?Chapter 3066:


    She turned her head toward Ernest and asked softly, “Are we going to my house?”


    Despite her condition clouding her thoughts, she recognized this particr stretch of road—it led directly home.


    “Yes, this is the road home,” Ernest replied, his smile gentle and brimming withpassion. “But I’m not taking you there.”


    “Then where are we going?”


    “You’ll understand when we arrive.”


    Soon enough, Elissa discovered the answer for herself. The car bypassed the manor entirely and turned instead into the driveway of a modest vi just before it.


    “We’ve arrived.”


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    Ernest parked the car smoothly and led Elissa toward the entrance with a protective hand at her back. “Please,e inside.”


    Once they stepped inside, Elissa nced around the unfamiliar space with open curiosity. “What is this ce? Is this where you live?”


    “Yes, that’s right.” Ernest nodded with approval. “See? You’re quite perceptive.”


    Elissa felt a warm flush of embarrassment creep up her neck. It had been nothing more than a lucky guess, nothing particrly clever at all.


    This topic felt far too sensitive, too charged with unspoken meaning—it was wiser not to pursue it further.


    Ernest gestured gently toward her tear-stained face. “Would you like to freshen up? Perhaps take a proper bath?”


    Her clothes hung torn and stained with coffee and smeared dessert from the earlier incident. Besides, after enduring such a terrible shock, a warm bath might help her body and mind rx.


    Elissa frowned deeply, tugging self-consciously at her torn, filthy clothes. “But what am I supposed to do about this?”


    How on earth would she exin this disaster when she returned home?


    Her mother would inevitably have countless questions, each one more probing than thest.


    Last time, when she’d sprained her ankle, that incident could be easily brushed off as a simple ident. But this time, the situation was far more serious, impossible to dismiss.


    “Don’t worry about that.” Ernest guided her gently up the stairs. “Go ahead and freshen up in the bathroom… I’ll arrange for someone to bring fresh clothes over shortly.”


    “All right.”


    Elissa nced down at her hand, still cradled securely in his, and unexpectedly felt an unfamiliar sense offort wash over her.


    The sensation struck her as strangely, impossibly familiar.


    She lifted her gaze to study his profile carefully.


    It felt like ages ago, buried somewhere in her fragmented memories, someone had treated her with this same tenderness…


    Could it possibly have been him?


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