Chapter 172 One Hundred And Seventy Two

Chapter 172 One Hundred And Seventy Two
“Kennedy and I are just going through a rough patch.”
Antonia hated how emotional she suddenly sounded.
She looked down at her plate.
“I’m pregnant.”
“I’m scared.”
“And lately it feels like I’m carrying everything alone.”
Daniel slowly reached across the table and placed his hand gently over hers.
The contact startled her slightly.
But she didn’t pull away immediately.
“You’re not alone.”
The warmth in his voice wrapped around her emotions carefully.
Dangerously.
Antonia finally withdrew her hand gently.
“I shouldn’t be talking about my husband like this.”
“You’re venting.”
“It still feels wrong.”
Daniel leaned back slightly.
“You know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think you’ve spent so much time trying to understand everyone else’s feelings…”
“…that nobody’s stopping to understand yours.”
His words settled deeply inside her.
Because part of her feared he was right.
The conversation continued.
Longer.
Deeper.
And gradually the emotional distance between them began shrinking in ways Antonia failed to notice quickly enough.
“You’re even more beautiful now than before.”
Antonia blushed.
His words had affected her, and after weeks of feeling invisible in her own marriage, being seen felt intoxicating.

Hours passed faster than Antonia realized.

By the time they finally left the café, the sky had shifted into soft evening colors.

Antonia held her cardigan closer around herself.

Daniel immediately noticed.

“Cold?”

“A little.”

Without hesitation, he removed his jacket and placed it gently around her shoulders.

Antonia looked up at him.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.”

Their eyes held for a moment longer than necessary.

Too long.

Antonia quickly looked away.

Her heartbeat suddenly felt uneven.

“This is wrong,” a small voice whispered inside her mind.

But another voice answered just as quickly.

Then why does it feel good?

They continued walking quietly.

The tension between them had changed now.

It no longer felt innocent.

And both of them knew it.

Daniel slowed his pace.

Antonia stopped beside him.

“A beautiful evening,” she whispered.

Daniel looked at her instead of the water.

“Yes.”

The way he said it made her chest tighten.

Antonia turned toward him slowly.

“Daniel…”

He stepped slightly closer.

Close enough now that she could smell his cologne.

Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him.

Her breath caught slightly.

“You deserve to be loved properly,” he said quietly.

The sentence hit directly into every emotional wound she had been carrying lately.

Daniel lifted a hand slowly.

Carefully.

His fingers brushed gently against her cheek.

Antonia froze.

Her heart pounded violently now.

“Daniel...”

But this time her voice sounded weak.

Uncertain.

Not firm enough.

And Daniel noticed.

His eyes searched hers briefly.

Then before Antonia could fully process what was happening, he kissed her.

Softly.

Gently.

But undeniably.

Antonia’s eyes widened instantly.

Shock shot through her entire body.

For one frozen second, she couldn’t move.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t breathe.

Then reality crashed into her violently.

Kennedy.

Her marriage.

Her family.

Her child.

Antonia pulled back abruptly.

“Daniel—”

Her breathing turned uneven.

Daniel immediately stepped back too.

“I’m sorry.”

Antonia stared at him in disbelief.

“You kissed me.”

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

His expression looked conflicted.

“I couldn’t help it.”

“That’s not an excuse.”

“I still love you.”

The words hit hard.

Heavy.

Complicated.

Antonia shook her head quickly.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“You’re emotional.”

“You’re vulnerable.”

“And I hate seeing you unhappy with another man.”

Antonia backed away another step.

“This was a mistake.”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair.

“Antonia—”

“No.”

Her voice became firmer now.

“This can’t happen again.”

Guilt already flooded her chest.

Hot.

Suffocating.

Because no matter how brief the kiss had been, a line had just been crossed again.

\----

The ride home felt painfully long.
Antonia sat quietly in the backseat of Daniel’s car, her hands tightly clasped together in her lap.
The kiss kept replaying in her mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Every single second of it.
The way he had touched her face.
The softness of his lips.
The brief moment where she had frozen instead of immediately pulling away.
God.
What had she done?
What had she allowed to happen?
Daniel drove in silence for several minutes before finally speaking.
“Antonia…”
She immediately cut him off.
“Please don’t.”
His grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
“I said I was sorry.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“I know.”
She stared out the window.
The guilt sitting in her chest now felt unbearable.
Daniel slowed the car as they approached the gates of the Walton estate.
“I never meant to make things harder for you.”
Antonia finally looked at him.
“But you did.”
Pain flickered briefly across his face.
The security gates opened slowly.
Daniel drove inside carefully before stopping in front of the house.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Antonia quietly reached for the door handle.
“Antonia.”
She paused, then looked at him firmly this time.
“What happened today was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“It cannot happen again.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
But the look in his eyes told her he wasn’t ready to let go.
Not even close.
Antonia stepped out of the car quickly before the conversation could continue.