Chapter 222

"I hear you." How could she not? His words were so gentle yet so strong. Renee had doubted she could find rest that night. But the warmth of his embrace brought her a temporary peace, pushing her worries away as she drifted off to sleep. Soon, Marcelo felt that the woman he held in his arms was breathing steadily, deeply asleep. He gently moved back to gaze at the face nestled in his arm, her features as soft as ever, yet now shaded with a touch of vulnerability. The panic that seized his heart at the sight of her tears was known to him alone. All he managed to do was awkwardly declare his love for her over and over. She insisted that she had never felt loved by "them". Those "them", what right did they have to hold a spot in his woman's heart? The night passed peacefully. When Renee woke up, she discovered she was lying against Marcelo’s chest. His habit of sleeping shirtless revealed his toned chest muscles, making her cheeks warm and her heart beat faster. “You up? Want to keep slee