Chapter 254

As soon as the door slammed shut, Zaire seemed frozen, remaining unmoved for a long moment.

Miley, watching him, felt a pang of unease. She cupped his face in her hands and, with a teasing smile, said, "Mr. Jose, can't bear to let Miss Anderson go? Maybe you should invite her in to join us?"

Zaire's breath quickened. He gripped her waist tightly, his fingers digging in as he snapped, "Do you think she's like you?"

"What's wrong with being like me?" Miley laughed, a hint of triumph in her voice. "If she were like me, at least you'd be satisfied. Instead, you spent the whole night with her and then came running back to me, hungry for more the next morning."

Zaire pressed against her, gritting his teeth. "I'm only saying this once. We were together last night, but nothing happened."

Miley's expression faltered, a flicker of something softening in her eyes.

She chuckled a couple of times, her laughter laced with a touch of smugness.

Zaire felt the shift and, frustrated, gave her a rough shove. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Miley snorted softly, her arms sliding around his broad shoulders. "That's on you, Mr. Jose. I didn't say a word."

Zaire snorted in reply and carried Miley to the bed.

Afterward, he went for a quick shower.

When Zaire emerged, Miley was still lounging on the bed, looking lazy and listless. Her long, slender arm draped over the covers, and the marks of their earlier intimacy stood out sharply on her smooth shoulder.

Zaire walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Do you want me to carry you to the shower?"

Miley flashed a smile and opened her arms. "Sure, a cuddle would be nice."

Just as Zaire bent to lift her, a voice suddenly called from outside the door, "Oh, Ms. Miller, what's the matter?"

A flurry of activity erupted outside.

Zaire's breath caught. Without a second thought, he abandoned Miley, grabbed some clothes, and dashed out.

Miley was left alone, sinking back onto the bed.

She listened to the commotion outside until it faded away, but Zaire didn't return.

Isabella was jolted awake by the sound of running water. She opened her eyes to see Sebastian showering in the bathroom.

She had slept soundly, feeling refreshed and in good spirits.

When the water stopped, Isabella got up from the bed, intending to take a shower herself.

At that moment, her attention was drawn to her phone on the bedside table, which buzzed twice.

Initially thinking it was her phone, Isabella picked it up, only to realize it was Sebastian's phone.

Knowing his password, she unlocked it and checked the notifications.

There was a text from an unfamiliar number, accompanied by two messages: a photo and a text.

The image showed a cake, with a slender hand in the lower right corner, the back of which had an IV needle inserted. The sleeve was unmistakably from a hospital gown.

The text message was brief: [The cake was delicious. Thank you.]

The cake had some writing on it, but the piece had been cut in such a way that it was hard to read, and the photo angle wasn't much help either.

As Isabella was about to zoom in to get a better look, a hand suddenly reached over and snatched the phone from her grasp.

Startled, Isabella exclaimed, "Sebastian, when did you get out?"

Sebastian had silently appeared behind her. She hadn't heard his footsteps at all, and his presence was so unobtrusive that she hadn't noticed him.

Sebastian turned off the phone's screen. "Who sent the message?"

"I don't know, it's from an unlisted number." Isabella replied, then frowned, "How did you know I was looking at your phone?"

In her mind, Sebastian was unable to see. Isabella stared at his eyes, which were as vacant as ever.

She thought, 'Clearly, Sebastian can't see, so how has he managed to grab the phone so accurately?'

"I heard the phone buzz twice and then the sound of the keys being pressed. So, I reached out in that direction. Sorry, Bella, I didn't realize you were looking at my phone," Sebastian explained, then put the phone down and gently took Isabella's hand. "Did I hurt you?"

Sebastian's cautious demeanor tugged at Isabella's heartstrings.

"I'm fine," Isabella reassured him.

Sebastian seemed relieved and took the phone again, handing it back to Isabella. "I can't see it. Can you check who sent the message?"

Isabella glanced at the screen once more and read out the number.

"No name attached? I don't recognize this number," Sebastian said, frowning. "What's the message about?"

"It's a photo of a cake and a text saying the cake was delicious. Thank you," Isabella reported, looking up at Sebastian.

Sebastian frowned in thought for a moment before taking the phone. "It's probably a wrong number. Don't worry about it."

A flicker of doubt crossed Isabella's mind, but she had just been reassured by Laura earlier that day, and she didn't want to let this minor issue make her suspicious of Sebastian. Besides, if there was something amiss, the sender would likely have called Sebastian directly rather than texting someone visually impaired.

So, Isabella decided to let it go and quickly pushed the incident out of her mind.

On the edge of the city, in a secluded mountain area, a white villa nestled quietly among the trees, surrounded by the dense silence of the forest.

The mist in the mountains was thicker than in the city, flowing like liquid milk when the wind blew. Veils of mist drifted through the half-open window.

Nina, lying in bed, shivered in her sleep, her eyes darting rapidly. Rather than waking, she sank deeper into her dream.

The heart-wrenching cries of a woman seemed to echo from miles away.

Under the dilapidated eaves, a woman lay in a dirty corner, her legs spread wide on the water-stained brown floor. She trembled violently, her bulging belly indicating that a tiny, living being was slowly making its way out of her body. The scene was both shocking and tragic.

"Nina, Nina?" A man's voice cut through abruptly.

Nina jolted awake, gasping for breath, her body drenched in cold sweat.

As she focused on the person in front of her, her anxiety melted away. She clung to Richard, drawing comfort from his warmth as if his presence could pull her out of the nightmare.

Richard tightened his strong arms around her. "You're being unusually forward. It's a bit overwhelming."

Nina buried her face in his shoulder, still disoriented, her mind buzzing from the remnants of the dream.

When her breathing finally steadied, Richard gently pulled her away, cradling her shoulders. He looked deeply into her eyes and asked, "You're having nightmares even when I'm right here, am I not providing you with enough security?"

Nina shook her head. Once she had calmed down, she only felt a mild ache in her head. She raised her hand to rub her temples and said, "I don't know why I had such a dream."

Richard took her hand away and began to massage her temples with his own. Though his hands were usually accustomed to wielding tools and weapons, they were remarkably gentle now, as if he feared even a slight pressure might break her. So he was careful, applying just a light touch.

"What kind of dream was it? Tell me about it," Richard urged.

Nina swallowed hard, her gaze distant. "I dreamed about Vanessa."