VII. Trust you?

Here is your enhanced version with improved grammar while ensuring it maintains a strong word count:

"I will protect you," he had said, and the weight of those words pressed down on me like a boulder.

I stood there in disbelief, my jaw hanging open as his words echoed in my mind. My heart raced wildly in my chest, the sound of its frantic beating drowning out everything else around me. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a blush spreading like wildfire across my face. My hands had turned clammy, the familiar sensation of nervousness overwhelming me.

But I could not afford to be distracted by these feelings—not now. Not when the stakes were so high. I had to push aside the rush of emotions threatening to consume me and focus on the task at hand. There was too much on the line, and I could not let myself be led astray by the overwhelming mix of adrenaline and conflicting emotions.

Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze and steadied myself. "Thank you," I managed to croak out, my voice barely above a whisper. I knew I could not allow myself to be swayed by the storm of emotions coursing through me, no matter how tempting it was to let myself get lost in them. There was too much at stake. I had to keep my focus sharp and my wits about me.

"Just help me out with Nadia," he said apathetically, as though the issue meant nothing to him.

My forehead furrowed in confusion and frustration. "You keep asking me the same thing. What is it with Nadia? Why do you want to get rid of her so badly? If you never wanted to be with her in the first place, then why did you ask her out? Tsk. Pathetic."

He remained silent, offering no explanation. Then, before I could react, he suddenly scooped me up into his arms and carried me towards his car. I was so stunned that I could not even utter a word. I just found myself nestled in his arms, a strange sense of comfort washing over me despite the situation. His face was so close to mine that I could hear his steady breathing.

I quickly shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and banish the dangerous ideas forming in my mind.

He carefully placed me in the passenger seat before walking around and sliding into the driver's seat. Without another word, he started the engine.

The silence between us was deafening, neither of us willing to break it. I was about to close my eyes and rest when he suddenly spoke.

"Nadia is not my girlfriend. My father and her father set us up on a date because it was her wish."

"Are you a child?" I scoffed sarcastically, turning my head to look at him.

"It is not as easy as you think it is. I cannot hurt Nadia."

"And why is that?" I challenged, arching an eyebrow.

He went silent again, and I realized that I might have crossed a line. But at the same time, I felt I had the right to ask. After all, he was requesting something from me—something that would only benefit him while worsening my situation with Nadia.

I stole a glance at him, and when our eyes met, I immediately averted my gaze, focusing on the window instead. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"I just cannot," he finally said, his voice carrying a weight I could not decipher.

I sighed and nodded. "Aside from being impossible, what other talents do you have, Antonio?"

He ignored my sarcastic remark and instead continued, "No one has ever dared to provoke Nadia before—not because they are afraid of her, but because their parents do not want to cross her father. I need someone who can pretend to be my girlfriend so they will stop this nonsense, and so Nadia will stop her craziness."

"That sounds interesting," I said, feigning disinterest. "But I have too many matters to deal with already."

"Then deal with them—with me."

I turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Have you lost your mind?"

"You will go through hardships while doing this plan with me, but I will be there to protect you by all means. You can trust me with your matters, too. I will help you with anything, in exchange for your help with this."

His words might have been convincing, even fluttering, but I needed more than just protection.

"Anything?" I repeated, making sure I had heard him correctly.

"Anything," he confirmed without hesitation.

"Then it is a deal."

He dropped me off in front of my house, and I did not even bother to say goodbye or thank him. I simply went inside and took a deep, steadying breath.

Everything was falling into place. Now, the next thing to do was to find the man who had nearly given me a heart attack a few days ago.

I did not know if he was an enemy or an ally, but I needed to find out—before it was too late.

Three days had passed since the incident, and I finally gathered enough courage to return to the place where I had almost been kidnapped—or whatever it was that had happened to me that night. As I arrived at the familiar location, I half-expected to see him there, waiting. But he was nowhere in sight.

Curiosity had been eating away at me for days, keeping me restless, but now, standing there, I felt foolish.

With a sigh, I turned on my heel and decided to head back to the university. I could not afford to draw suspicion from Alex and Lara.

As I made my way through the crowded street, a sharp pain shot through my left side, making me stagger. A stinging sensation radiated from my stomach, and when I reached down to touch it, my fingers came away slick with blood.

A wave of dizziness washed over me, my vision blurring as the world around me tilted. My legs wobbled beneath me, barely able to support my weight. Panic gripped my chest, and just as darkness threatened to consume me, I caught a glimpse of his face.

His expression was different this time—no smirk, no teasing. Just pure concern.

Was I in his arms again?

Was this a dream? If it was, why was he here, looking at me with such a worried expression?

"Canim?" I whispered weakly, reaching out to touch his handsome yet troubled face.

His grip tightened around me, steady and firm.

"Stay with me," he pleaded.

"You are going to be okay. Just focus on breathing."

His voice was my anchor, pulling me back from the abyss.

I clung to his presence, forcing myself to remain conscious despite the unbearable pain. His arms wrapped securely around me, offering warmth, security, and something else—something I could not quite name.

The commotion of the crowd faded into the background. All I could focus on was the feeling of his embrace, the way he held me as though letting go was not an option.

In that fleeting moment, despite everything, I found solace in the one person whose concern had managed to break through my haze of pain and fear.