Chapter 177 One Hundred And Seventy Seven

Chapter 177 One Hundred And Seventy Seven
Kennedy Walton stood in his office, breathing heavily.

He was alone again.

But his mind felt clear.

Because Sofia was finally out of his life for good.

Now all he had to do was save his marriage.

He didn't believe a word Sofia had said about Antonia. If any other thing had happened between her and Daniel, he was sure Antonia would have told him.

Despite everything that had happened, he still trusted her.

And he knew she loved him.

That was more than enough for him to fight for their marriage.

Without thinking too much on it, Kennedy picks up his keys and left the office.

At his secretary's desk, he tells her to cancel every meeting he had for today.

He was going home, and would be back tomorrow.

She looked at him skeptically for a moment before nodding.

As Kennedy got to the parking lot, he changed his mind about driving himself home.

After the alcohol he had consumed last night, it wouldn't be a wise decision.

So he booked a ride instead.

\---

The Walton mansion felt unusually quiet that afternoon.
Antonia sat curled on the edge of the living room couch with a blanket draped lightly around her legs despite the warm weather. The television played softly in the background, though she hadn’t truly paid attention to it for almost an hour.
Her thoughts remained tangled.
Messy.
Painful.
The previous night still haunted her.
Kennedy walking away.
The disappointment in his eyes after her confession.
The hurt.
The betrayal.
And worst of all, the realization that she had allowed herself to be emotionally manipulated.
By Daniel.
By her own loneliness.
Antonia shut her eyes briefly and rubbed her forehead.
Her phone buzzed suddenly beside her.
She glanced at the screen quickly, hoping it was Kennedy.
But it was Daniel calling.
Her stomach tightened instantly.
Without hesitation, she declined the call.
A second later, the phone rang again.
Daniel.
Antonia exhaled sharply and rejected it once more.
“Leave me alone,” she whispered to herself.
The phone finally stopped ringing.
Relief barely settled before another notification appeared.
A text message.
She hesitated.
Then slowly opened it.
Daniel:
“I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Antonia stared at the message silently.
Another text followed almost immediately.
Daniel:
“I know I crossed a line.”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“I just… lost control for a moment.”
Antonia’s jaw tightened slightly.
Then another message came.
Daniel:
“Can I at least come get my jacket?”
Her eyes moved toward the armchair near the staircase where the jacket still rested neatly folded.
She had completely forgotten about it.
Daniel:
“I don’t want to leave things this way between us.”
Antonia stared at the messages for several long seconds.
Part of her wanted to ignore him completely.
But another part, simply wanted this chapter closed.
Completely.
Finally, she typed back.
Antonia:
“You can come get it.”
A few seconds later...
Daniel:
“I’ll be there soon.”
Antonia immediately regretted responding.
She dropped the phone onto the couch and leaned back heavily.
“I just want peace,” she whispered.
But peace seemed impossible lately.
Everything in her life had become complicated.
And now even her marriage felt like it was slipping through her fingers.
About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Antonia inhaled slowly before standing.
Her body still felt tired from the emotional exhaustion of the last few days.
She picked up the jacket on her way to the door.
Then she opened it.
Daniel stood outside.
Casually dressed.
Handsome as always.
But this time, Antonia didn’t feel warmth when she looked at him.
Only regret.
Daniel gave her a small cautious smile.
“Hey.”
Antonia held out the jacket immediately.
“Here.”
His smile faded slightly at her coldness.
“You didn’t have to rush.”
“I wanted it out of my house.”
The bluntness hit him instantly.
Daniel slowly took the jacket from her hands.
For a moment, silence lingered between them awkwardly.
Then Daniel sighed softly.
“Can we talk?”
Antonia immediately shook her head.
“There’s nothing left to say.”
“Antonia—”
“No.”
Her voice remained firm this time.
“You crossed boundaries.”
“I know.”
“You disrespected my marriage.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“And Kennedy hasn’t?”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s my husband.”
The words landed heavily between them.
Daniel looked away briefly before speaking again.
“I already apologized.”
“And I accepted your apology.”
“Then why are you acting like I’m some villain?”
Antonia stared at him in disbelief.
“Because you manipulated me emotionally.”
His expression hardened slightly.
“I cared about you.”
“You took advantage of the fact that I was vulnerable.”
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s the truth.”
Daniel stepped slightly closer.
“I listened to you because nobody else was.”
“And that gave you permission to kiss me?”
“No.”
“Then what exactly was your excuse?”
Daniel ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“I still love you.”
The confession came out raw.
Heavy.
Painfully honest.
Antonia’s face tightened instantly.
“Daniel—”
“No, let me finish.”
His voice grew emotional now.
“You were the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Antonia looked away.
“And losing you was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Stop.”
“I mean it.”
“You’re married now.”
“And I hate myself every day for letting you go.”
Antonia’s chest tightened uncomfortably.
Because once upon a time, those words would have meant everything to her.
But not now.
Not anymore.
“You need to leave,” she whispered.
Daniel shook his head slowly.
“I know you still feel something too.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You kissed me back for a second.”
Guilt instantly flashed across her face.
Daniel noticed.
And pressed further.
“You can deny it all you want, but—”
“That’s enough.”
Her voice rose sharply now.
“I made a mistake.”
“A mistake doesn’t erase feelings.”
“It does when you choose your marriage.”
Daniel’s eyes darkened slightly.
“And what if your marriage is already broken?”
Antonia froze.
“No.”
“You said yourself Kennedy barely notices you anymore.”
“That doesn’t concern you.”
“You deserve someone who sees you.”
Antonia’s breathing became uneven.
“Please leave.”
But Daniel wasn’t done.
“I would never make you feel lonely the way he does.”
Antonia’s voice cracked now.
“Daniel…”
“I still love you.”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Then suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes behind them.
Both of them froze instantly.
Antonia’s heart dropped.
The footsteps approached from the hallway.
And seconds later, Kennedy appeared.
He stopped the moment his eyes landed on Daniel first.
Then on Antonia.
Then back to Daniel again.
The air shifted instantly.
Dangerously.
Kennedy’s face slowly hardened.
“What’s going on here?”