Refusing the Love of a Mafia Boss
46. Deadly Kiss

A tulip?

She likes flowers?

Xavier Palmer approached the tree where Lia closed her eyes as if she was asleep. Sloppy once sleeping out in the open like this.

But Xavier crouched down, looking at his face that emitted a subtle mysterious thing.

Do all the village girls really have such faces?

I don't know, because Xavier's having a hard time explaining it. They are like ... as one with nature and beautiful by themselves.

Mama did too. Despite living as the wife of Benedict Palmer, Mama rarely polishes her face with makeup.

His eyebrows were never shaved or plucked. Fine feathers similar to thin whiskers grow above her lips, but Mama looks beautiful and graceful like nature.

Lia's lips today are polished natural dye. Like the colored lipbalm that Bella always wears after bathing.

The wind gushed fiercely as Xavier reached out to the girl's face. He did not move, but his eyes flickered faintly a sign of him waking up.

"I have something for you, Lia."

His eyelids are open. "You didn't come to practice today?"

Xavier just smiled. "Close your eyes."

He obediently closed his eyes again, and Xavier reached into his pocket to bring out the gift he had prepared to Lia.

He took the girl's hand carefully. Tuck a small diamond ring that looks compatible with the skin of Lia's hand.

"What's this?" He looked at her innocently.

"It belongs to my mother." Xavier dropped himself to Lia's side. "My mom has a little bit of jewelry in her collection. And that ring is his favorite ring."

"Dinky. Your mother must be a simple woman."

"Very. The only fancy thing I'm happy with is my sister."

Lia smiled sweetly. "You gave it to me?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"Why?"

"Do I have to say it?" Xavier wanted to keep his mouth shut, but immediately stopped and cleared his throat. "I—"

"Like me?"

"You should have let me say it to myself."

Lia chuckles. "Your expression is easy to guess."

Well, maybe. Xavier just laughed. "Do you have someone you like?"

"No."

"That's nasty. It's like you said I didn't either."

"Indeed."

Xavier looked at him closely even though he kept smiling. "May I say it?"

"What?"

...*...

Ilina tilted her face. Of course he knew because from the beginning it was what he wanted. But hearing it twice from the mouths of the dead who pretended to be alive, Ilina was somewhat surprised.

It's like he said 'I mean it and not because of your wishes'.

Ilina. Sniffed the tulip in his arms before he looked back at Xavier.

In love, huh?

"How do you know someone loves you, Xavier?"

Turns out he's chuckling. Holding Ilina's hand and wiping the fingers where the ring was embedded.

"Liking someone means wanting to have them, Lia. While being liked by someone is not something that one should know. I don't care how you look at me. L like you. That's it."

"The cold declaration of love."

"I live for it."

"Benar—"

"Lia." Xavier brought his body closer. "I like you."

Why did he repeat it again?

That is to say, he wanted Ilina to also say she liked it?

Before Ilina could understand it, Xavier eroded the distance between them. Ilina looked at her pink lips which faintly looked shiny.

"Xavier, I—"

"It's okay." Xavier pulled Ilina's hand to his chest. "I chose you."

The sensation of those lips touching her lips.

Ilina stared at Xavier's closed eyelids before she decided to join her. Things that were originally just a touch of the lips turned into a kiss and increasingly lead to the ****** lips.

He kissed Ilina wholeheartedly. Like Ilina kissed him seriously.

I think it went on for a long time. It was very long and deep when suddenly Ilina felt a strange stir in her heart.

Don't tell!

"Lia." Xavier let go of his kiss.

Still smiling despite the fresh blood dripping on the young man's nose.

"When my mother enjoyed her apple tea in this garden, she said: a woman who looks beautiful is a woman who has poison. When they use it, they win things."

Ilina coughed. Spitting out the same fresh blood as Xavier.

"A few days after that, my mother fell ill and slowly lost her strength. I don't know who did it. I don't understand why that happened. But when I met you, I knew. You ladies are happy to play with poison."

Xavier gently pressed his forehead against Ilina's forehead.

"I like you, Lia. Or whatever your real name is. I like you and the sweet taste of poison on your lips."

Fresh blood flowed from the corner of Ilina's lips as Xavier moved, leaving her just like that.

...*...