Chapter 81


    Chapter 81


    To Shawn, I was a woman who had been by the sides of different types of men. He even thought that I


    had a lot of malepanions I kept with me.


    On top of that, he seemed to imagine them to be my patrons.


    As I didn''t know where to start exining and I didn''t think there was a need for me to exin myself to


    him, I only followed along with what he suspected me of. "I don''t have one for now."


    I paused for a brief moment before more nonsense came flying out of my mouth. "I don''t have a long-


    term partner. I am just going with the flow now. Who knows? I might meet someone in the future."


    "You can look for Kevin if you are short on money," Shawn said lightly.


    Those words I said were only excuses I came up with on the spot. However, seeing the unchanging


    look on his face while he didn''t criticize me for my wrongful behavior, he must have trusted me enough


    to not do a background check on me.


    It seemed like he didn''t care who I was at all!


    It didn''t matter what I did or what I was doing.


    I was none other than Myra Felix to him.


    I was someone who he didn''t know all that well, but was willing to help out.


    I responded to him by shaking my head and rejecting him. "I have money," I told him.


    He didn''t say anything to that, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. Not wanting to disturb his


    rest, I hurried to the sofa in the living room and stayed there.


    I was just about to put my feet on the sofa when I realized how dirty they were, covered in sand. It was


    only then that I recalled identally leaving my pair of heels at the beach.


    I then went to the bathroom outside my bedroom to wash my feet. After they were clean, I went back to


    the sofa andy down, and that was when I received a message from Olivia.


    ''Renee, I finally understand that Christopher is only a dream I will never reach. He may not be with you


    and he can remain single his whole life, but he will never choose me! I came into his life at the wrong


    time. It is hard for me to change his opinion of me since he hasn''t liked me since the first time he and I


    knew each other. I don''t want to keep following him around like a dog anymore. I will let him go. I could


    probably meet another man who makes my heart jump like Christopher after this. Anyway, I will stop


    pestering him from now on.''


    Olivia had sent me a message before this, saying that she wanted to give up on Christopher. I had


    asked her for the reason then, but she was only replying to that message now.


    However, her reason for wanting to give up on Christopher seemed a little too simple for someone who


    had been pursuing him for so many years.


    I was sure she had suffered a lot from the one-sided love. However, she was holding on just fine before


    this. Why would she suddenly say that she had thought things through?


    I wasn''t sure what exactly had happened between them, but I knew that it probably didn''t concern me


    much.


    Instead of replying to her message, I continued toze around on the sofa for a while longer before I


    got up and went to the bedroom.


    After I pushed the door open, I saw that Shawn was in bed with his eyes closed. The nket on the


    bed was covering none of his long limbs.


    Silently, I tiptoed to him to cover him up. I had just reached the side of the bed when he suddenly


    reached out and pulled me by my wrist.


    His eyes shot open next. In them held a killing intent I had never seen before, and it was so


    overwhelming I thought my heart stopped.


    When he saw that it was me, he gradually closed his eyes and took his time before he released his grip


    on me. He then warned in a calm voice, "Don''te too close to me."


    My gaze dropped to look at the spot he held just for a brief minute. It had turned white from the force of


    his grip. I instinctively took a step back before I gingerly asked, "Do you not feel cold?"


    He grunted a response.


    He was definitely one of the most taciturn men I knew.


    "Do the injuries on your body hurt?" I probed again, this time with a frown on my face.


    This time, he chose not to reply to me at all as he slightly turned to look at the moon, which was a rare


    sight to catch in rainy Bryxton.


    It was excruciatingly difficult trying tomunicate with this man.


    Even so, the moonlight that gently shone on him seemed to give him an elegant and holy glow.


    Wait… Holy?


    What an adjective toe up with.


    He was a cold-blooded man who wouldn''t hesitate to kill. ''Holy'' was no word to use to describe him.


    What a silly goose I was.


