Chapter 380 A Night of Shadows
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Zacharias propped himself up, intending to rush to the bathroom, but halfway up, his body gave way, and he copsed back onto the bed.
Someone was tangled in his arms–he was not alone.
“Ugh… it hurts…”
A soft moan came from his embrace.
Zacharias‘ eyes snapped open, fully awake.
He shoved the woman off him. She fell back onto the bed but stirred awake and sat up abruptly.
“Wh… what…? Ah!”
A short, startled cry escaped her lips.
Zacharias jumped off the bed and yanked open the heavy ckout curtains. Only then did he see the pale–faced woman wrapped in the nket.
It was Selina!
His mind went nk for a moment. He shook his head violently, trying to recall anything, but nothing came.
“Zacharias,st night…”
Selina bit her lip, hesitating <i>to </i>speak.
Zacharias‘ brow furrowed deeply, his eyes narrowing. “You… You didn’t leavest night?”
<i>Last </i><i>night </i><i>I </i>was <i>in pain </i><i>and </i><i>drank </i><i>myself </i><i>senseless</i><i>. </i><i>But </i>why <i>did </i><i>Selina </i><i>lose </i><i>control </i><i>too</i><i>? </i>
Selina saw his suspicion. <i>I </i><i>thought </i><i>he </i><i>was </i>drawn <i>to </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>so </i><i>why </i><i>does </i><i>he </i><i>look </i><i>so </i>displeased now? Does <i>he </i><i>think </i><i>I’m </i><i>scheming</i><i>–</i><i>and </i><i>despise </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>
She gritted her teeth, her eyes red, neck stiff, and spat out, “I have nothing to say! Let’s just pretend nothing happened. I’m leaving.”
Wrapping the nket around herself, she got off the bed to pick up the discarded clothes
scattered across the floor.
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Chapter 380 A Night of Shadows
As she stood, a dark stain on the pale green bedsheet caught Zacharias‘ eyes.
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His gaze tightened. Looking back at Selina’s stubborn, silent figure, his expression grew increasinglyplex.
Selina bent to pick up some underwear, and suddenly her legs gave way, sending her sprawling forward.
“Are
you alright?” Zacharias rushed forward, catching her in time.
Selina struggled violently. “Let go of me! Zacharias, you b*stard! Don’t think I didn’t notice- you suspect me of plotting against you!
And yet, you mistook me for Anne and forced yourself on me. No matter how I struggled, it
from was useless. And now you dare to turn it around and use me? Let me go–get away me!”
Selina’s emotions suddenly erupted, her screams and struggles growing violent.
The nket wrapped around her fell to the floor, revealing her bare skin, marked with countless intense welts and scratches that met Zacharias‘ eyes.
He also noticed the faint swelling around her wrists, further proving what she had said—<i>that </i>he had forced her.
<i>Could </i>it <i>be </i><i>that </i><ist </i><i>night </i><i>in </i><i>my </i><i>drunken </i><i>haze</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>mistook </i><i>Selina </i><i>for </i><i>Anne</i><i>? </i>
In an instant, Zacharias‘ guilt and heartbreak surged to their peak.
He scooped her up and gently ced her back on the bed, carefully covering her with the nket.
Selina refused to acknowledge him, turning her head away and closing her eyes, letting tears fall silently.
Seeing this, Zacharias‘ guilt deepened even more. In his mind, Selina had always carried the elegance and pride of a white swan.
He cupped her damp, tear–streaked face, gently wiping away the tears, his voice soft and earnest. “I’m <i>sorry</i>… I hurt you. Whateverpensation you want, as long as I can do it, <i>I </i>will.”
Selina bit her lip and averted her gaze, refusing to open her eyes. Yet the hot tears still slipped from her corners, rolling into Zacharias‘ palms.
She stayed stubborn but inwardly bitter.
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Chapter 380 A Night of Shadows
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<i>Agreeing </i><i>to </i><i>anything</i><i>–</i><i>just </i><i>evading </i><i>responsibility</i>. <i>Ridiculous</i>. <i>Does </i>Zacharias really expect Anneliese to
<i>return</i><i>? </i>
<i>If </i><i>the </i>White <i>family </i><i>isn’t </i>in <i>trouble</i><i>, </i><i>Jonathan </i><i>never </i><i>even </i><i>gives </i><i>me </i>the chance to get close to them. Right <i>now</i>, Zacharias <i>may </i><i>be </i><i>my </i><i>best </i><i>option</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>under </i><i>normal </i><i>circumstances</i>, <i>I </i>would never choose him.
<i>To </i><i>me</i>, Zacharias was <i>always </i><i>beneath </i><i>me</i><i>. </i><i>When </i><i>did </i><i>he </i><i>be </i><i>the </i><i>one </i>to decide?
“No, it’s fine. I already said–let’s just pretend nothing happened. I just want to take a shower and be alone for a while.”
Selina murmured after a long pause, her tone calm and light, but the final notes of her voice carried a fragile, broken edge. <fnd194> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? findnovel</fnd194>
Zacharias felt his hands grow hot and damp again.
<i>I </i><i>mistook </i><i>Selina </i><i>for </i><i>Anneliese </i><i>and </i><i>forced </i><i>myself </i><i>on </i><i>her</i><i>, </i><i>yet </i><i>she </i><i>stayed </i><i>silent</i><i>. </i><i>It </i>was <i>her </i>first time. I still <i>hesitate </i><i>to </i><i>take </i><i>responsibility</i><i>—</i><i>all </i><i>because </i>of <i>Anneliese</i>.
<i>Now </i><i>I </i><i>realize </i><i>that </i><i>even </i><i>the </i><i>thought </i><i>of </i><i>another </i><i>woman </i><i>taking </i>Mrs. Shaw’s <i>ce </i><i>fills </i><i>me </i>with <i>anguish</i>, <i>resistance</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>unrest</i>.