Chapter 4 Holding Her in His Arms

"Alsa, what a beautiful name! Vincent, don't you think so?"

The old lady turned to her grandson with a meaningful look, her eyes carrying a strong warning.

It was as if, should Vincent dare to say "no," she would swallow him whole on the spot!

A helpless smile flickered in Vincent's dark eyes, but he still nodded.

"Yes, it's a lovely name."

"And quite fitting, too!"

The old lady raised her eyebrows proudly before turning to Alsa and saying,

"Come, Alsa, let me introduce you. This is my grandson, Vincent."

Alsa lifted her gaze, looking at the man who had been standing silently to the side.

Unexpectedly, her eyes met his deep, abyss-like black ones.

His features were exquisite, his presence dignified and striking. Even just standing there, he exuded an inescapable air of nobility and elegance.

One look at this man's aura and appearance was enough to tell that he was no ordinary person.

She felt as though she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite recall where.

Maybe she was mistaken. A man as exceptional as this would surely be hard to forget.

A flicker of doubt crossed her mind. The old lady's words still lingered in her ears, and looking at Vincent again, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward.

Alsa.

Vincent...

Vincent's dark eyes gleamed with unfathomable wisdom, and sensing Alsa's unease, a glimmer of amusement flashed through them. He extended his hand politely and spoke first.

"Hello, I'm Vincent."

"Hello, I'm Alsa."

As she spoke, she reached out her hand as well, attempting to straighten up.

However, after squatting for so long, her legs had gone numb. Added to that, the fresh wound on her waist throbbed at the slight movement.

As soon as she tried to stand, a wave of tingling numbness shot up her legs. Before she could react, her knees buckled, and she began to fall backward.

"Careful!"

Her usually serene face showed a rare flicker of panic, her eyes widening in alarm.

Just then, a deep, cool voice sounded above her.

A strong, firm arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her back in an instant.

Alsa found herself crashing straight into Vincent's chest.

A crisp, refreshing scent enveloped her, and she was utterly mortified.

Her reflexes kicked in, and she immediately tried to push herself away. But the numbness in her legs sent another wave of weakness through her, and she stumbled yet again-this time slipping directly from Vincent's hold.

Her instincts took over, and she instinctively reached out, clutching onto his broad, muscular shoulders.

At the same time, the arm around her waist tightened once more, pulling her firmly back up.

Alsa bit down hard on her lip. Falling into this man's arms twice in such a short span left her feeling utterly humiliated.

"Don't move yet."

His low, commanding voice left no room for argument, making her abandon her initial thought of stepping away.

The warmth of his palm pressed against her waist through the fabric of her clothes, the heat seeping into her skin.

Her cheek was nestled against his chest, where she could clearly hear the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat-loud and strong, like a drum.

Her own heart faltered, and for the first time, a flush of pink bloomed across her pale cheeks.

She had never been this physically close to anyone before.

Even after years of dating Elvis, the most they had shared was a reserved farewell hug-one so polite it barely even counted as intimate. Their embraces had been distant, their body heat hardly even registering.

This was her limit.

Vincent, meanwhile, took in the fragile figure in his arms-so slender that just one arm could almost wrap around her completely.

His long, elegant brows knitted together slightly.