Nina Wynn had thought Caleb Rhodes would unwrap the gauze on the back of her hand. Instead, he only checked the spot where she had bumped it on the cabinet door, then picked up a tube of ointnt from the nightstand and applied a thin layer.
Nina Wynn felt a cool, soothing sensation on the swollen area, and it felt much better.
Before she could pull her hand back, Caleb Rhodes suddenly swept her up into his arms.
Nina Wynn yelped, kicking her legs frantically in his arms. Her voice was laced with panic. "Caleb..."
"Stop struggling!" Caleb Rhodes said as he carried her out.
His voice held a clear warning.
Nina Wynn was already afraid of him. Now, completely enveloped in his embrace, her body trembled with tension. Being held captive like this, she felt as if she were bound by invisible shackles.
It was as if the room had sprouted endless tentacles out of thin air. They rose from the floor and coiled around her limbs, tightening their grip, multiplying, proliferating. Soon they covered her entire body, digging into her very flesh and blood, ensuring she could never break free.
With every breath she took, his scent filled her senses, seeping into her heart, her lungs, her very being. It was so potent, so terrifyingly intense, it felt as if it were trying to etch itself into her DNA.
She was terrified. Her body wouldn’t stop trembling, and she desperately held her breath, trying to resist the suffocating scent.
Caleb Rhodes’s brow furrowed as he held her.
’She’s too light,’ he thought. ’As light as a handful of feathers. So thin her bones felt sharp against him.’
He carried her into the master bathroom.
In the center of the spacious bathroom sat an oval bathtub, already filled with hot water. A soft, dense layer of foam floated on the blue-tinted surface, and the subtle scent of roses drifted through the air.
Caleb Rhodes bent down and placed her in the tub, then gently took her injured hand and draped it over the edge.
When he looked up, he saw Nina Wynn’s small face was flushed bright red. She was staring at him in a panic, clearly holding her breath.
He frowned, taking her small chin in his hand and forcing her to open her mouth. "Breathe!"
’He couldn’t understand why the girl was holding her breath. This wasn’t a swimming pool. Who holds their breath to take a bath?’
Although it was strange, he found it inexplicably cute, and his gaze softened. "I’m not going to do anything to you today. Just relax and enjoy your bath."
Afraid he would say sothing even more unsettling, Nina Wynn quickly cut him off. "I can wash myself."
Caleb Rhodes stood up and tapped at a large LCD screen on the wall. Soothing music imdiately began to drift out.
He glanced at Nina Wynn’s injured hand and said flatly, "Your hand will get in the way. Butler Zimrman will co in and help you."
Nina Wynn imdiately refused. "That’s not necessary. I can manage on my own."
Silence.
The bathroom was large. As they stared at each other without speaking, the atmosphere grew both intimate and awkward.
After a few seconds, Caleb Rhodes left the bathroom.
Nina Wynn let out a sigh of relief and looked around.
The bathroom was comfortably appointed. Its blue-and-white color sche was reminiscent of the ocean, and the music was a perfect accompanint; the sound of waves and gulls was so soothing it made her feel sleepy.
She wasn’t sure what kind of essential oils had been added to the water, but it was so relaxing she felt every pore open up. All she could sll was the subtle scent of roses—a fragrance that felt both luxurious and therapeutic.
After sitting for a mont, just as Nina Wynn was about to stand up and lock the door, Butler Zimrman entered with a bath towel and a nightgown.
Even though they were both won, the mont their eyes t, Nina Wynn was mortified.
"Butler Zimrman, I can wash myself."
Butler Zimrman’s expression remained impassive, and her voice was just as cold. "Your hand cannot get wet. It’s better if I help you."
’She must have spent too much ti with Caleb Rhodes,’ Nina Wynn thought. ’Their speaking tones were almost identical—cold and devoid of any emotional inflection.’
She knew the butler was only following Caleb Rhodes’s orders, so she simply gave in.
As the butler helped her out of her damp nightgown, Nina Wynn rembered that her body was covered in bruises. She glanced frantically at the butler, but seeing no reaction on the woman’s face, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and said awkwardly, "I’m clumsy... I bumped into sothing."
The mont the words were out, she felt even more embarrassed. ’Why did I feel the need to explain?!’
Butler Zimrman nodded, her face still a blank mask. "You should be more careful in the future, Miss Wynn."
With that, she began to give her a massage.
Her technique was superb, the pressure perfect—neither too light nor too firm. She was even more skilled than a professional masseuse.
It felt so good that Nina Wynn thought she might float away. Drifting in a drowsy haze, she wondered, ’Does the butler massage Caleb Rhodes like this, too?’
So ti later, Butler Zimrman carried Nina Wynn out of the bathroom.
Caleb Rhodes took the sleeping Nina Wynn from the butler, laid her on his bed, and gently pulled the covers over her.
Watching his extrely careful movents, the butler said quietly, "There’s a small patch of hair and scalp missing behind her left ear. It looks like it was torn out. That’s why washing her hair took so long, and why it took a while to dry."
Caleb Rhodes froze. The rage he had deliberately suppressed began to surface in his eyes again, and his voice turned ice-cold. "You may go."
"Willson Lawson is waiting outside."
With that, the butler excused herself.
Perhaps it was because she had spent so many days in constant fear and had barely slept, or perhaps it was the dicine, or maybe even the sleep-inducing aromatherapy, but Nina Wynn was sound asleep.
Caleb Rhodes watched her, his gaze dark and intense.
She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Her small face was exquisite, her features as delicate as a painting. Her curled eyelashes looked incredibly soft, tempting one to reach out and touch them.
And she was so small, curled up in a ball. She looked so docile, so soft... so easy to control.
Caleb Rhodes reached out, his finger lightly brushing against her soft lips before gliding along her delicate cheek to her left ear.
He pushed aside the soft strands of her hair, and the wound behind her ear ca into clear view.
A patch of skin the size of a pinky fingernail was missing, revealing the raw, red flesh beneath. A few strands of hair were matted to the side. The sight alone was painful to look at.
The color drained from Caleb Rhodes’s eyes, leaving them dark and cold. His chest heaved, and veins pulsed on his tightly clenched fists.
’Has she been living like this all these years?’
He was a man who acted with ruthless decisiveness and rarely felt regret. But now, he was consud by it—regret for leaving all those years ago, for not taking her with him.
Back then, he had thought she was too young, not yet eighteen. He’d reasoned that Lana Shaw was, after all, her own aunt. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to worry about food or shelter. And with the protection of the Rhodes Family’s status, no one would dare to harm her.
He never imagined that the Rhodes Family, which he had trusted to protect her, had instead beco the very tool of her tornt.
He stared at her wound as a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, each one bloodier than the last.
After what felt like an eternity, he gently rearranged her hair to cover the wound, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her smooth forehead.
"Sleep."
The single word, spoken in a low voice, carried the solemn weight of an oath.
Perhaps the kiss tickled her. Nina Wynn stirred restlessly in her sleep, turning over and clutching Caleb’s hand.
"Evan..."
Caleb’s gaze swept over her curled, trembling eyelashes, and his heart softened in spite of himself.
’Thinking about that cat again?’
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