In the quiet solitude of his hotel room in Milan, Noah sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the twinkling city lights below. He had been in Italy for three months now, the longest time he had ever been away from Scarlett.

While part of him yearned to be by her side, he also knew that he needed this time alone to regain control over his emotions.

"This distance is necessary," he whispered, his voice filled with fear. "I can't keep hovering over her like a freak. She deserves to live her life freely, without the weight of my presence suffocating her."

But the truth gnawed at his heart. He had become impossibly attached to Scarlett, far beyond the role of a guardian.

"But why does it feel like my heart is being torn in two?" he whispered again, his voice laden with longing and unease. "I can't deny the intense emotions that have taken root within me. It's like she's become an extension of my very being."

Noah traced his fingers along the edge of a photograph—a captured moment of Scarlett's laughter

"She's no longer just a child," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "She's blossomed into a beautiful woman, one I'm irrevocably drawn to."

He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the surge of emotions that coursed through his veins.

"No, Noah," he scolded himself, his voice laced with frustration. "She isn't an object to possess. She deserves to be loved freely, without the chains. It's my duty to protect her, not to smother her with my own desires. She is free to fall in love with someone she wants."

But the mere thought of someone else claiming what he believed to be his, stirred a storm within him. His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened as possessive thoughts threatened to consume his rationality.

"But I can't deny this surge of anger that rises within me," he admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "She is my Scarlett, and I want to shield her from the world's darkness. I yearn to shield her from any men who dare to cast their gaze upon her and make them understand that she is off-limits, that she is solely mine."

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Noah paused, his gaze drifting to the photograph he held in his hand. It captured Scarlett's radiant smile, a reflection of the joy she brought into his life. He traced the outline of her face with his finger, lost in the memories they shared.

"Her innocence is both a blessing and a curse," he whispered, his voice filled with a blend of adoration and trepidation. "She sees the world with such purity, untainted by its harsh realities."

"She is so innocent that she can't even know the man she trusts the most," he murmured, his voice tinged with a mixture of longing and self-reproach. "She sees only the loving and humble Noah, unaware of the desires that lurk within me. She can't sense the darkness that threatens to consume me."

Noah let out a bitter laugh, filled with self-pity and resignation. He understood the danger of his hidden desires, and the potential harm he could bring to their delicate relationship. He couldn't allow his possessiveness to tarnish the purity of their bond.

"She thinks I am just a humble and loving Noah," he mused, his voice laced with a mixture of irony and self-mockery. "Yet within me brews a tempest of contradictory feelings, an insatiable appetite to possess her entirely, to claim her as my own."

He closed his eyes, envisioning her radiant smile, her laughter that echoed in his ears like a melody. It was both a source of solace and torment, knowing that he held such intense feelings for someone he was supposed to protect.

As Noah wrestled with his conflicting emotions, a thought slowly began to form in his mind. "What can I do to protect Scarlett from me?" he questioned, his voice laced with concern. "How can I ensure that my emotions don't overshadow her happiness?"

Deep in thought, he paced back and forth in his hotel room, his mind racing with possibilities. Then, a notion struck him like a lightning bolt. "I could... I could date someone," he muttered to himself, testing the idea in his mind. "If I redirect my attention and affection towards another woman, maybe it will alleviate the intensity of my feelings for Scarlett."

Although it felt like a double-edged sword, Noah saw it as a potential solution. By engaging in a romantic relationship with someone else, he hoped to create a buffer, a shield to protect Scarlett from the depths of his desires. It would be a delicate balancing act, a facade that he would have to maintain.

"But who?" he wondered aloud, searching for a suitable candidate in his mind. He knew he had to find someone who could distract him, someone who wouldn't suspect his underlying motives. It was a risky endeavor, but he was willing to take the chance if it meant safeguarding Scarlett's innocence and preserving their bond.

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