Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 1191: Not for a second did Linsey buy his flimsy denial. A retort was already forming on her lips when Collin chimed in, "Your room's upstairs, second door on the left. Drop your suitcase off and come eat." Yesterday, she had been too unsettled by the thought of sharing a house with a stranger to touch her dinner, and this morning she had run out the door without so much as a bite. By now, hunger was definitely gnawing at her. Instead of picking another fight, Linsey decided food came first. She grudgingly followed his directions and started dragging her suitcase toward the stairs.

There wasn't much in the way of clothing packed, but the suitcase's real weight came from a stash of secret weapons hidden inside. Lugging the thing was no small feat-usually, even lifting a bucket of water was a challenge for her, and now she was wrestling an overloaded suitcase up a flight of stairs. Stuck on the fourth step, Linsey planted her hands on her hips and puffed out a breath, calling out, "Collin-" Collin didn't move an inch, still comfortably settled in his seat. Her call finally drew his gaze, and for a moment, their eyes locked from across the room.

His voice was cool, unreadable. "What is it?" With an exasperated gesture, Linsey pointed to the suitcase by her side. "I can't carry it up." He didn't so much as blink, the indifference clear in his answer. "And?" Though her pride protested, Linsey recognized she was out of options and would have to ask for his help. She swallowed hard, gathering her nerve. "Would you mind helping me carry this upstairs?" Collin's laughter filled the room almost instantly, the easy charm of his smile momentarily throwing her off. His next words, dripping with sarcasm, jolted her back to earth. "Seriously?

You expect a man in a wheelchair to lug your suitcase up the stairs? Use your head." Your escape begins with gⱯlnσνℓs․m Reality returned in a rush, and Linsey pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. Clearly, her earlier anger had made her forget about his condition. "Whatever," she muttered, letting out a heavy sigh, resigned to do things herself. After catching her breath, Linsey rubbed her hands together, squared her shoulders, and braced herself for the lift-determined as any Olympic contender. Slowly, the suitcase began to inch upward.

Right as she nearly made it to the next step, the wheels wobbled and caught on the edge. The metal handle slid out of her grip, and the heavy suitcase crashed down the stairs with a thunderous noise. Linsey barely had time to react. The suitcase's weight dragged her off balance, and before she knew it, she was tumbling down the steps right behind it. "Help-" A startled plea burst from Linsey as she squeezed her eyes shut, her voice trembling in a brief cry. Disaster felt inevitable-she braced for the worst.

Out of nowhere, sturdy arms caught her mid-fall, locking gently around her waist and pulling her safely close. For a breathless instant, everything held still. No sharp pain arrived; instead, Linsey was enveloped in a clean mix of cedar and cool mint. Awareness swept through her, sending a delicate flutter through her lashes. Blinking in surprise, she looked up and found Collin's steady gaze fixed on her, the moment stealing her breath. . . .