A Criminal Kiss [Max Verstappen]

chapter thirty one

The morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of my room, casting a golden glow over everything it touched. The soft chirping of birds outside should have been a comforting sound.

I blinked my eyes open, my heart already sinking as reality came rushing back. Max lay beside me, still asleep, his face turned toward me on the pillow. His dark lashes rested against his cheek, his features softened in the quiet vulnerability of sleep.

For a moment, I let myself watch him, my chest tightening. How had we come to this? How had I allowed myself to fall so deeply for someone who could never be mine?

But then he stirred, his brow furrowing slightly before his eyes fluttered open. For a moment, he just looked at me, a small, sleepy smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice low and rough from sleep.

"Good morning," I whispered back, though my voice was shaky.

The thought of last night sat heavy between us. It had been both exhilarating and terrifying, and now, in the cold light of day, I could feel the consequences creeping in.

"You make me want to break every rule I was taught to follow, just to feel alive, just to feel like myself," I whispered, my voice trembling with both fear and desire.

Max lay before me, his expression unreadable yet achingly vulnerable. "You see me as I am—flawed, uncertain, and unworthy—and yet, with one look, you make me believe I could be enough," he said softly, his blue eyes piercing through me.

For a fleeting moment, the world melted away. It was just the two of us—two hearts beating in defiance of all the rules, expectations, and consequences pressing in from every side.

But then reality snapped back into place.

My hands trembled as I reached out to him, but my resolve wavered. "Max, I don't know what to do," I said, my voice cracking. "I'm going to have to marry him, and then this—this will all be over..."

Max's jaw tightened, his grip on my hands unwavering. "If I cannot have you now, then I'll wait a lifetime. And if this life isn't enough, I'll find you in the next."

I wanted to believe him.

Really I did.

Max sat up slowly, running a hand through his messy hair. "What time is it?" he asked, glancing toward the window.

"Too late for us to pretend this didn't happen," I replied softly, my voice tinged with regret and fear.

He turned to me, his expression hard to read. "Do you regret it?"

"No," I said quickly, my heart aching at the thought that he might think otherwise. "But I'm scared, Max. I'm engaged to someone else, and if my father finds out about this..."

Max's jaw tightened, and he looked down at his hands. "I know," he said quietly. "I know what's at stake. But, Annie... I couldn't stay away. I can't."

-

The knock on the door came just as I was dressing, the sharp sound slicing through the peaceful quiet. My heart leapt into my throat. Max had just slipped his shirt over his head, and his gaze snapped to mine, his expression mirroring my panic.

"Annalise!" My father's voice boomed from the other side.

I froze. How had he found us? My mind raced, searching for an excuse, a way to explain why Max was here, but nothing came.

The door burst open before I could react, and there stood my father, his face a mask of shock and utter fury.

"What is this?" he thundered, his eyes darting between Max and me.