After the Secret Wedding Rise of My Queen

Chapter 259 If I Really

"Okay."

Moments later, Isabel stared at Xander in the mirror, her eyes wide with amazement.

Xander already had great skin, but now, dressed so young and trendy, he looked just like an idol competing in a talent show.

Her gaze was glued to Xander's reflection, while he, on the other hand, avoided the mirror altogether. He tried to keep calm, indulging Isabel's whims.

When Isabel noticed the utterly defeated expression on Xander's face, she suppressed a laugh and walked over to stand beside him.

Pointing at the mirror, she teased, "Look at yourself! You're stunning-so cute and charismatic! You're making me want to just eat you up!"

Xander's head snapped up instantly. Narrowing his eyes, he studied Isabel.

"Really? You want to eat me?"

Isabel froze for a moment-she had only been joking.

"Alright," Xander said, his eyes now fixed on her soft lips. "I'll let you eat."

"Uh, cough, cough..." The stylist suddenly choked on his spit, thinking to himself how bold young couples were these days. Treating public spaces like their personal playground, and right in front of him, no less! "So? Why aren't you eating?" Xander leaned slightly closer as if waiting for Isabel to make the first move.

Isabel glanced at the stylist nearby, who tactfully turned away, pretending to focus intently on his tools.

"Alright, we've wasted enough time. Let's head to the amusement park before the tickets go to waste," Isabel said, trying to change the subject.

Sure, Xander looked good enough to eat right now, but that didn't mean she'd do it. She was just playing around-she'd never cross that line. Just as Isabel was about to leave, Xander's arm slid around her waist. Before she could react, he lifted her effortlessly off the ground.

And in the next second, his lips pressed firmly against hers.

Looking at the man, who somehow managed to exude both cuteness and commanding charisma, Isabel felt her heart race uncontrollably. Her pulse quickened so much, it no longer felt like her own.

Thankfully, Xander didn't prolong the kiss. After just five brief seconds, he released her.

Face flushed, Isabel glanced back at the stylist, who was now staring intently at his own feet.

"I'm heading out," Xander said, clearly in a great mood. He grabbed Isabel's small hand with his own and walked out of the salon.

Isabel suddenly felt a pang of regret. If she'd known this was going to happen, she wouldn't have dragged Xander into buying clothes and getting a makeover.

Pressing her lips together, she noticed a faint, tingling sensation still lingering there.

Oh well. Xander spoiled her so much and went along with all her antics-getting kissed once wasn't a big deal. She decided to consider it her "payment" for his patience. What Isabel didn't realize, though, was that as she rationalized the situation, Xander was staring at her lips with a smoldering intensity.

As he watched, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

Are you trying to kill me on purpose? How dare you press your lips together like that after I kissed you!

What's worse, he had caught her licking her lips with the tip of her tongue just moments ago.

This was pure torment.

Xander had used every ounce of self-control to stop himself from leaning in for another taste of Isabel's sweetness.

"What is it?" Isabel turned her head, catching Xander staring at her.

"You've got something on your lips," Xander said casually, even as his hand reached out to gently brush against her lips. The warmth of his fingers lingered.

"What is it?" Isabel asked, glancing at his hand. Xander quickly moved his hand behind his back, rubbing his fingers together as if brushing off invisible dust.

"It's gone now. Let's go-what do you want to do first?" he asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Suspicious, Isabel narrowed her eyes and looked at Xander's hidden hand. She couldn't help but wonder if there had really been something on her lips-or if he'd just made that up as an excuse to touch her. No way... He wouldn't be that childish or shameless, would he?

But then she thought back to the last few days. Xander's behavior toward her had been growing bolder and more daring.

Lately, Isabel couldn't help but notice.

I

a few odd things. She wasn't sure if it was because she'd been sleeping restlessly, but every morning, her collar would be wide open, and her lips would feel numb and slightly

tingly.

She had her suspicions, but there was no way she could directly confront Xander and ask, "Was it you? Did you stoop to such shameless, despicable behavior?"

Even if she did muster the courage to ask, she was certain Xander would never admit it.

Honestly, she hadn't thought much about it before. But now that she was piecing everything together, she realized something: little by little without her noticing, she was growing accustomed to Xander's boldness.

Was this what they called the "boiling frog" effect?

"What are you thinking about?" Xander's voice interrupted her thoughts as he handed her a warm drink he'd just bought.

"The weather is still chilly, and your stomach isn't great. I got you a hot drink," he said, his tone calm and natural.

Isabel blinked and shifted her focus to the cup brushing against the back of her hand. The warmth felt comforting.

Suddenly, a strange pang of emotion welled up inside her, and her eyes stung a little. She accepted the drink and looked up at Xander. "Xander..." she said softly.

"What is it?"

"You're so good to me. If I really..."

Whoosh!

A firework exploded in the night sky, painting the darkness with vivid colors and momentarily stealing their attention.

A few seconds later, Xander turned back to her. "What were you saying just now?"

Isabel's lips twitched slightly. "Huh? What was I about to say? Oh no, I forgot..."

Xander lowered his gaze, falling silent for a couple of seconds. "If you can't remember, then don't worry about it."

He glanced up at the fireworks again and suggested, "They look beautiful. Let's ride the Ferris wheel to get a better view."

Relieved that the fireworks had interrupted her, Isabel nodded. If she'd finished her earlier sentence-"If I really fall for you, then what?"-she wouldn't have known how to recover from it. "Okay," she replied. Xander didn't press her further, walking with her toward the Ferris wheel.

Meanwhile, back home, Samuel kept glancing toward the door. "I wonder how their date is going? It's pretty late now. They probably won't be coming back. Maybe they've even

checked into a hotel for the night."

He smirked at the thought. If things went that smoothly, Xander might finally win Isabel over.

Just as he was imagining the scenario, he heard footsteps outside the door.

Wait-were they back already?

Samuel frowned. Had Xander seriously failed to seize the opportunity to take things further with Isabel?

The door creaked open, and Samuel looked up expectantly.

"Xander, you..."

His words died in his throat as his eyes fell on Xander's appearance. Dressed in soft pastel yellow, looking like a trendy young idol, Xander stepped inside.

Thud! Samuel's phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor.

He stared at Xander in disbelief, his expression a mix of shock and utter confusion. If it weren't for the familiar face, he might have doubted whether this was even his brother. "Xander, you ... you ..." Samuel stammered, too stunned to form a complete sentence.

Xander's face remained stoic as he silently changed into his indoor slippers.

Isabel, clearly amused, smirked and asked Samuel, "Well? Doesn't Xander look great? Doesn't he look even younger than you now?"

Samuel hurried over to get a closer look, his eyes wide as he scrutinized Xander's outfit.

But before he could say anything more, Xander shot him a deadly glare that instantly silenced him.