Nadia Willow spoke nonchalantly.
But the expression on Daniella Sullivan’s face was one of utter shock!
She knew that Sean Harrison had been bullied for three years in junior high.
Charlotte Rhodes was the one who had told her about it.
At the very least, Charlotte Rhodes had described the incident in such a placid tone that Daniella initially thought it hadn’t been that serious.
It wasn’t until a few years later that she heard a friend’s child ntion what had happened back then.
The ones bullying Sean Harrison were several kids at the school from powerful and influential families. Other students voluntarily joined in just to curry favor with them.
That school was a combined junior and senior high.
Even after those kids moved on to high school, the bullying didn’t end.
Until...
Those kids suddenly disappeared one day.
And later, they filed for a leave of absence.
Only then did the carnival co to an end.
Nadia Willow rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and continued in a remarkably casual tone:
"Honestly, it was just his bad luck. We were just planning on ssing with so random new Asian student. Who told him to show off at the freshman assembly, playing the cello of all things."
"Other people might have bullied him, but you grew up with him! How could you bully him?!"
Daniella Sullivan truly never imagined this was what had happened!
"It’s not like I liked him from the start," Nadia Willow said breezily. "You told to be a good girl when I was little, but I ended up liking the bad boys. The worse they were, the more I liked them."
Even without Nadia saying another word, Daniella Sullivan could guess what ca next.
’Perhaps it was because Charlotte Rhodes had an overbearing personality and, due to their family’s misfortunes, had placed imnse expectations on Sean Harrison.’
’Sean Harrison, who had been suppressed since childhood, was docile and kind.’
’But he was also taciturn and withdrawn.’
’He would do whatever anyone told him.’
’Everything seed to have started changing when he got to high school...’
"Don’t you think he should thank ? If it weren’t for what happened back then, he’d still be that pathetic wretch."
Nadia Willow sat up straight, looking at her mother.
"If he hadn’t fought back, he wouldn’t be where he is today."
Daniella Sullivan stared at her daughter, utterly stunned...
She had always believed her daughter to be an outstanding and kind person.
She never imagined...
-
When Sean Harrison returned to the room, Rory Linden was already asleep.
She was sleeping in the master bedroom.
He went to take a shower.
After coming out of the bathroom, he looked at the sleeping woman, hesitated for a mont, then bent down, lifted her into his arms, and carried her toward the guest bedroom.
He had been dreaming a lot lately.
Dreaming about what happened in junior high.
He was afraid he might do sothing awful in his sleep and hurt her.
Rory Linden’s brow furrowed as he carried her.
It wasn’t until he laid her down on the bed.
That she groggily opened her eyes, half-asleep.
In the hazy moonlight filtering through the window, she could vaguely make out his silhouette.
For a mont, she couldn’t tell if she was dreaming or if this was real...
Just like that, she lifted her arms, wrapped them around the back of his neck, and pulled him closer.
She murmured, "...I’ve missed you so much this whole ti."
Sean Harrison braced himself over the bed with one hand, his gaze falling on the woman who hadn’t even opened her eyes as she spoke. He asked in return, "You missed that much, but you couldn’t spare a single text?"
His voice was gentler than the moonlight.
While Rory Linden was away in the countryside.
The two of them had exchanged pitifully few ssages.
Sean Harrison had thought that what happened before she left must have affected her deeply.
He rarely contacted her.
He was afraid he would bother her.
"It was too busy... Sotis I had to visit every single household," Rory Linden mumbled. "In so villages, the houses are really far apart. After a long day, I was so tired I couldn’t even bother to shower. I’d just lie down and fall asleep."
Sean Harrison’s heart ached for her.
He hadn’t known she had it so tough all this ti.
Rory Linden mumbled, "But I still missed you so much..."
"I missed you so much too..."
Sean Harrison leaned in to peck her on the lips.
He had only ant it as a response to her words.
But as they drew closer, the sweet flavor of her lip balm and the faint floral scent of shampoo in her hair...
All these familiar scents slowly awakened his deepest longing...
Rory Linden was already in a state between sleep and wakefulness.
She couldn’t even tell if this was reality or a dream.
All her actions were driven purely by her senses.
She responded to him.
In an instant, everything spiraled out of control.
He had co to know so much about her recently.
Her eyes were closed.
It was as if she were still asleep.
Sean Harrison cupped her face in his hands, gazing at her sleeping expression.
The corners of her cherry-pink lips were still faintly dewy.
’She isn’t looking at ...’
Sean Harrison’s gaze swept over her earlobe and the hollow of her neck.
He carefully recalled the areas that her surgical scrubs wouldn’t cover.
He wouldn’t overstep.
Rory Linden’s state went from half-dreaming and half-awake to half-awake and half-dreaming.
Until she was finally, completely awake...
-
「The next morning.」
Rory Linden woke up in the master bedroom bed.
Today was her day off.
As she opened her eyes, fragnted images not suitable for children flashed through her mind...
Her first thought was, ’Did I really have a dream like that?!’
But she quickly realized it wasn’t a dream.
Every part of her body clearly told her that what she rembered was no dream.
But...
If it wasn’t a dream,
then the Sean Harrison from last night seed truly a bit unfamiliar...
There were marks on nearly every permissible spot, especially the area closest to her heart...
It had left her completely unable to resist.
Rory Linden’s face grew redder as she recalled the events of last night.
She would rather believe it was a dream.
Otherwise, it seed she had been a bit too...
...enjoying it?
Rory Linden picked up the phone beside her and glanced at it.
It was already past eight in the morning.
She had only woken up early due to her biological clock.
Thank goodness she had the day off.
She slipped on her slippers, preparing to go wash up.
Just as she reached the bathroom door, the door to the master bedroom opened.
The man, dressed in casual loungewear, said, "Are you up? Breakfast is ready. You can co eat after you’ve washed up."
"Okay."
Rory Linden nodded.
She suspected there were so things from last night that she couldn’t rember.
Otherwise, how could she feel so utterly drained?
Even her steps felt unsteady when she walked.
She had just made it to the sink and was leaning against the counter, about to squeeze so toothpaste...
The man ca over, pressing his body against hers, and took the toothpaste and toothbrush from her hand.
"What are you doing?"
Rory Linden didn’t understand.
Sean Harrison squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and held it out to her. "I was worried your hands weren’t steady. Let help."
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