Ambition and Destiny

👑 Chapter Twenty-Three 👑

Annie's heart continued to pound with adrenaline following her encounter with the carriage. She was now in a surreal moment with William, a mysterious figure who had recently rescued her. He extended his hand, and his eyes, resembling molten honey in colour, maintained a piercing and authoritative gaze while his sharp facial features were remarkably well-defined.

As her eyes lingered on him, a whirlwind of thoughts erupted in Annie's mind. The sharp lines of his face, the intense glint in his eyes—a faint echo of the Duke?—and yet, the idea felt far-fetched. After all, judging by his attire, he was a commoner.

"Just a coincidence," she muttered to herself, trying to reason out the mere resemblance.

Lost in her thoughts, Annie was startled when William spoke sarcastically, yet with serious facial expressions, "Do you like sitting on the ground this much?"

Feeling her heart race, she hesitated before gratefully placing her hand in his extended hand. However, she was taken aback by the unexpected surge of coldness at his touch.

His voice, when he spoke, was low and measured. "Are you alright, Miss?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Annie answered without even realising that her forehead had started bleeding. "Thank you for saving me... I appreciate your deed"

⟪ After observing his neutral expression, it became evident that he was not convinced by my words. While he stood there, I noticed his hand slowly moving towards his pocket, possibly in search of something. As our eyes met, I quickly looked away to avoid giving the impression that I was intruding.

A slight sigh left William's lips as he carefully used his handkerchief to tenderly wipe the wound on her forehead and commented on her risky reaction.

"Your impulsiveness is recklessness, Miss... Putting yourself in such danger wouldn't have ended with just a scratch."

Annie's defensive nature was awakened by his harsh remark, "I'm sorry. It wasn't like I had time to sit around and analyse the situation! Sometimes you have to act fast to save people."

William, with his left eyebrow raised, remarked, "I find your approach of leaping headfirst into danger without a thought for the consequences. Most admirable, truly." His tone reflected his idea that her excuse was absurd, pushing her buttons further.

"The next time, I'll make sure you are not around because I don't want you, Mr. Hero, to bother yourself with a reckless girl and have to break a sweat saving me," Annie responded with a sense of defiance.

After ensuring the bleeding had stopped, he took her hand, placed the handkerchief in her palm, and closed her fingers around it. "Perhaps focusing on your wound would be more productive than engaging in a war of words. You did, after all, nearly become a pancake under a carriage, he said, giving her an unreadable expression.

As he turned his back and walked away, Annie struggled to find the right words to respond to his provocation. She clenched her fists and glared at him, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. Soon, people dispersed as if nothing happened, like the tide retreating to the sea.

And then, a voice broke through the haze. "Miss? Oh, Miss, thank you!"

After managing to hide the wound with her black bangs, Annie turned around. and the echo of "Miss" clinging to the thinning air. It was Lily's mother, her face etched with gratitude. Annie tried to smile, but her gaze was drawn to another scene unfolding across the now-open square. William, the enigmatic saviour, was disappearing into the throng.

Lily's mother reached out, her hand trembling slightly as it touched Annie's arm. "Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to thank the young man for his valour," she said softly.