The name slipped out before she could stop herself.
He froze.
For a brief second, he didn’t move.
It was the first time she had called him by his name since they met.
Something in his chest tightened — then burned warmly.
Hearing his name from her lips felt dangerously good. Like an addiction he never knew he had… suddenly satisfied. His expression softened for the smallest second before a faint, pleased smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Your shoe is broken,” he said calmly, looking down at her. “Where exactly are you planning to go barefoot?”
“I can walk perfectly fine! Put me down,” she insisted, still trying to wriggle free.
She struggled again, but he only adjusted his hold, tightening his arms securely.
She sucked in a frustrated breath.
This time when she looked at him, her eyes were blazing.
“Aren’t you divorced already? And now you have a girlfriend,” she snapped. “She’s going to be very upset if she sees you acting like this. Don’t you think you should behave with more dignity? Focus on your own girlfriend instead of carrying me in your arms in public?”
Her words were sharp.
But Magnus didn’t look offended.
He stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then slowly, a small smile curved on his lips.
“You seem to have very detailed knowledge about my life, Sylvia,” he said smoothly, though his eyes had sharpened. “Even details that aren’t public.”
His gaze deepened, studying her face carefully.
He leaned a little closer. “You like me.”
The words were spoken softly — but with absolute confidence.
The very second those words left his mouth, Sophia’s face flushed with anger.
“What?”
She shoved hard against his chest and twisted her body downward. Magnus loosened his hold just enough for her to land on her feet. She immediately stepped back, putting distance between them as if his touch burned.
She turned to face him, chin lifted stubbornly.
“I just happened to hear about it from people,” she said sharply. “I have no interest in your personal life. Don’t misunderstand.”
Her tone was calm. Almost careless.
But inside, her heart was pounding violently because of that slip of her tongue.
Their marriage had never been made public. Very few people knew about it. He had forgotten their relationship entirely — and she was supposed to be someone who didn’t know either. For a second, she had revealed too much.
Magnus watched her carefully.
“If you don’t like me,” he said lazily, a smug curve forming on his lips, “why do you care about my life so much?”
There was a smugness in his expression, as if he was certain he had uncovered something she was desperately trying to hide. And that look — that confidence — only made her angrier.