    The room fellpletely silent after I stopped asking him questions. Seeing how he continued to tilt his


    head away from me, I took it as his sign to not talk to him and proceeded to leave him to himself.


    I kept recalling that cruel look in his eyes when I was near him earlier. Did Shawn have a habit of


    keeping people away from him?


    I couldn''t help but wonder if it was a habit, or if he was being extra careful with allowing people near


    him.


    I had only known the man for a few days, but I had already seen him injured twice. New wounds kept


    appearing on his body even before the old ones could properly heal.


    Not only that, I also noticed the older wounds he had all over his body before he met me. He seemed


    like he was someone who constantly lived a dangerous life.


    All in all, Shawn Xenos was an inscrutable man.


    Unpredictable and unreadable, he was someone who was like an abyss to me. I should probably listen


    to Merlin and not get too close to Shawn.


    Forget it! We will be going our separate ways tomorrow, anyway.


    I would try not to get involved with anything Shawn-rted after today.


    He was the one I especially had to stay away from.


    I went back to the living room for a ss of warm water to have my anticancer medicine with. Right


    after I swallowed, I was hit by a wave of nausea, and I immediately darted to the toilet to throw up into


    the toilet bowl.


    It felt so terrible that I started huffing and puffing as I sprawled over the toilet seat. I then lifted my hand


    to cover my mouth after I had emptied the contents of my stomach, and that was when I smelled


    something metallic.


    Red was all I saw when I removed my palm from my mouth.


    My condition was deteriorating a lot faster than I thought it would. My body was probably shutting down


    with time. It seemed like my days were numbered, after all.


    I really didn''t have much time left.


    "Whatever." I scoffed.


    This worked too. At least I wouldn''t cling onto strange delusions about love, and neither would I wind


    up all battered and bruised because of romance.


    I then slowly stood on my feet again, but just as I turned around to leave the bathroom, I jolted in


    surprise.


    "How long have you been standing here?" I gasped.


    Shawn continued to not answer me, his eyes staring holes into my bloody palm. I quickly turned on the


    tap to wash my hand then while throwing him another question. "Did I make too much noise?"


    I must have woken him up with my hacking just now.


    Still a man of few words, he simply said, "No."


    He didn''t seem curious at all that I had coughed out blood. All he did was step aside to make way for


    me.


    After I headed back to the sofa, I finished up the leftover medicine I couldn''t finish earlier. It didn''t feel


    that disgusting this time around.


    Now that I had forced myself to gulp everything down, I turned around to look for Shawn, only to see


    that he was still standing at the same spot. "Are you heading back to Eldham tomorrow?" I hesitantly


    brought it up. "I can drive you back."


    "There''s no need for that. Kevin wille pick me up."


    I wasn''t disappointed to be rejected by him.


    It was just that… it would probably be difficult for us to see each other again after this.


    Now that the conversation hade to a pause again, I continued to take my rest on the sofa. I hadn''t


    expected he woulde and sit beside me the next moment. "Are you not going to sleep?" I blurted


    out.


    "I''m not sleepy. Kevin will be here soon."


    Was Kevin on his way here already?


    "I''ll sleep in the bedroom, then," I said while standing up, only for him to suddenly call me by my


    nickname again.


    I turned to look at him with confused eyes. "Yes?"


    Shawn''s low voice rang out then. "You can tell me if you have any trouble." His words somehow


    reassured me and made me smile.


    "Can you help me with anything at all?" I teasingly asked.


    His voice was still firm when he answered me, "Tell me what it is."


    Was he really capable of solving all my troubles?!


    Anything seemed possible if it was him. And yet, I knew full well about my own condition.


    Perhaps it was as Nichs said. Quinn might be the only one who could save me.


    The smile on my face remained when I finally told him, "I have none for now."


    I swiftly made way to my bedroom as I plopped down in my bed. I could still feel his presence in every


    corner of the room as I drifted off to sleep.


