The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1523

The guest room was quiet, almost too quiet. Only a small lamp gave off a soft, barely-there glow. In the center of the big pink-and-white bed, the covers were bunched up where someone had curled up tight. Emily’s pretty face was tense with pain, her whole body drawn in on itself. It was obvious she wasn’t sleeping well.

“Emily…”

Kenneth sat gently on the edge of the bed, leaning in carefully. He couldn’t look away from the swelling on her face or the painful marks on her wrists. His hands tightened at his sides, his chest tight with heartbreak.

Maybe she heard his voice in her sleep, because Emily’s eyelids fluttered. Her face twisted in discomfort, and she murmured his name, barely audible. “Kenneth.”

“I’m here.” His voice was soft.

She was still calling for him, even in her dreams. It made him think of everything she’d been through, the ten years she’d spent quietly loving him, all the hard times she’d had in the spotlight. The ache inside him just kept growing, threatening to overwhelm him completely.

“Don’t worry, baby.” Kenneth’s eyes felt hot. He took her hand, carefully, as though she might break, and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “It’s okay now.”

“Kenneth…” Her medication must’ve had something to make her sleepy, because even though she looked upset, she didn’t wake up. Maybe she was reliving what had happened during the day, because all of a sudden, she gripped his hand tight, her breath catching.

“Go to sleep. I’m not going anywhere.” He brushed her hair back and leaned in until their noses touched, just so she’d know he was right there.

Slowly, the tension in her body eased. Her hand relaxed in his, and after a while she drifted off, breathing softly with her head resting near his arm.

Kenneth pulled up a chair and sat as close as he could, just watching her for a while. Only when she was truly asleep did he let go of her hand. He tucked the blanket up around her and reached for his phone.

He opened his messaging app and typed: I’m going to announce our relationship.

Knox replied instantly: ???

A few seconds later, Kenneth’s phone rang. Knox’s voice was shaky. “Kenneth, you can’t mean you want to go public with Emily right now? The company isn’t prepped for this. PR hasn’t even been alerted.”

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