Chapter 275 Reluctance
Chapter 275 Reluctance
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Anneliese could still see that night vividly in her mind. She could see how the house had been thrown into complete chaos, how shattered pieces and toppled furniture had marked every corner with her anger.
Now, stepping across the threshold again, the house was immaculate, spotless. It was restored to the exact state as it had been before.
But neatness was not the same as love.
She observed every detail, every polished surface, every perfectly aligned cushion, and it moved nothing in her. The order felt empty, hollow, almost ridiculous, and she could not suppress a small sense of boredom.
Zacharias, on the other hand, had been holding his breath for this moment since the second she entered. His eyes glimmered with a burning anticipation, a longing that almost hurt to look at.
He hoped she would be touched by the effort he had poured into their home. He hoped she would soften, if just a little, and return to his side.
But her face remained a frozen mask.
Her eyes carried a sharp edge of scorn and mockery, icy and unyielding.
“Anne,” he whispered, a twinge of pain threading his voice as he reached for her hand.
“Grandma!”
The warmth returned in her tone as she dashed toward the sofa where her grandmother sat.
His hand closed around air.
He pressed his lips tightly together in frustration, and his stormy gaze flickered with disappointment before he forced a careful, controlled smile and walked toward them.
Anneliese had not seen her grandmother for months. The last time had been for her birthday.
The woman had aged, her body a little frailer, her hair a little thinner. Anneliese’s eyes watered as she wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly.
“Grandma, I’ve missed you so much.”
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Chapter 275 Reluctance
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Her grandmother’s hand rested gently on her shoulder, firm and soothing, grounding her in the present.
“You’ve lost weight again. I thought you were done working and trying to have a baby with Zacharias. Why are you out working again? Are you wearing yourself too thin?”
Anneliese shook her head and slowly pulled away, feeling the weight of her grandmother’s concerned gaze.
She almost told her the truth about her divorce, almost spoke the words, but she could not gamble with her grandmother’s health.
“I’m… not tired. I just wanted to work again.”
Zacharias‘ lips curved into a faint, precise smile. He adjusted his suit and slid into the seat beside Anneliese. His hand moved toward her waist.
She recoiled sharply and stepped back.
“Grandma, there’s so much I want to say. Let’s go upstairs to my room. We’ll have a little private talk,” Anneliese said, determination threading her voice.
“All right, all right,” her grandmother replied, unaware of anything amiss, nodding as she followed Anne up the stairs.
Zacharias watched them go, tugged at his tie, then allowed a small, confident smile to curl at his lips. His eyes gleamed with predatory certainty.
She was home again. Reconciliation could not be far away.
They would never be separated.
Anneliese spent more than an hour upstairs, talking with her grandmother until the older woman finally drifted into sleep from exhaustion. Then, Anneliese left the room quietly.
She did not go downstairs to find Zacharias. Instead, she walked to the balcony and pushed the door open with force, letting the night air wash over her,
She pulled out her phone and opened the WhatsApp conversation with Jonathan.
The message she had drafted, ‘Did you kiss me because you love me?‘ still lingered unsent.
The earlier flutter of emotion had faded, and she no longer had the courage to send it.
She began deleting the words, letter by letter, but a sudden longing stirred within her.
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Chapter 275 Reluctance
She wanted to hear his voice.
Without hesitation, she called him.
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The call rang endlessly, eventually going to voicemail. He was not picking up.
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Her long lashes fell as she powered off the phone, turning to step back inside, when it rang again.
Her heart jumped. She snatched the phone and saw his name flashing. Her eyes widened before she could even think.
The moment the first ring sounded, she answered.
“Jonathan, is that you?”
His voice came through, low and warm, with a touch of gentle exasperation.
“Honey, you didn’t save my number under my name? So, I wonder, how should I punish you for this?”
A pang of helplessness shot through Anneliese. Her nose tingled, and her throat felt tight.
She realized, in that instant, how much she had missed him.
“I did save it. Don’t try to frame me…‘
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Her voice carried a soft, teasing lilt, almost fragile, almost playful.
Jonathan paused on the other end, silent for a moment, surprised by the change in her tone.
Anneliese froze, unsure what to say, until his voice returned.
“Sorry, my bad. Then how would you punish me, honey?”
There was a warmth in his words, a teasing and affectionate edge that made her breath hitch slightly.
She bit her lip, words caught in her throat between thought and voice.
Jonathan, rumored to be distant and detached, sounded instead like a playful charmer.
He had rushed back for her, rescued her from the White family, and even ensured she got justice. How could she punish him for something so small?
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Chapter 275 Reluctance
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Yet she could not resist. A faint smile, teasing and soft, curved her lips. “Punish you? I will have to think about that carefully…”
A soft laugh rose between them, shared and light, floating out into the balcony and the cool night air, wrapping around them like a private moment of warmth.
