Layla’s heart skipped. The room went completely silent but before she could respond—Elias stepped even closer.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“And I’m not willing to take that risk again
For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
Elias’s words echoed inside her head.
I couldn’t lose you.
The sentence didn’t sound like the cold, calculated statements he usually made. It didn’t sound like the calm billionaire who always seemed to control every situation.
It sounded… raw,honest and somehow that made it far more dangerous.
Layla stared at him, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.
“You couldn’t lose me?” she repeated softly.
Elias didn’t respond immediately. His dark eyes stayed fixed on her face, as if he was studying every tiny reaction she made but the tension between them
