Chapter 219 No More Hiding


    Ste let out another scream, sprang up, and turned on the light.


    The moment her feet touched the floor, a sharp ache shot through her legs.


    It hurts.


    With the drug in his system, Abraham had lost all control, and the night had felt like being imed by a wild beast.


    Ste gritted her teeth through the soreness and forced herself to clean the room, wiping away every trace that could betray what had happened.


    Finally, she made her way to the bathroom. Just as she retrieved the bloodstained scarf, there was a knock at the door.


    Dragging her aching legs to the door, Ste realized how much her body hurt now that the adrenaline from dealing with Eddie and Abraham had worn off.


    “Who is it?”


    “It’s me.”


    Abraham’s voice came from outside.


    The moment she heard it, Ste’s barely settled heart seized up again. “Wh–what’s wrong?”


    Abraham said, “The shower in my room’s broken. I’ming in to take a shower.”


    Ste froze.


    No way…


    ncing at the scarf in her hand, panic gripped her. “You–you- you wait a second!”


    Ignoring the pain shooting through her legs, she rushed back to the bathroom to hide


    the scarf.


    Only after everything was hidden away did she finally open the door.


    Abraham stood there, his gaze lingering meaningfully on the scarf still wrapped around.


    her neck.


    Ste fell silent.


    <i>Is </i>this <i>scarf </i>going <i>to </i>be the <i>death </i><i>of </i>me tonight?


    And whose fault was it that she couldn’t show her neck for the next week?


    Seeing her stay silent, Abraham reached out to remove the scarf.


    But Ste, nimble as a monkey, dodged away in a sh.


    Abraham raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”


    “I’m cold,” she said stiffly.


    Ask me <i>again</i>, and it’ll still <i>be </i><i>because </i><i>I’m </i><i>cold</i>.


    She couldn’t think of any other excuse.


    Abraham <b>said</b>, “Cold, or…<b>” </b>


    He suddenly paused mid–sentence, looking at her with a faint, knowing smile.


    “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”


    Ste froze.


    The breath caught painfully in her throat.


    Her already sluggish brainpletely short–circuited


    “Ah? N–no, I’m not,” she stammered.


    For a moment, she actually doubted whether Abraham had really forgotten.


    But the thought passed quickly.


    Every time he drank, he forgot everything that happened afterwardpletely.


    –


    Andst night, he’d been both drunk <b>and </b>drugged. How could he possibly remember?


    “Not hurt?” Abraham asked again.


    Ste nodded fiercely. “Nope! Anyway, I’m going to sleep now and shower!”


    –


    you should hurry up


    Abraham watched her scamper back to bed and dive under the covers, the amusement in his smile growing even stronger.


    “Sleeping like that isn’t good for you. You’ll overheat.”


    With that, he turned and headed into the bathroom.


    Only when she heard the rush of water did Ste dare to peek her head out from under the covers.


    <i>Oh </i><i>God</i>, am <i>I </i><i>seriously </i><i>going </i>to <i>have </i>to <i>wear </i><i>a </i><i>scarf </i><i>for </i>a whole <i>week</i>?


    And if Abraham <i>keeps </i>asking <i>about </i>it <i>every </i><i>day</i><i>, </i>how long <i>can </i><i>I </i><i>hold </i><i>up</i><i>? </i>


    Once was terrifying enough.


    And then there was Eddie


    Ste trusted his skills as a doctor, but his emotional


    intelligence was seriouslycking.


    The more you wanted to avoid the harder he would push.


    Thinking of the ugly bruises she had seen earlier in the mirror, Ste couldn’t help letting out another miserable whine.


    What am <i>I </i>going to do<i>? </i>


    <i>Maybe </i><i>I </i>could tell <i>Abraham </i><i>I </i>need to


    go back


    <i>back </i>to <i>Fleule </i><i>early</i>? Say <i>I </i><i>miss </i><i>Mom </i>and Ms. Marie<i>? </i>


    No, that wouldn’t work. If her mom asked questions, how could she exin?


    She couldn’t exactly say, <i>The </i><i>daughter </i><i>you </i><i>raised </i><i>like </i><i>your </i><i>own </i><i>just </i><i>slept </i>with <i>your </i><i>son</i>.


    She’d be thrown out of the family for sure.


    Ste’s head felt like it was about to explode.


    Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Abraham’s voice called out, “Ste, what’s this?”


    “Huh?”


    Confused, Ste lifted the covers and looked over.


    There, in Abraham’s hand<b>, </b>was the scarf she had hidden the bloodstained one.


    She stared in horror at the scarf, at the ring red stains on it.


    Abraham nced down at the blood.


    He frowned. “This is my scarf, right? How did it get blood on it? What happened?”


    Ste sat there, speechless.