At that moment, Cyrus seemed to snap out of it, slowly releasing Josephine from his grasp.
Josephine's delicate face immediately flushed a deep red. She lowered her head, unable to meet Cyrus's gaze. She was gasping for breath, as if she had just finished a long run. Her chest heaved unevenly, the erratic rhythm betraying the turmoil in her heart.
"I'm sorry. I acted impulsively," Cyrus said, his voice muffled behind his mask but heavy with guilt. He knew all too well that if he had forced Josephine into anything, the consequences would have been both unpredictable and severe. It wouldn't just hurt Josephine but also leave him in a situation beyond repair.
Josephine bit her lip, her mind a chaotic tangle of thoughts she couldn't unravel. She didn't know how to face this man, someone she
