I didn't know Hugo was there.
I didn't know he was standing just beyond the door, silently listening to every single word Rika said. The air in the room grew heavier, but I was too busy wrapping my head around the fact that my pheromone… had chosen. Chosen Hugo. And only Hugo.
Then I heard it. A shallow gasp.
I turned, and there he was.
Hugo Redrich. Standing frozen in the doorway, his lips slightly parted, his gaze sharp and vulnerable all at once. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten.
No. No, no, no. He wasn't supposed to hear this.
I panicked.
Before he could even open his mouth, I rushed toward him. "Don't," I said, voice sharper than I expected. "Don't say anything."
He blinked, caught off guard. His lips moved as if trying to form words, but I stepped in closer, putting my hand on his chest—not in an intimate way, but as a barrier. As if I could physically stop him from speaking the words I was terrified to hear.
