Chapter 72

Chapter 72
Michael hesitated for a moment, torn between pursuing the attackers and staying with Georgiana. This brief indecision was all it took for the two figures to disappear around the corner of the alley. He turned to look behind him, trying to reassure Georgiana with his words.
"It's okay, don't be afraid. They're gone. You're safe now."
Georgiana clung to him tightly, her breathing rapid against his back. Several minutes passed before she finally managed to regain her composure. She slowly released her grip on him, taking a small step back, though her hands still trembled.
"How... how did you know to be here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Michael paused, running his hand through his hair with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Thornton was arrested today. This neighborhood has some rough elements—people who'll do anything for money. There have been cases of reporters being targeted for revenge..."
He explained that after hearing threats from Thornton's family, he had become suspicious. He'd come specifically to check on her, planning to leave once he'd confirmed she was safely home. When he found her apartment empty, he'd decided to patrol the nearby alleys, guessing she might return late.
"I was just finishing my shift and thought I'd stop by," he added, deliberately keeping his tone casual. "I was about to leave when I happened to run into you..."
Georgiana's lips curved into a knowing smile. "I'm not stupid, you know."
Michael fell silent, unsure how to respond. He pressed his lips together, then changed the subject. "They failed this time, so they probably won't try again. But for safety's sake, you shouldn't stay here alone. Where do your parents live?"
"I'll be fine," Georgiana began to protest, but the lingering fear in her eyes betrayed her.
"Let me take you home," Michael gently insisted.
They caught a taxi together, Georgiana leaning back against the seat, still processing what had just happened. City lights streamed past the window, casting rhythmic patterns of light and shadow across her face.
"I never imagined I'd be targeted like this," she said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"You should stay vigilant," Michael replied. "In the journalism profession, there are precedents for this kind of retaliation."
Georgiana nodded slowly. "When it doesn't happen to you personally, it always seems so distant. Like something that only happens to others."
Michael studied her profile in the dim light. "Why were you out so late?"
"Farewell dinner with colleagues," she explained. "They threw me a goodbye party."
"So your resignation was approved?"
"Yes," she confirmed, turning to face him. "I think I'll work as a freelance journalist from now on." She paused, her voice softening. "Though I haven't told anyone else about that plan yet. You're the first to know."
"I'm honored," Michael said with genuine warmth. Then, after a moment's hesitation: "I'm returning to my unit."
Georgiana's face lit up with unexpected joy. "Really? That's wonderful!" Her smile spread across her entire face.
Michael looked slightly surprised by her enthusiastic response. "Are you that happy about it?"
"Of course," she replied earnestly. "Isn't that what you've always wanted? To return to your work, to continue learning while you recover. This is really good news."
They soon arrived at their destination. Michael walked Georgiana to the entrance of her building.
"Thank you for—" she began as she stepped onto the stairs, turning to look back at him. Her foot slipped on the edge of a step, and she suddenly pitched forward.
Michael immediately reached out to steady her. She fell against him, her cheek sliding past his jaw as their bodies pressed together briefly before she dropped down to the step below.
Michael's arms encircled her completely. Georgiana had been close to him before, but never had she felt the solid strength of his body so acutely. A thought flashed through her mind—if he were to do anything in this moment, whatever it might be, she would simply close her eyes and let it happen. She might even melt against him like clay.
In the dim light of the stairwell, Michael's eyes had darkened, his expression unreadable. He helped her regain her balance, swallowing hard, his Adam's apple visibly moving. When he spoke, his voice had dropped to a deeper register.
"Are you hurt?"
"No," Georgiana replied, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. They were standing too close. She stepped back, placing one foot on the stair behind her, trying to create some distance between them.
But as she shifted her weight upward, his hand slipped around her waist, gently pulling her back down. In the next moment, she was in his arms again. He lowered his head, his chin brushing against her cheek, his other arm encircling her to hold her close.
Georgiana was stunned, completely unprepared for this unexpected development. She stood motionless in his embrace, barely breathing.
"Georgiana," he whispered directly into her ear, "I like you so much."
His warm breath tickled her ear, sending an electric current through her entire body.
She hesitantly raised her arms to encircle his waist, still feeling dazed and somewhat unreal, though the heat and strength of his body against hers was undeniably real.
So this was what it meant to like someone—truly, deeply like someone. Just an embrace, nothing more, yet it filled her with such happiness that her whole body trembled sweetly, as if tiny bubbles of joy inside her were about to burst and overflow.
"Me too," she whispered back, as if sharing a precious secret.
Michael let out a soft laugh, seeming relieved. He turned his head slightly, his chin grazing her flushed cheek, their lips now only inches apart. Gently, he pressed his lips against hers—careful, soft, their breaths mingling in an intimate moment that belonged only to them.
It was a simple, pure kiss, like placing a seal on each other.
After a long moment, Michael pulled back slightly, his gaze clear and intense as he looked at her.
Georgiana, feeling both shy and delighted, suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes bright and curved into crescents above her fingers.
Watching her, Michael's lips curved into an answering smile. He gently removed her hand from her face and leaned down to kiss her again.
"Mmm!" Georgiana's surprised sound was muffled as she instinctively drew her neck back.
This time, it was a sweet, deep kiss.