WETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT

CHAPTER NINE

ELENA'S POV

I felt my cheeks burn with a deep blush at Liam's flirty words, but I quickly masked it with a frown, determined not to let him see how his comment had affected me. Beatrice, perceptive as ever, cleared her throat.

“I need to grab something from my room,” Beatrice announced, her gaze shifting between Liam and me. Without waiting for a response, she excused herself and walked briskly away.

As soon as Beatrice was out of sight, a wave of anxiety washed over me. Liam’s stare was relentless, his eyes never leaving my face. I could feel his gaze like a tangible weight, pressing on my every nerve. I picked up my fork with trembling hands, trying to focus on the food in front of me.

I shoveled the food into my mouth, chewing quickly to distract myself from the tension that seemed to cling to the air. But the effort to maintain some semblance of normalcy backfired. A piece of food lodged in my throat, and I suddenly found myself choking. The coughing came out lou