Devilish secretary - Chapter 278

Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Shameless Gray
“She isn’t your wife yet,” Knox said, his voice calm but edged with meaning. “Am I right?”

He looked at Gray directly now, “You can’t make decisions for her. If she wants to work in the entertainment industry, she can.”

Gray’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into light fists at his sides.

He hated that sentence.

She isn’t your wife yet.

It echoed in his head longer than it should have. He knew Knox was right. Legally, emotionally—technically—they weren’t married. There were no vows, no rings, no public commitment. But in his heart, he already saw her as his future. Not just a lover. Not just a woman he was drawn to. She was it. The only one. And the thought of her stepping into that industry, wearing those costumes, standing beside strangers, being admired by men he didn’t know filled him with something ugly and restless. He had heard enough about what went on behind the curtains of fame. The bribes. The flirting. The private auditions. The way people offered you roles in exchange for loyalty or worse. He didn’t want Lilith near that world. Not when he was trying so hard to protect her.

But he couldn’t say all that.

So instead, he turned to her, face softening like melting wax.

His eyes widened a little as he leaned forward and whispered, “Lili… tell them you don’t want to.”

His tone wasn’t demanding. It was pleading. And his expression—God help him–was that of a man who had turned into a puppy just to be loved.

Lilith blinked, her lips parting slightly in disbelief. Even Knox looked startled.

She stared at him for a long moment.

And then… she nodded.

“Yes,” she said softly, her voice even.

Knox’s lips pressed together in silence. It wasn’t anger. It was quiet surprise. Maybe a little confusion. But he didn’t argue.

Nina, however, looked disheartened. Her eyes fell slightly, and she gripped her blanket with fingers that were still wrapped in gauze.

“Can you at least think about it?” she asked gently, her voice low. “I really… I really want to work with you, Lilith.”

Lilith turned to her.

Her face was calm. Thoughtful.

Then she gave a small nod. “Alright,” she said softly.

That one word was enough to make Nina smile again, even if faintly.

And Gray didn’t even try to hide it.

He looked straight at Knox, and his lips curled ever so slightly–eyes narrowing just enough to flash victory.

Knox saw it.

***

The corridor was quiet, filled with soft footsteps and the faint scent of antiseptic. Gray and Lilith walked side by side, his hand brushing against hers occasionally, though he acted like it was completely by accident each time. She didn’t look at him, but she noticed. Every time. They had just left Nina’s ward and were walking toward the exit when Gray’s wrist gave a soft twist. His watch—a sleek, expensive piece with a leather strap suddenly loosened and fell, landing on the hospital floor with a soft clink. Lilith instinctively moved to pick it up, but before she could even bend down, Gray had already crouched, picking it up himself with his usual speed, brushing a hand over the face of the watch as if it were a fragile jewel.

Her eyes stayed on him.

Something about that moment—his black shirt slightly open at the collar, his sleeves rolled just enough to show veins, his head lowered pulled her in, even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud.

And then it happened.

Just as she stood there, a figure brushed past her shoulder.

Fast. Tall. Smooth.

All she saw was the flash of a dark suit, sharp lines, a body that moved like he was born in luxury. His hair was mostly dark but streaked with faint silver strands at the temples—elegant, not aged. He didn’t touch her, but his presence passed close enough for the air around her to shift.

Her heart clenched.

It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t even attraction. It was… familiarity.

She turned sharply, eyes following.

As if sensing her gaze, the man stopped and looked back.

Only for a second.

But in that second, she saw his eyes—deep, stormy blue. Quiet. Cold. And oddly sad.

Before she could breathe, someone called his name from another hallway, and just like that, he turned and disappeared.

Lilith stood frozen, unsure why her chest felt tight.

And beside her, Gray stood up, watch back in place, brushing imaginary dust off his wrist.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t tell me you’re interested in uncles now,” he said flatly, voice dripping with fake sorrow.

Lilith turned to him slowly, blinking.

Was this man serious?

She looked at him speechlessly. He had no business being this dramatic in public.

He used to be the calm one. The silent type. The warm, protective Gray who gave her long hugs and spoke in low, careful words. Now he was acting like a sarcastic teenager who had lost his favorite toy.

She narrowed her eyes. “What is wrong with you lately?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped closer, his lips brushing near her ear, his voice dropping to a murmur meant only for her.

“Haven’t you heard,” he whispered wickedly, “about Daddy and submissive… play in be—”

His sentence didn’t get the honor of being finished.

Lilith’s palm immediately landed against his cheek—not hard, not gentle either as she pushed his face away with flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

“Shameless!”

Gray wasn’t expecting it but the moment Lilith pushed his cheek and snapped “shameless,” he caught it.

That flicker.

Her eyes, wide and startled… and pink blooming across her cheeks like a forbidden flower.

He stood still for half a second, watching her with sharp interest. The Lilith he knew—the one who made grown men go speechless, who wore heels like weapons was rarely ever flustered. Rarely ever cornered. And yet here she was, staring at him like he had just set her brain on fire.

She turned quickly, trying to walk ahead as if nothing happened.

But it was too late.

Gray followed, a smirk already curving on his lips.

They stepped into the elevator together, the doors closing behind them with a soft mechanical ding—sealing them in silence.

Gray leaned against the mirror-lined wall with casual arrogance, hands in his pockets, watching her press the button with more force than necessary.