grazed the corner of Cordelia’s lips.


    At the mention of “bedroom,” Cordelia no longer wanted to continue that thread and changed the


    subject. “When are you leaving?”


    “When do you want me to leave?” he countered.


    “The forecast said there might be heavy snow. They’ve been predicting it for days,” Cordelia said,


    thinking to herself, “I need to find a way to keep Callum here. Ronan can do whatever he pleases;


    Lumos Enterprises surely won’t miss him.”


    Neither of them probably realized just how charged the atmosphere was between them. It was


    reminiscent of years ago, the dance of seduction between them and the banterced with innuendo.


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    The next logical step was an explosive mix of passion and conflict, but with one enticing and the other


    resisting, it turned into a teasing game of attraction.