Return Of The Heiress For Revenge - Chapter 515

Chapter 515: Love me Again
Nat rushed to Max’s side the moment he slumped to the ground, her panic overriding everything else. “Max!” she gasped, falling to her knees beside him.

He didn’t say anything, just buried his face in his hands, letting out a broken sound. Nat instinctively wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, her hands trembling as they moved up his back, trying to comfort him.

“I am here, max. You are not alone in this. I will always be here for you.” she whispered in a comforting voice but it was cracking. “It is not your fault. You could have never guessed her intentions.” Max could feel her worry in it.

Max clutched her tightly in return, burying his face in the crook of her neck. But behind her shoulder, his eyes flicked up to meet Nora’s.

She stood a few steps away with her arms crossed. she smirked with a hint of satisfaction. Her eyes met Max’s and she gave a small nod of approval. She had made her move, and Max had followed through.

He knew what this was! Nora was using Nat’s emotions to force her into this. He was being what he hated most! Manipulative? Yes. But he didn’t care.

If pretending to fall apart was what it took to stop Nat from walking away, he would do it again without hesitation. He wasn’t lying about the pain, he was just magnifying it. He was just showing it like others instead of hiding it like always. And it worked.

Nat didn’t pull away. She just kept holding him tighter, her breath warm against his cheek.

“You don’t have to be strong now,” she whispered, as if giving him permission to fall apart. “Just let it out. You’ve done enough.”

“I am all alone in the world now. I have onl trusted one person and..” he did not continue. His shoulders trembled as he covered his face with his palms.

“No, no! I am here with you.” she repeating in an assuring voice as she rubbed his back. Max inhaled her claming breah and revelled in the touch.

Max closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. Yes, he thought. Just stay. Don’t leave me again.

Nora’s smirk softened as she watched the two of them. After a moment, she turned and walked toward the shattered front door where Lisa still stood, stunned and motionless like a discarded statue.

“It is time for us to go,” Nora said flatly.

Lisa opened her mouth, but no words came out. She had the time to run since Max and Nate were busy in their own pain. But Nora was watching her like a hawk. She had underestimated the young girl. But she knew Nora held a lot of power because of Alric. She was not someone Lisa could cross just because she wanted it.

“Give me a..” she tried to back but Nora scoffed and stopped hdre.

“No more chances,” Nora added sharply. “And no more cryingin front of me. I am not as gullible as maX. You already got more grace than you deserved.”

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Lisa by the arm and firmly but not cruelly, began leading her out of the house. Lisa stumbled behind her, silent, broken in her own way, as the door swung open and the night swallowed them both.

Back inside, Nat still cradled Max, her fingers threading gently through his hair. He didn’t move, didn’t speak but just let himself be held.

She thought she was comforting him. He knew she was saving him and herself.

Max finally pulled back just enough to look into Nat’s eyes, his hands still gripping her arms as if letting go would mean losing her for good.

“Nat,” he said, his voice rough, raw. “There’s something I need to say.”

She blinked, confused and worried. “What is it?”

He drew in a shaky breath, then let it all out in a rush. “I love you.”

“I’ve been in love with you,” Max continued, his voice steadier now. “Since before I even realized it myself. Before all the mess, before Lisa… you were the only one who ever made me feel like I mattered beyond what I could give.”

Nat’s breath caught in her throat. “Max…” she whispered, almost afraid to speak.

“I should’ve told you sooner,” he said, desperate now, “but I thought I didn’t deserve to. I thought maybe if I stayed with Lisa, I could fix what I broke, I could keep everything from falling apart. But it was already broken, Nat. I was just too scared to admit it.”

She pulled back slightly, eyes clouded with emotion. “You’re only saying this because she left,” she said softly. “Because now it’s over and you’re hurting.”

“No.” Max shook his head, firm, unwavering. “No, Nat, don’t do that. Don’t reduce what I feel to just some rebound. Lisa leaving didn’t change how I feel. It just… made me stop pretending I didn’t.”

Her lips parted, but no words came.

“I haven’t loved Lisa in a long time,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I’ve loved you in every silent moment, in every stupid excuse I made just to be around you. Even when I was too much of a coward to say it, even when I let guilt chain me down, I loved you. I still do.”

Nat stared at him, eyes glistening. Her heart was pounding so loud she could barely hear anything else.

He reached for her hand, holding it gently but with the kind of quiet intensity that made it clear, he wasn’t letting go.

“I don’t care if you don’t feel the same. I just needed you to know. Because whatever happens next… I wanted to say it at least once, honestly. With nothing left unsaid.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear slipping down her cheek. Her mind was chaotic, but her heart… her heart was betraying her with every beat. She had tried to hate him. Tried to distance herself. But now…

She looked at him again, vulnerable and stripped bare before her.

“I’m scared,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “I don’t want to fall for you only to lose you.”