Reborn: The Tyrant's Obsession
Chapter 216: He made her heart ache

Chapter 216: He made her heart ache

"M-Ma’am, why don’t you try other games too?" One of the staff members dared to step forward, after seeing how much of a loss their store was going to suffer.

"Of course... Wait... I want the duck with the hat," Ella declared, pointing at the highest-tier prize shelf. "And that dream catcher. OMG—is that a limited edition bunny? Baby!!"

Her sparkling eyes were a complete contrast to the lifeless state he had found her in yesterday. Adrian barely took his gaze off her before flicking another ring.

’Bullseye.’

The staff members visibly paled.

"Sir, the other games—" The man stopped himself when Adrian’s fleeting gaze cut past him.

Ella giggled as she clutched her growing hoard of plushies and other stuff. "This is so cute. Thank you!"

In the next moment, Ella pushed herself to her tiptoes and planted her lips on his cheeks.

Adrian’s disjointed mind glitched. One second. Two seconds. The warmth on his cheek barely registered in his body as he stood there, completely frozen.

Ella beamed and shoved all their winnings into his arm. She held the limited edition bunny in one hand, hooking her other hand around his arm before dragging him toward the next booth. "Okay. Shooting gallery next!"

Adrian wordlessly let himself be dragged.

The man running the shooting gallery audibly gulped.

Ji Yan, standing in the background with a sunhat and two iced drinks, sighed heavily. At this rate, the entire amusement park union might sue us ah!

Who was his prestigious second master? He had picked a pen at 3, learnt shooting by 4, started studying business by 5 and was a prodigy in multiple other skills by 7.

Getting him to win games in the amusement park... Isn’t it like killing a chicken with a butcher’s knife?

After making half of the store owners shed tears of blood, Ella lost interest in the games. Instead, she dragged Adrian to the Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel pod rocked gently as it ascended, lifting them above the quiet amusement park.

The view was breathtaking, Vermilion City stretched out in the distance, rooftops glowing under the peach-and-indigo sky, the sun a molten disc dipping below the horizon.

Ella sucked in a deep breath. The world below seemed muffled, like everything had slowed.

Relishing in the ambience, Ella sighed, "Next time, I’m going to bring Riri and Lala with us too."

"Alright." Adrian did not seem to have any hesitation.

Ella momentarily fell in a daze before she opened her mouth, "Can I ask you something?" She asked softly.

Adrian glanced at the girl who was keenly watching him with her doe eyes, completely clueless that if she asked for his life, she would have it.

"Ask." He said, instead.

Ella paused for a moment before she spoke. "Why did you hate small animals so much?"

Adrian didn’t reply immediately.

The pod swayed gently in the breeze as a quiet pause stretched between them.

Then, in his usual calm tone, he said, "I once had a bird."

"Like... a pet?" Knowing him for two lifetimes, Ella doubted that Adrian was the kind of person who would willing get a pet bird.

"No. It was injured when I found it."

Ella’s eyes widened, surprised again. She had pegged him for the kind who did not care about the livelihood of others, let alone tiny animals, "Then..."

Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on the horizon. "It died."

Ella’s lips parted.

That was all he said. There was no change in his expression. But something in the way he said—

It... It made her heart ache.

And for the first time, Ella realized...

Adrian did not hate small animals because he was heartless. He did not hate them at all.

But rather, he blamed himself for the death of that bird he once kept. Or probably, he doubted his ability to care for them.

Her chest tightened.

With his legs crossed, Adrian was calmly glancing at the sky when suddenly, he felt a soft bump against his arms.

Adrian stilled.

The suddenness of her warmth, the way she buried her face in the curve of his neck, it disarmed him more than anything in the world ever could.

He tilted his head down to look at the girl who inched closer to him, hugging him even tighter.

Sensing no movements from him, Ella began to pull back. But at this moment, an arm wrapped around waist, holding her in place.

Adrian pulled her into him, his gaze looking for something in hers.

Ella held her breathe as the distance between them closed slowly.

Their bodies were close. Too close.

She leaned back slightly but his hand didn’t leave her waist.

Her palm was resting on his chest now, feeling the slow, heavy rhythm of his heart.

Adrian leaned in slowly, watching her expression shift from surprise to something softer. Her lips parted just slightly, but she didn’t move away from him.

His lips brushed against hers.

It wasn’t rushed or hungry

The kiss was slow yet deep. The kind that made the air around them grow thick. His fingers pressed gently into her waist, holding her still as his lips moved against hers with an intensity that didn’t match the unhurried pace.

Ella’s heart thudded violently. Her hand curled against his shirt as her lashes fluttered closed.

The Ferris wheel creaked gently as it climbed higher, but the world around them blurred.

When they parted, she panted against his lips.

Adrian’s eyes darkened, his hand slid upwards, raking into her hair as he pulled her close again.

Just as their lips were about to meet, the sharp ringing of her phone pierced through the silence.

Ella pulled back slightly, dazed. Her lips were still tingling, her breath shallow.

Adrian’s lips brushed against hers, "Ignore it."

Her eyelashes fluttered as she rasped, "Okay..." Ella leaned towards him, as if under a spell.

Raw desire swirled in his eyes, his fingers releasing her hair and grabbing the back of her neck.

’Ring’

Ella snapped out of her reverie, "Wait..." She whispered, "It might be important."

A dark cloud passed over his face but he released her gently.

Fixing her hair, Ella yanked her phone out of her small bag.

But the moment she looked at the phone screen, her brows tugged together.