After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen

Chapter 228 A Kiss to Wake-Up

Richie's question left Isabel momentarily speechless.

"How should I put it? He's very nice to me."

"I can see that," Richie chimed in.

"But-" Isabel's brows furrowed even deeper. "Feelings aren't as simple as liking someone and being together because of it."

"So, you don't have that kind of feeling for him?" Richie asked.

Isabel raised a hand to scratch her neck awkwardly. "I think so? Or maybe... I just can't treat him the way he treats me."

The more Isabel spoke, the more unfair the whole situation seemed to Xander in her mind. It wasn't as if she wanted things to be this way. Just like she had said earlier-if someone liked her and treated her well, was she obligated to reciprocate? Did not returning his feelings make her a bad person?

That didn't make sense.

She wanted to stay true to her heart.

"If that's the case, why are you two still together? Haven't you already exacted your revenge?" Richie looked at her with genuine confusion.

Because of the emerald guardian angel pendant.

But that wasn't something Isabel planned to share with Richie.

"There's a promise between us. For now, I can't leave his side," she explained briefly, then swiftly changed the subject. "Let's get you lying down again. I wasn't done treating you earlier." "Alright." Richie nodded obediently.

That night, Isabel lay in bed, tossing and turning. The events of the day weighed heavily on her mind.

It wasn't until nearly midnight that Xander arrived, right on schedule.

As always, the moment he climbed into bed, he pulled her into his arms.

Isabel feigned deep sleep, staying perfectly still as she waited for him to fall asleep.

Listening closely to his even breathing against her face, she deduced he must be asleep.

To test it, she shifted slightly.

A minute passed and there was no reaction from Xander. He was truly asleep.

Carefully, Isabel slid her hand out, reached under his shirt, and retrieved the emerald guardian angel pendant.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

"Leslie, this is the treasure your parents left you. The password is your ...

The voice faded away again.

The password is Leslie's what?

Her birthday?

Probably not. If it were, I would have cracked it already.

Isabel gently traced her fingers over the pendant's smooth surface. For a long time, she had been haunted by a single question.

As fragmented memories and dreams resurfaced repeatedly, she grew increasingly convinced that she might be Leslie.

She thought back to her childhood, waking up in an orphanage after a high fever wiped away her memories.

One vivid detail stood out. For a long time after waking up, she would tremble and cry whenever she saw fire.

She hadn't understood why back then.

But now, piecing everything together, the fear of fire made perfect sense if she really were Leslie.

Still, these were only assumptions and speculations without solid evidence.

And then, there was Richie.

Isabel could feel Richie's deep longing for Leslie.

It was a devotion etched into his very being, so profound that it made her heart ache.

As her thoughts drifted, Isabel fell asleep, slipping into a dream.

In the dream, Leslie toddled over to Richie with her tiny legs.

"What's your name?" she asked, her wide eyes full of curiosity.

It was the day they first met. Leslie didn't yet know his name.

Richie clutched the candy wrapper Leslie had just given him, unwilling to throw it away.

"My name is Richie," he answered.

As soon as he spoke, Leslie's parents approached.

"Richie, we've completed the adoption paperwork. From today onward, you're our child. Your name will be Richard," they announced. "Okay." Richie nodded obediently.

Leslie blinked her large eyes at her parents. "Mom, Dad, does that mean he's part of our family now?"

"Yes. Didn't you always want a sibling and a playmate?" her mother replied gently with a smile.

Leslie pouted. "But I wanted a younger brother, not an older one!"

Her eyes darted back to Richie, and a mischievous glint appeared in them.

"I came to this family first, so I get dibs. From now on, I'll be your big sister, and you'll be my little brother. Got it?" she declared. Her parents couldn't help but laugh.

"Leslie, Richard is older than you by several years and much taller. Do you really think it's appropriate to call him your little brother?"

"Of course it is! I think it's perfect,"

Leslie replied with a firm nod. She ruffled chie's hair again."

swnevel

get

settled. I'm your big sister now."

Her parents laughed again, filling the room with warmth and joy.

"Richard..." Isabel murmured the name in her sleep.

Xander, who had just gotten out of bed and was buttoning his shirt, paused when he heard it.

He stared at Isabel and wondered if he had heard wrongly.

"I'm hungry," Isabel mumbled.

A helpless yet affectionate smile

appeared on Xander's face. His gaze drifted downward, landing on her

soft, posy lips, which glistened

slightly in the morning light.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

They looked... delicious.

Abandoning his attempt to button his shirt, Xander strode back to the bed and pressed a firm kiss onto Isabel's lips.

The kiss was intense, enough to jolt Isabel awake.

Her eyes snapped open in su net

as she stared at Xander in

confusion. For a moment, she

couldn't tell if she was dreaming or if this was really happening.

But when she saw the unmistakable satisfaction in his dark eyes, she realized that it wasn't a dream.

She pushed Xander away with all her strength and stared at him in disbelief.

"What are you doing?"

"You were talking in your sleep," Xander replied as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? What does it have to do with you kissing me?"

"You said you were hungry," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

I said I was hungry, so he kissed me?

Isabel was speechless.

I might have said that, but it meant I was physically hungry, not some abstract kind of hunger!

How could he twist it into something so inappropriate?

And what's with this man lately?

He used to sneak around whenever he did something like this, but now?

Now, he was bold enough to wake me up with a kiss!

Isabel had been sleeping so soundly and suddenly she dreamt of falling into the water and was on the verge of drowning.

Thinking about it now, it must've been because of how forceful his kiss had been.

She couldn't let this slide. She had to set some boundaries before things got out of hand.

Who knows what he'd do next if she didn't?

"Xander, there's something I need to discuss with you," Isabel said seriously.

"Alright. Go ahead." Xander sat across from her with his unbuttoned shirt, revealing his toned chest.