chapter Seventy-nine

My heart pounded in my chest as I stood there, her eyes burning with anger. I couldn't believe what Killian had just said to me. The words hung in the air like a poisonous cloud, and I could feel her temper flaring. And worse, the bastard was kissing me with no care in the world. Without thinking, I pushed him away from me with a force that surprised both of us. He stumbled backward, clearly taken aback by my sudden aggression. "What the hell, Catalina?" Killian exclaimed, rubbing his chest where I had shoved him. "You have no right to talk to me like that!" I shouted, my voice quivering with rage. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. The room felt suffocating, the tension between us palpable. Killian took a step closer to me, his expression murderous but there was concern etched in it. "I'm just trying to help, Catalina. I don't understand why you won't let me in." My eyes blazed with anger. "Help? Help?! Is that what you call it? C