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Novel Catalog
Chapter 83
Serenity tilted her head and locked eyes with Zachary, the silence between them stretching on for a moment. Then, with a playful flick, Zachary tapped her forehead. “Don’t look at me like that. Are you doubting my words? Serenity, we’ll back up your sister as long as she’s in the right.”
The Yorks had strong family values, and Zachary was no exception. He had always been raised to respect his partner, believing that a marriage built on love and mutual respect was unshakable. He’d never witnessed anything like domestic abuse growing up, as his father always said, “Men who abuse their wives are losers.”
“Mr. York?” Serenity’s voice broke the stillness. “I want to lean on your shoulder.”
Zachary hesitated but then nodded. “Just for a while,” Serenity added quickly, her head already tilting toward his shoulder.
As Serenity settled against him, Zachary remained stiff for a moment, his body tense, unsure of how to act. He wasn’t accustomed to such close contact, but he didn’t push her away. Still, he didn’t know where to put his arms, and his awkwardness made Serenity smile inwardly.
Sensing his discomfort, Serenity reached up to touch his face, catching him off guard. He jerked away quickly, and Serenity barely managed to hold her balance on the swing, her eyes widening at his sudden movement.
“Serenity!” Zachary’s voice was stern as he scolded her, “Please keep our agreement in mind and know your place.”
Despite his serious tone, Serenity couldn’t help but feel amused. Slouching against the swing, she sipped her water leisurely while giving him a teasing look. Her gaze lingered a little too long, and she noticed the faint flush on his face.
“You’re thirty now, Mr. York. Have you never been in such close contact with a woman? That’s a pretty exaggerated reaction to me touching your face. People might think I did something to you,” Serenity teased, enjoying the sight of him flustered.
In her mind, she couldn’t help but think that Grandma York had a good reason for pushing Zachary into marriage. Without that push, Zachary might never find someone to settle down with — he could very well be single at eighty.
The idea of teasing him further was too tempting to resist. After all, a simple touch of his face had caused such a strong reaction. What would happen if she took it a step further and kissed him?
Zachary’s gaze could have burned a hole through her. Despite the intensity of his stare, Serenity wasn’t fazed. She smiled back at him, unfazed by the heat in his eyes. “Do you want to touch my face to get even? You can do it twice as long,” she teased, her smile widening.
Zachary winced, realizing just how excessively he’d reacted to the brief touch. He couldn’t deny that his body had reacted strangely to the closeness, but his manners stopped him from engaging in any of her playful nonsense.
She had a way of throwing him off balance, and he didn’t quite know how to respond. “Do you feel better now?” he asked, trying to steer the conversation back to something more comfortable.
“Yeah. Not bad. I feel a lot better than before,” Serenity replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She could sense the way he was grinding his teeth and clenched his jaw in frustration.
“You’re taking pleasure in the pain of others,” Zachary muttered through clenched teeth, barely holding back a chuckle at her antics.
“Mr. York, that’s a good use of hyperbole,” Serenity teased, her grin widening as she watched his reactions.
