CHAPTER 174: DON’T STOP...

They sat across from each other on the balcony, the city twinkling behind them like a galaxy of secrets. The food was surprisingly good... Logan even had second helpings, though he didn’t comment on it.

Jean took a slow sip of wine, the stem of the glass delicate between her fingers. Her bandages peeked out from beneath the oversized sleeves of her shirt. The firelight from the table’s candle flickered across her features, making her look softer... calmer.

But there was a weight behind her gaze.

"Why are you doing all this, Logan?" she finally asked, her voice low but sharp... a blade cloaked in velvet.

Logan glanced up, mid-bite, pausing as if to pretend he didn’t understand.

"Doing what?" he said coolly, chewing slower.

She tilted her head, her dark eyes narrowing.

"Getting Alex blacklisted. Digging into my family. Standing beside me when I never even asked you to. You said this was a contract marriage. And yet... here you are. Risking everything for me."

Her words lingered between them like steam rising from a forgotten cup of tea.

Logan exhaled deeply, setting down his fork.

"You think I’m doing you a favor?" he asked, voice quiet, unreadable.

Jean leaned forward, elbows resting lightly on the table.

"Aren’t you?" she countered. "Because it sure doesn’t look like just business anymore."

Logan stood up, walking toward the edge of the balcony, looking out at the skyline like it had answers he didn’t.

"I’m doing what needs to be done," he muttered. "That’s all."

"That’s not an answer," Jean pressed, standing now too, her voice rising slightly. "You didn’t have to meddle in my world, Logan. You could’ve walked away after the contract ended. You still can. So why are you doing this?"

He turned to her, eyes fierce but shadowed by something deeper.

"Because no one should go through what you did," he said. "Because watching you break and bleed and still stand up... it did something to me."

Her breath caught.

He looked away, jaw tightening.

"But that doesn’t mean I..."

"...Don’t," she interrupted, holding up her hand. "Don’t lie. Not to me. You’re not the only one confused, Logan."

For a second, there was silence.

Just the sound of the city breathing and two people trapped in a marriage that was no longer just a piece of paper.

Jean took a step closer. Her voice trembled this time... not from weakness, but from the weight of vulnerability.

"So tell me... if this isn’t about feelings, then what is it about?"

Logan looked down at her, struggling.

Because deep down, he knew she deserved the truth.

And yet... his walls weren’t ready to fall. Not yet.

Instead, he brushed a hand along her cheek and whispered,

"Don’t ask questions you’re not ready to hear answers to."

Then he turned and walked inside, leaving Jean standing there under the stars... heart pounding, head spinning, wondering what hurt more:

His silence.

Or her growing hope.

Jean stood frozen under the stars, her breath rising and falling like crashing waves. His retreating footsteps were like thunder in her chest.

But she couldn’t let him walk away again.

Not when every day he fought her battles... not when every night he stood by her without asking for anything in return... not when she could feel the unspoken truth in his silence.

"Logan," she called out.

He didn’t stop.

"Logan!"

He paused, his hand on the sliding door, back still turned.

Jean’s voice broke, not in anger, but in ache.

"You can fight the whole world for me, but you won’t even admit what I already know?"

He slowly turned around, his expression hard... too hard to be convincing.

"And what is it that you think you know?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

She stepped forward, trembling with more than just nerves.

"That you care. That it’s not just revenge anymore. Not just protection. You care, Logan."

Something snapped in him. His chest rose sharply as if he’d been punched in the gut. He moved to her in two long strides... and before she could say another word, he grabbed her waist, cupped her jaw, and kissed her.

Not like before.

This kiss wasn’t careful or exploratory. It was searing... full of all the things he didn’t say. Of all the nights he stayed awake watching her breathe. Of every time he wanted to reach out and couldn’t.

Jean’s hands instinctively gripped his shirt as his mouth moved over hers, demanding and raw. The world blurred. Her knees nearly gave out, but he held her tight, as if letting go would tear him apart.

Her heart pounded so loud she couldn’t think.

And when he finally pulled back, just barely, his forehead resting on hers, they both stood there... breathless.

"Yes," he said, voice hoarse. "I care."

Jean closed her eyes.

That’s all she wanted to hear.

And yet, it scared her more than anything else.

The silence that followed his confession wasn’t empty.

It pulsed.

Every beat of Jean’s heart echoed inside her chest like a war drum. The rawness in Logan’s voice still vibrated in her ears, and before she could even fully process what he had just said...

He swept her off her feet.

"Logan..." she gasped.

He didn’t say a word.

His grip was firm, steady. One arm beneath her knees, the other holding her close to his chest like she was something fragile and precious. His jaw was clenched, his eyes unreadable. Focused.

He carried her down the hallway with purpose, ignoring her rapid breathing and the way her fingers curled against the fabric of his shirt.

The bedroom door opened with a soft push of his foot. The lights were dim, the curtains drawn. Moonlight bathed the sheets in silver. Jean didn’t even realize she was trembling until Logan gently placed her on the bed... not like a man seeking possession, but a man revering something he thought he’d never have.

He hovered above her for a long second, both of them breathless.

"Say no," he whispered, brushing the strands of her hair off her face. "And I’ll stop right here."

Jean searched his eyes.

There was no pressure in his voice. No expectation. Just vulnerability.

Her lips parted. "Don’t stop."