Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

"Why did you do this?" asked Ethan when everyone left the room.

He did not need to investigate when the answer was standing in front of him. Hannah's eyes had turned bloodshot; it was not the right time for the truth to come out.

She was sure that her plan was perfect. If it was not for Evan, Eli would have not done this.

She cursed Evan again and again from the start, Evan was taking everything that belonged to hers.

Her family, her father, her wealth, her happiness and now she was the biggest hurdle in her marriage and the position of duchess.

"I am asking you something." her eyes that had failed with madness and hatred for Evan came back to her senses when he held her arms and shook them.

"If you needed the palace you could have asked me. Why did you steal the papers?

Don't you know the powers of this family? What if they became adamant about investigation and found out that it is you!

Do you have any doubt that I will not give it to you if you want it?" he asked in a voice full of disappointment as he let go of her arms and ran a hand in his air.

He was.. Looking worried. Only then did she notice that Ethan was not angry at her but he was worried that she would be in trouble due to her actions and he would not be able to help her since he was still in a weak position in this house.

Once Leo returns, he would not be able to save her if she was caught.

Her face turned astonished and she felt short of words. Her mouth opened but closed again as she didn't know what to say.

"Sigh! Just burn the papers or return them for now. I will say that I gave the wrong file. You can have them back once the matter will be solved. Is that alright for you?" he was asking her?

She did not know if she was imagining or it looked like he was only worried about saving her and did not care about the property at all.

Was he so dumb that he did not notice that she was deceiving him or after being a duke's son he just did not care?

No matter how she thought about it, the result did not match her expectations.

He stared at her baffled expressions. The way her eyebrows raised with surprise and the way her lips formed a big "O" then quivered and closed again and the way she narrowed her eyes at him as if she was suspecting that it was a trap.

She did not trust him. She had thought that he would punish her.

"Hannah! I may not be too expressive but i thought i have conveyed to you that i love you. And for me, love meant giving yourself as whole to the other person.

I have always dreamt of starting a family with the woman I love. I would give.. You are that woman, Hannah.

You should not be worried about money or properties. They all belong to you." he moved closer and hugged her.

His minty voice filled her ears and she shivered. Her eyes closed instantly and she leaned into his touch.

Maybe she was so scared that she did not realize her body had turned cold. The little warmth his body was providing was more than welcome

She could not explain why but she had lived her life on edge since she always felt that she had to fight for everything. She had to snatch if she wanted to survive.

Giving everything to another one without asking anything in return was something she would neve think of, had never seen or believed in.

But feeling the warmth and concern of Ethan, for the first time in her life, she felt secured and protected.

She had always thought that Ethan was a weakling who would only suffer because he was a fool. But for the first time, she felt how kind he was!

She inhaled his scent and let her mind relax for a bit. When was the last time she had stopped thinking about plans and tricks.

"Ethan, i am sorry." the words left her mouth without her knowledge. She sighed as she knew that she was being weak.

But somewhere in her heart, she felt.. That he would not take the benefit of her weakness like others. He would only cherish it.

An audible sigh fell into her ears and his hold on her tightened. He gently rubbed her back as if he was trying to soothe a baby and then whispered again,

"No, I should be sorry that I was ot able to gain your trust. I should be more attentive to your needs and emotions so that you can feel secure in my arms." his words.. They were the feelings that she was going though..

She did not know how to react to his words so she did not reply but she could feel the genuineness and sincerity.

"Hannah, you should go and rest. You are looking tense. I will handle the matter. Alright?" he patted her back when she nodded her head.

She needs to sleep off to clear her mind. If not, she would lose to his words.

"Hannah, you do not need to worry about your future again" he assured when she finally nodded.

She created some distance between their bodies and stared at his face that was filled with warmth and care too. His eyes only have her.

She continued to stare at him as if she was in a trance and before she realized she leaned and kissed him on his lips.

It was a small peck of three seconds not like the deep kisses she often gives him. But he felt a strange feeling about it.

"Ethan, you should not trust me that much. What if I have been deceiving you since I started to rob your wealth?"

"You are the only treasure I have!"