Chapter 326
Kieran Argent lifted his foot to leave.
Noticing Kieran Argent’s approach, Alarieka Huston’s heart skipped, her frown deepening. She turned sideways to clear a path.
The living room in this rental apartment was cramped, with little space between the coffee table and sofa. Kieran Argent’s tall frame made the area feel even more crowded when he stood.
Alarieka Huston naturally assumed Kieran Argent was leaving, and her position with Tamika Coldberg blocked his path to the door. To let him exit faster, she stepped aside, giving Kieran Argent ample space.
Alarieka Huston kept her head down, gripping Tamika Coldberg’s arm while glancing toward the doorway, signaling Kieran Argent to hurry out.
Kieran Argent shifted his weight, stopping right before her. Alarieka Huston waited for him to pass, but after a long pause, he remained still.
Alarieka Huston frowned and looked up: “Why aren’t you leaving–”
A dark figure lunged forward, carrying the familiar scent of fir that washed over her with raw aggression, threatening to engulf her completely. Alarieka Huston’s chest tightened. Instinctively stepping back, she forgot the sofa behind her.
Her calf slammed against the sofa, knees buckling. Her injured leg barely supported her weight, while her good leg lost balance. Her center of gravity tilted backward, sending her falling.
She lifted panicked eyes, meeting Kieran Argent’s piercing dark gaze—an abyss churning with violent whirlpools that threatened to drown her.
The rental apartment was old. When first moved in, the dim living room light barely functioned until Alarieka Huston replaced the bulb. Now the glare was so intense she often squinted at the ceiling.
Under this harsh light, Kieran Argent’s features appeared sharper, his obsidian eyes bottomless.
Staring into those eyes, Alarieka Huston froze, feeling utterly submerged.
Amid Tamika Coldberg’s shriek, Kieran Argent suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist. Alarieka Huston bit her lip. In a blur, her upper body pitched forward into Kieran Argent’s embrace.
His palm pressed against her back, pinning her to his chest. Alarieka Huston’s mind reeled. Staring blankly at the suit fabric beneath her cheek, her eyes widened.
Her hands instinctively rose, palms shoving against Kieran Argent’s chest.
Tamika Coldberg’s voice pierced the air. “Kieran Argent, what are you doing?!”
Alarieka Huston snapped back to awareness. Gritting her teeth, she mustered all her strength and thrust against his chest: “Don’t touch me!”
She used almost all her strength, yet Kieran didn’t budge an inch. His arms locked around her like prison chains, pressing their bodies flush against each other until his scent flooded her senses.
Alarieka gripped Kieran’s collar, glaring up at him. “Kieran, have you lost your mind?”
Tamika watched their entangled figures with visceral discomfort, frozen in disbelief. Hearing Alarieka’s voice snapped her back to reality, and she lunged forward to pry Kieran’s arms apart.
“Kieran, release her!”
Kieran’s gaze darkened as he shifted sideways, pulling Alarieka out of reach. Tamika grasped at thin air.
Alarieka’s face remained crushed against Kieran’s chest, immobilized. Trapped against him, fury surged through her veins—she could’ve bitten through his throat.
“Kieran, what madness is this?”
Pinned helplessly, she couldn’t lift her head to see his expression, only hearing his ambiguous huff above her.
Suddenly Kieran moved.
One arm clamped around her back while the other hooked behind her knees, sweeping her up effortlessly like a weightless leaf.
The world spun as her feet left the ground. Clutching his collar, breath hitched, she stared up at the sharp line of his jaw and the bob of his Adam’s apple.
Tamika’s frantic cry pierced the air: “Kieran, unhand my daughter!”
Kieran snorted dismissively, striding past the sofa corner toward the door with Alarieka in his arms.
Chapter 327