Third Person's POV
Terence frowned as he looked at Halle, his tone softening slightly. “It’s broken. Let me fix it, and I’ll give it back to you.”
His gaze then dropped to the scraped skin on the back of her hand. Impulsively, he grabbed her wrist. “What happened to your hand?”
But Halle quickly pulled her hand back, her eyes tinged red with unshed tears. “It’s none of your business,” she snapped, her voice trembling. “Both in compass and me, don't bother anymore. I’m done being a burden to you.”
Hearing her sharp words, a flicker of surprise flashed across Terence’s face. Something about her was different today—off.
This wasn’t the same Halle who quietly endured his scolding that morning, nor the one who usually sought his help. This Halle was resolute, even distant.
After a brief pause, Terence let out a cold laugh, tossing a dismissive comment over his shoulder as he walked away. “Halle, playing hard to get won’t work on me.”
Watching his retreating back, Halle clenched her teeth in exasperation. Hot tears then rolled down her cheeks, landing audibly on her jacket. She quickly turned away and forced herself to blend into the lively celebration around her.
What she didn’t see was Terence, now back inside, lingering by the window. He watched her for a long time before picking up the neatly folded jacket she had left on the chair and taking it back to his room.
Before long, the alcohol finally wore off, but Halle’s head remained heavy. Before she knew it, she had fainted right outside Terence’s door.
When she woke up, her face was flushed with fever, and she was lying in Terence’s bed. He sat nearby with a dark expression and faintly red eyes.
Just then, a knock at the door broke the tense silence. Terence quickly composed himself and opened the door to Darlene.
“Terence, we’ve got news about the poachers who escaped last time,” she said urgently.
As such, Terence unhesitatingly shut the door behind him and left with Darlene.
Alone in the room, Halle sat up and felt her throat dry and her mind hazy. Glancing around the room, she realized she was in Terence’s private quarters, a place she hadn’t stepped into for a long time.
Shortly, her eyes landed on the wooden table by the bed, where her compass sat. But it was now fully repaired. Seeing it, she couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
'What's this supposed to mean? Scold me one moment, then make me something special the next? Is this his way of balancing things out?' she scoffed inwardly.
Despite her thoughts, she still hung the compass back around her neck and got out of bed to look for him.
As she reached the door, she heard voices just outside. She stopped midway and pressed her ear against the wood.
“Have you thought this through?” Darlene asked, her tone laced with hesitation. “This is a lifelong decision. You can’t make it lightly.”
“Don’t worry,” Terence replied, his voice steady. “Once this is done, nothing will change between us. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
The words hit Halle like a bucket of icy water. Her body stiffened and her hands and feet turned cold.
'They must be talking about marriage,' Halle assumed mentally. 'So, the rumors in the team were true. They're indeed not just colleagues.'
Halle thought Terence had been avoiding her not just because of work, duty, or the harsh environment, he simply didn’t love her.
Because if he’d wanted to, he could have overcome any obstacle. But he didn’t.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Halle was startled. She quickly turned and pretended to search through the drawers.
But before she could open one, Terence stormed in, blocking her path and grabbing her wrist.
“What are you doing?” he snapped, his face a mix of shock and anger. “Who gave you permission to go through my things? Get out!”
His sudden outburst stunned Halle. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed back the tears threatening to spill. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of the room.
Darlene, watching the scene unfold, hurried after her. “Halle!”
In no time, Darlene found Halle by a small pond, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
One advantage of living in Tanzania was that when you needed to cry, you could run off into the wilderness. Out there, no one would see your tears.
