Chapter 1443

Claude's gaze slowly moved away from Olivia's face. His hand moved up to his cheek, and his fingers lightly brushed against the corner of his mouth. He felt a sting as his fingertips grazed a small cut. When he glanced at his hand, he saw a drop of blood. The blood came from the slap Olivia had delivered moments earlier. Her nails had cut into his skin, leaving faint red marks on his cheek. Claude stared at the blood on his fingertip, and Olivia's eyes followed the same crimson drop. Neither of them spoke, but Olivia's breathing grew faster, heavier. Her brows furrowed, and her face twisted into an expression of alarm and disgust, and something else—something Claude hadn't expected. His gaze flicked back and forth between the blood on his fingers and her face. Then, suddenly, a faint chuckle escaped his lips. The cold, detached look in his eyes started to melt away, softening with his quiet laughter. Olivia didn't know what he would do next. The slap had been impulsive, an act o