Chapter 1141:
Collin nodded meekly, his gaze fixed on her tear-streaked eyes, his brow still creased with concern.
He gently lifted his hand, brushing away the tears at the corners of her eyes with his fingertips. Feeling the warmth of his breath against her palm, still pressed to his lips, Collin murmured tenderly, “I love you, Linsey.”
Linsey froze, stunned. Her hand recoiled instinctively, as if burned by Collin’s touch.
In the next breath, a warm flush surged across her cheeks, and her mind momentarily went blank.
“Collin, how are you always so good at saying these things?” she murmured, barely able to meet his eyes. “I never know how to respond.”
It wasn’t the first time he had whispered such tender words, and yet, each time, it felt like the very first. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably, her face glowing with a shyness that made her feel like a lovestruck teenager.
Seeing her embarrassment chase away the shadows in her gaze, Collin finally relaxed. Then, gently, he reached out once more and wrapped her fingers in his own.
“Linsey,” he said softly, “I know I can be possessive… jealous even. But if something were ever to happen to me—”
“You still dare bring that up?!” she snapped, glaring at him.
Unfazed, he continued with quiet determination. “Linsey, if that day ever comes, I want you to move on. I want you to live well, to forget me, to—”
Linsey’s expression hardened in an instant. “No,” she said through clenched teeth. “Don’t you even think about saying things like that.”
She clenched her fists, her jaw tight with emotion. “I know what you’re trying to say,” she added, her voice shaking slightly.
She understood him too well. This wasn’t just talk. He was trying to prepare her for the possibility that he might one day be gone for good, that she would be left alone. But that future was one she refused to imagine.
“No matter what happens, you will stay alive, Collin. Do you hear me? And if you dare die—if you even think about leaving me behind—I’ll curse you every single day for the rest of my life.”
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He raised an eyebrow, both amused and touched. “You’ll… curse me?” he teased. “Is that supposed to be a threat? Because I wouldn’t even hear you if I were gone.”
“I don’t care!” Linsey huffed. “I’ll still do it. I’ll ruin your reputation. I’ll go around telling everyone what a terrible husband you were!”
Collin chuckled, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh? Really? And what exactly would you say?”
She met his gaze with mock seriousness. “I’d say you were impotent,” she said matter-of-factly. “That you couldn’t satisfy me at all.”
A beat of silence followed. Then, without warning, Collin’s hand tightened around hers.
Startled, Linsey glanced up to find his eyes narrowed dangerously, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
“W-what?” she stammered. “Are you scared now?”
But Collin leaned in closer, closing the distance between them. His familiar scent—cool and sharp like winter rain—wrapped around her, making her heart skip a beat.
