But before I could even touch the blade, a brutal force slammed into me, sending me crashing backward.
"Nathalia!"
The next moment, Mathias had her wrapped tightly in his arms, his voice thick with desperation.
Nathalia let the knife slip from her fingers, collapsing against him as she sobbed uncontrollably, her entire frame quivering like a fragile bird seeking shelter in his embrace.
"Mathias, you finally came."
"If you hadn’t, Miss Hale would have already sent me to President Liam’s bed!"
I had slammed into the corner of the table, pain searing through my already bruised lower back, leaving my vision swimming. The agony threatened to pull me under, but I bit down on the pain and forced out a hoarse, desperate rebuttal.
"I didn’t!"
"How could I possibly do something like that?"
"Mathias, after everything we’ve been through, do you really believe something this absurd?"
For a fleeting second, something in his expression wavered. His brows furrowed ever so slightly, hesitation creeping in.
But before that moment could solidify, Nathalia whimpered, tightening her grip on his sleeve, her fragile form quivering against him as though she might shatter at any second.