    The sky had turned bright by the time I woke up. There was a light drizzle going on as well. Drowsy


    from sleep, I got up and out to see that Shawn was nowhere to be found. He must have left around


    midnight while I was still asleep.


    I drove to mypany after I washed up.


    I busied myself with arranging important documents the whole morning, and it was around afternoon


    when Gary came in and reported, "President Felix, Alice Yates is in Bryxton, and she has requested for


    a meet up."


    Confused by why Alice woulde to Bryxton to see me, I asked, "Did she say why she wants to meet


    me?"


    It was still fresh in my memory how Alice had interrogated me when I was in the Yates Residence a few


    days ago, but now she was looking for me? She probably was up to something again.


    Gary shook his head in reply. "I am not too sure, but she is inviting you on behalf of the Yates


    Corporation. It would damage both the Yates Corporation''s and ourpany''s reputation if you don''t


    agree to it."


    "Ha! This leaves me no choice, then."


    ……


    …


    We were supposed to rendezvous in a western restaurant. Gary and I were already an hourte to the


    appointment by the time we reached, which was why it surprised me to see that Alice was still patiently


    waiting there.


    As I sat down in front of her, she had a waiter serve us two sets of steak and a bottle of Lafite she had


    ordered.


    She proceeded to politely pour me a ss, to which I smilingly rejected. "Sorry, I don''t drink."


    There wasn''t a hint of embarrassment or anger on her face despite that. She wasn''t behaving like the


    Alice I knew.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    However, I had to admit that she was a lot calmer than Josephine. At least Alice was behaving like the


    future heiress of the Yates Corporation.


    She took back the wine ss and took a sip from it. I was not used to her pretending to act all somber,


    but I wouldn''t stupidly ridicule her to her face. Instead, I asked in a calm tone, "Is there something you


    need from me, Ms. Yates?"


    She then put down the ss and smiled. "Our family has done something awful to you a while ago, and


    Josie has also been punished for it. The day before yesterday, Maria… She was indeed reckless, but


    she was in a bad ce mentally. She only did it because she was prompted to."


    "You want me to forgive her?" I immediately understood what she was trying to say.


    Alice, however, shook her head and said in a soft voice, "I am not one to push my luck. I know that Mr.


    Forger wouldn''t let her off easy as well. All I am requesting is that you can go easy on her for the sake


    of the Yates Corporation."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    A mncholic look appeared on her delicate face then. "Mr. Forger is going to send her to a mental


    institution because she is mentally ill. Can you please help us persuade Mr. Forger to let me take Maria


    away with me?"


    Just as I had guessed, Maria had a mental illness after all. However, I would never have expected


    Nichs to send her to a mental institution, or that Alice would personallye to me to ask for a


    favor.


    What a respected woman Maria was.


    Out of curiosity, I asked, "What is your rtionship with Maria?"


    Alice didn''t answer me immediately. She took her time sipping about half of her red wine before saying,


    "We have no rtion at all. I just promised a friend of mine that I would save Maria."


    "And who is this friend of yours?" I questioned her again.


    I had only asked without thinking that she would give me an answer, which was why it surprised me


    when she solemnly said, "You might know her. Her name is also Renee Felix."


    I suddenly figured out that Alice was here toy my secrets bare.


    Still, Iughed and said indifferently, "Maria is just an excuse you use to trash my mood. Do you think


    this makes me feel bad? You underestimate me, Alice Yates."


    Despite my confidence when I said that, I was upset after hearing her words because Quinn had finally


    assembled all my enemies. Both Maria and Alice were only pawns that she was using to achieve her


    goals.


    They just so happened to have one simrity—they were all in love with Nichs.


    Quinn seemed to be very clear about what happened between us.


    "Your happier days areing to an end, President Felix." Alice smiled. "Don''t get toocent."


    She was finally revealing her true colors. I then said in a regretful voice, "Your father would be so angry


    to see you acting all irrational like this! Alice, you and Maria are not on the same level, so don''t be


    carried away by jealousy and let someone else use you!"


    "Shut up!"