ze smirked triumphantly at her.


    Harper shot him a cold nce and then continued hopping towards the kitchen.


    ze followed, stealing a nce at her feet and then scooped her up, carrying her into the kitchen.


    Harper remained silent, allowing him to carry her without protest.


    ze set her down, but she didn’t even look at him, immediately getting busy in the kitchen.


    “What’s your deal, Harper? You giving me the silent treatment?” ze was annoyed at being ignored.


    Harper didn’t respond.


    “Harper!” ze grabbed her hand.


    Harper shook his hand off, her expression cold.


    ze grabbed her hand again, this time with a tight grip, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, his grip turning her hand red.


    Harper tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was too tight, and she could only endure the pain spreading through her wrist, didn’t make a sound. If he kept this up, he might actually break her wrist. But there was no hint of surrender on her face.


    Shit!


    ze released her hand abruptly, “Harper, I’m such an idiot!”


    Harper nced at him, then turned back to the sink, continuing her work.


    “I’m such an idiot for getting involved with a woman like you! I’m an idiot for worrying about you getting hurt and letting you out of the car! I’m an idiot for caring more about you than that kid!” ze shouted from behind her, kicking a nearby cab before storming off in anger.


    Harper stood frozen by the sink, shocked by his words.


    ‘He said… He let me out of the car because he was worried about me getting hurt? He cared about me more than that kid? Cared… Could it be that ze had fallen for me?’ Harper was taken aback by her own thoughts, ‘Ever since he insisted on me signing the contract, I knew ze must have some interest in me, but his current behavior made it seem like he was in love with me and couldn’t get a response… Love, that word couldn’t possibly apply to me and ze, but he had just said he cared…. If ze really has feelings for me, what should I do?…’


    After a while, Harper regained herposure and prepared lunch.


    She waited in the dining room.


    An hour passed, then two, and ze still hadn’t shown up.


    Harper ended up eating some food by herself. It wasn’t until evening, when her prepared meal had gone cold again, and ze hadn’t shown up, that she realized ze was genuinely upset this time… He didn’t even touch the food she made.


    Harper hopped to the study, leaning against the wall for support.


    Dn passed by with a suitcase, “Miss Shaw.”


    “Mr. Foster, where are you off to?” Harper inquired politely.


    “Master is staying at the forest castle, so I’m doing some packing,” Dn replied courteously.


    “So ze was staying at the castle, which exined why he hadn’te for dinner. Does that mean he won’t being over for a while?” Harper asked.


    Dn nodded, “Yes, Master seems to be nning to stay there for a while.”


    ‘Staying for a while… That meant ze wouldn’t being over for some time?’ She felt conflicted. Honestly, she didn’t know how to face ze now. Not seeing him would be the best option.


    …


    Deep in the forest, on the golf course behind the castle.


    ze stood on the green, dressed in crisp white sportswear, looking unusually youthful. He gripped the golf club in his hands, his gaze fixed on the ball on the ground, not making a move. He seemed lost in thought, and no one knew what was on his mind.


    Linda and a few other women, dressed in revealing outfits, sat under a parasol, sipping drinks.


    Suddenly, Linda approached ze with a cup of juice, “Mr. Wychwood, take a break.”


    ze shifted his gaze away, staring at her expressionlessly.


    As she leaned in, a strong scent of perfume wafted over.


    ze immediately pushed her away, frowning, “What perfume are you wearing? It’s awful.”


    Linda fell to the ground, looking aggrieved, “But isn’t this your favorite perfume?” ze’s taste had changed? He used to love the scent she wore.


    ze furrowed. ‘It seems I needed to ask Harper what perfume she wear next time. That subtle scent is really nice. And I am thinking about Harper again… Damn it. That ungrateful woman…’ ze started cursing her in his mind.


    Dn drove the golf cart over from a distance, cing the suitcase on it and strolling leisurely toward ze.


    ze nced at him. ‘Dn, the old man, is going really slow.’


    He turned his attention back to swinging the golf club.


    “I’m back, Master,” Dn said, lowering his head as he approached.


    “Hmm…” ze didn’t bother looking at him, focusing on hitting the ball instead, “Is that woman feeling sad now?” he asked, “Now I am gone, she must be crying and begging for me toe back, right?


    Dn coughed lightly and replied, “No.”


    “Oh really? Then she must be begging you to bring her to see me, right?” ze asked casually, “Arrange for a car to pick her up. Her foot is injured.”


    “Uh…” Dn reluctantly broke ze’s unfounded confidence, “Miss Shaw hasn’t asked me either.”


    ze gripped the golf club tightly. He red coldly at Dn, “What did you say?”


    “Miss Shaw appears quite calm,” Dn exined.


    “Calm? So, she was well aware of my numerous femalepanions and remained unperturbed?


    Harper, you’re really something!” ze angrily smashed the golf club in his hand to the ground. “Economically restrict her!” he ordered, determined to make her beg for forgiveness this time.


    “Uh, Master, aside from the house, you haven’t given Miss Shaw any money,” Dn kindly reminded him.


    ze’s voice faltered, “What? I hadn’t given her any money? What about the groceries…”


    “It seems Miss Shaw bought those with her own money,” Dn cut in, matter-of-factly. Harper didn’t like others invading her space, so Dn didn’t arrange for servants. She always did the shopping and cooking herself.


    “She bought them?” ze was stunned, “So, I’d been living off this woman’s money all this time? Wasn’t the bank card she used at the supermarketst time given by you?”


    “It’s hers…”


    “Damn it.” ze was furious, ring at Dn, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You’re bing more and more unruly, old man! Making me live off her! Shameful!”RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    “It’s my fault, Master,” Dn admitted.


    “In that case, impose various restrictions on her. I want her toe begging to me! Got it?” ze said coldly, striding toward the golf cart up ahead.


    Several women immediately followed, wanting to get on the cart together, but ze kicked each one off, one by one. The ones he wanted to see didn’te looking for him, and the ones he didn’t want to see were all over him. It was annoying!


    …


    Harper pulled back the curtains, and the dazzling sunlight poured in, warming her up.


    Another brand new day.


    Sincest night, she had realized that such a huge apartment was not suitable for living alone. Speaking here alone would create echoes, and the loneliness would be amplified many times over.


    Harper looked at the empty house and sat down at the desk to start sketching…


    Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, it was already dark outside.


    Finishing thest panel, Harper rubbed her empty stomach, stood up, and hopped out.


    “Thud, thud, thud.” The echoing sound of her footsteps in the empty house felt especially lonely.


    Harper struggled to hop forward. Suddenly, everything around her went dark, plunging into darkness. Her hand, reaching out to steady herself against the wall, missed, and she fell heavily to the ground.


    “Ouch, that hurts.” Harpery on the ground, the pain in her bandaged foot intensifying.


    ‘What’s going on? Sky Harbor is supposed to be the best and most expensive neighborhood. How can there be a power outage?’ Harper was in too much pain to move andy on the ground, waiting for the power toe back on.


    She had always been afraid of dark houses since she was a child.


    When she was young, her foster parents went on a three-day field trip with Fiona, leaving her with rtives. But the rtives also went out to y, locking her in the house.


    That night, there was a power outage too. At just seven years old, she spent the whole night in the dark house. No matter how much she cried and pleaded, the lights didn’te back on, and no one came to rescue her.


    Later, when Logan came to The Shaw Family, he would apany her every time there was a power outage. Being blind, he could walk around in the dark with ease and take her anywhere, so she gradually became less afraid.


    Actually, rather than being afraid of the dark, she was more afraid of being alone in the house when darkness fell.


    And now, the same situation was ying out again.