Chapter 290: the Rowe VII

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: the Rowe VII

Vivienne stared at him.

For a moment, she genuinely didn’t know what to say.

Her heart was beating far too quickly.

He wanted her.

Anthony Ashford.

The man she had spent years loving.

The man she had once imagined saying those exact words to her in a hundred different versions of the story she had read over and over again.

And now—

He actually had.

Her cheeks warmed.

She looked at him.

Then away.

Then back again.

A smile kept threatening to appear on her lips, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.

Oh, God.

This was ridiculous.

After everything—

This was what had changed him?

He had seen her with another man and suddenly realized he wanted her?

A tiny, almost incredulous smile touched her lips.

Anthony noticed.

He said nothing.

He simply watched her.

The way she looked away.

The faint color rising in her cheeks.

The little smile she seemed unable to hide.

There was something almost shy about her expression.

And something else he couldn’t quite name.

A little flattered.

Perhaps even a little pleased.

Anthony’s heart seemed to climb into his throat.

He had never done this before.

Not like this.

He had never stood before a woman and admitted that he wanted her, knowing that whatever happened next would depend entirely on her answer.

And now he had no idea what her expression meant.

But she wasn’t laughing at him.

She wasn’t angry.

She wasn’t looking at him as though he had said something absurd.

If anything...

She looked almost happy.

That had to mean something.

Didn’t it?

Vivienne finally looked at him again.

Their eyes met.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Then she gave a tiny, almost embarrassed laugh.

"Are you serious?"

Anthony didn’t hesitate.

"Completely."

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then she looked away again, her cheeks growing warmer.

"Oh."

Another little laugh escaped her.

"Okay."

Anthony continued watching her.

He couldn’t help it.

There was something about seeing her react this way that made the uncertainty inside him feel strangely lighter.

At least she hadn’t rejected him.

Not yet.

Vivienne tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just..."

She laughed softly.

"I don’t know what to say."

Anthony drew a slow breath.

"You don’t have to answer immediately."

Vivienne looked at him.

"I know."

She smiled faintly.

"And that’s probably the problem."

His brows drew together slightly.

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated.

"Because if you’d said this to me a few weeks ago..."

She stopped.

Her expression became thoughtful.

"I might have said yes."

Anthony’s gaze sharpened.

Vivienne gave a tiny, embarrassed laugh.

"Probably far too quickly."

For the first time, something almost like surprise crossed his face.

"But things have changed."

She looked toward the garden path for a moment.

After they ended their engagement, she had tried to move forward.

She had met people.

She had gotten to know people.

Her thoughts briefly went to Damian.

Then Christopher.

And her heart gave a strange little pull.

"And..."

She swallowed.

"There is someone I like."

Anthony was quiet.

"Christopher."

It wasn’t quite a question.

Vivienne looked at him.

"Yes."

A brief silence followed.

"Are you together?"

"No."

The answer came quickly.

"Not really."

Anthony waited.

Vivienne looked down, suddenly feeling shy again.

"I don’t know exactly what we are."

She smiled faintly.

"But I like him."

Her voice softened.

"And I want to find out where that goes."

Anthony’s expression became unreadable.

Vivienne noticed.

"I don’t know if he feels the same way."

A tiny smile touched her lips.

"But I think he might."

She let out a quiet breath.

"And I suppose that’s where I am right now."

She looked back at him.

"So when you’re asking me to reconsider us..."

Her voice softened.

"I can’t simply say yes."

Anthony nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Vivienne studied him.

She didn’t want him to think that meant she didn’t care.

Because that would be a lie.

"I don’t want you to think I’m rejecting you because I don’t care."

That made him look at her again.

"Because I do."

Her cheeks warmed.

"Of course I do."

She laughed softly, almost embarrassed by the admission.

"You were my fiancé for years."

Anthony’s expression softened.

Vivienne lowered her gaze.

"And you were someone I loved for a very long time."

The words came out more quietly.

She couldn’t explain exactly what that love meant anymore.

But hearing him say that he wanted her—

That still mattered.

More than she had expected.

And perhaps that was what frightened her most.

Because Christopher was real.

Someone she had actually gotten to know.

Someone she had spent weeks talking to, texting, laughing with.

Someone whose presence had slowly become something she looked forward to.

But Anthony...

Anthony was different.

He carried years of history she couldn’t simply erase.

Years of admiration.

Years of romantic fantasies.

Years of loving the man she had known from the pages of a novel.

And now the real man was standing in front of her, finally giving her the words she had once dreamed of hearing.

How was she supposed to know what to do with that?

She looked at him again.

"I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me."

Anthony remained still.

Vivienne’s lips curved into another helpless little smile.

"But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now." ℯ

A quiet silence settled between them.

Then Anthony asked,

"Then what do you want?"

Vivienne opened her mouth.

Closed it.

She really didn’t know.

She looked at him.

Then toward the garden path.

Then back again.

"I don’t know."

A small, helpless smile touched her lips.

"But I think I need time."

Anthony nodded.

"I can give you that."

Vivienne looked at him for another moment.

And despite everything—

She smiled.

Because somehow, even now...

He was still Anthony.

Still giving her the choice.

Still refusing to pressure her.

And that was exactly why she couldn’t simply dismiss what he had said.

Because if this had been anyone else...

Perhaps she would have laughed.

Perhaps she would have enjoyed the attention and walked away.

But this was Anthony.

And he had finally stepped toward her.

She just wasn’t sure anymore whether she wanted to step back toward him—

Or keep walking toward Christopher.

And, annoyingly...

A small, greedy part of her wanted to know what would happen if she didn’t choose either one just yet.