Seeing Katrina clutching her head with a worried look, Aaron realizes that she must feel particularly uncomfortable being left alone in a strange and busy environment.
Aaron purses his lips and says nothing in the end.
As long as he"s sure that she"s still nearby, his inner rage slowly subsides.
But…
Aaron suddenly notices that Katrina is much shorter.
When she took his arm earlier, she reached his chin.
But now, she only reaches his shoulders.
Aaron looks down and sees that her bare feet are stark white against the flagstone pathway. Her toes are slightly curled, and her red-painted nails make her look a bit seductive.
It"s much colder at night than usual, and Katrina is still feeble health.
She got sick several times in less than a month. Standing barefoot on the floor, doesn"t she fear to get ill again?
"Where are your shoes?" Aaron frowns and asks.
"Shoes…"
At Aaron"s question, Katrina suddenly realizes that she"s not wearing any shoes. After taking her shoes off earlier, she took them to the swing and placed them on the bench next to her.
Walking in high heels is particularly tiring.
Taking off her shoes gave her a sense of liberation. She felt so comfortable that she forgot about her shoes.
"My shoes are over there!"
Suddenly, Katrina anxiously runs to the direction of the swing with her dress in hand. Aaron doesn"t have the chance to drag her back, and he can only watch her walk on the floor barefoot.
This stupid woman!
Aaron can"t help scolding her in his heart. He hurries to follow her.
Just as Katrina arrives at the swing, a tall figure appears in front of her. He looks at her, holding a pair of high heels in his hand. "Are these yours?"
The man"s voice sounds pleasing. Its deep and magnetic quality is similar to a musical instrument.
Looking up, Katrina sees a handsome young man. He"s tall and handsome, with a faint smile on his lips that makes him look gentle.
Although Aaron is handsome, he is also domineering, cold, and dangerous. The man before her is also handsome. But unlike Aaron, he"s gentle and elegant without any hint of aggression.
Even his smile makes people feel warm, and unconsciously draws people closer to him.
Noticing Katrina"s bare feet, the man seems to wonder if the shoes belong to her. After glancing at her feet several times, he becomes more certain that the shoes are hers.
Seeing the shoes in his hands, Katrina blushes and quickly takes it. "Thank you."
She was so careless that she forgot her shoes on the bench when she sneaked away.
But when she came to the garden a moment ago, she didn"t see anyone else. It was the reason she felt she could go barefoot unscrupulously.
Where was this man earlier?
Did he catch all her childish behavior?
She immediately feels a little embarra.s.sed even though they"re strangers.
The man hands Katrina her shoes and says gently, "You"re welcome; it"s no trouble at all."
In any case, he brought her shoes to her, and she feels grateful. It doesn"t seem appropriate to turn around and immediately leave.
Before Katrina could ask the man how to call him, she felt a sudden force and a big hand gripping her wrist tightly. The pull causes her body to stagger, and she steps back involuntarily and falls into a warm embrace.
The pain on her wrist makes her frown. Her head hits a firm chest, and for a moment, she sees stars.
She doesn"t have to think who this bully is!
Does this guy have a violent streak?
She"s just getting her shoes back, why does he have to mistreat her?
The pain makes gasp for breath, "Aaron, you"re holding me too tight. It hurts!"
Holding Katrina tightly in his arms, Aaron"s senses are on high alert. The air pressure around him seems to drop considerably.
Aaron says, "I told you not to accost other men! Didn"t you hear me?"
Although he"s talking to Katrina, his black eyes are trained on the man in front of him. His glare is unbelievably harsh.
Immersed in the pain and unable to extricate herself, Katrina fails to notice the strange atmosphere.
Accost other men?
Aaron misunderstood; she"s not accosting anyone!
He must have seen what just happened!
What else could she do? She needs to thank him after taking her shoes back.
He"s overreacting!
While they"re alone, she accepts his unacceptable behavior. But doing this to her in front of other people…
Not only does he not know how to respect her, but he also doesn"t consider her feelings at all.
She feels humiliated.
In the face of Aaron"s injustice, Katrina becomes so upset and angry that she exclaims, "Aaron, let go! Let me go!"
Katrina struggles in his arms.
Aaron frowns. Why is she so noisy?
He puts his arm around her waist and bends over to kiss her red lips, swallowing any further protests.
As a declaration of sovereignty, his kiss is overbearing and intense.
"Aaron... "
Katrina"s eyes widened at his sudden kiss.
Aaron is going too far!
He kisses her in front of someone else, regardless of her feelings.
What would other people think?
It lasts for a minute… Two minutes… Longer…
When Aaron releases Katrina, she feels so weak that she can hardly stand. Her cheeks are flushed as she gasps for air.
Aaron easily secures Katrina in his arms and warns, "This is the punishment for accosting other men!"
Katrina glares at him with a look of unspeakable anger.
Aaron"s thin lips curl. "What? Feeling rebellious? Do you want another taste?"
At Aaron"s threat, Katrina clenches her teeth and retracts her anger.
At that moment, the man who"s been standing nearby says, "Brother, I hope that you"re well."
Brother?
Katrina is shocked.
The man called Aaron "brother." It means that they know each other.
What exactly is their relations.h.i.+p?
Are they really siblings?
But the tense atmosphere between them makes Katrina think otherwise.
When the man called Aaron "brother," a hint of disgust appeared on Aaron"s face.