When I returned to the old house, my clothes were already torn and tattered, with bloodstains clinging to my hair and skin. The wounds had become infected and emitted a foul odor.
Seeing me on the brink of death, Nicholas’s first words were to demand information about Paula’s whereabouts.
His eyes, filled with hatred, locked onto mine.
Nicholas wore a shirt, but the white fabric was instantly stained with blood. A hint of vulnerability flashed in his eyes.
“The punishment has been meted out. Can Paula stay at the old house now?”
“I’m begging you.”
In my previous life, no matter how much I forced Nicholas, his expression never wavered.
He never bowed his head or begged. I couldn’t provoke even the slightest emotion from him.
But now, just to let Paula stay at the old mansion, Nicholas had shown weakness for the first time.
I sighed bitterly, silently consenting to his actions and turned to go upstairs.
The contract to release Nicholas from his indentured servitude still lay quietly in my bag.
Looking at him like this, I suddenly felt that this gift should wait until I had successfully arranged a marriage alliance before giving it to him, so that it would be full of surprises.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside my study room.
The door knocked and Nicholas Barre slowly walked in, holding a cup of coffee.
“I heard from Aunt Laura that you were still busy with work, so I specially ground some coffee for you.”
“What happened tonight… I acted impulsively. I shouldn’t have argued with you in front of the servants.”
“But I couldn’t just stand by and watch Paula die. You understand me, don’t you?”
I stared at his reddened eyes, my voice trembling.
“You can’t just watch her die, so you can treat my life like a joke!”
Nicholas clenched his fists tightly. “I’m your bodyguard, your fiancé and one day your husband. I wouldn’t dare to joke with your life.”
“There must be a way to save both of us.”
Once upon a time, we argued endlessly over Paula’s death.
By the end, all that remained were hurtful words. Nothing remained in either of our hearts.
“Go out. I’m tired.”
Nicholas set down his coffee and walked toward the door. His eyes flickered with emotions I couldn’t decipher as he turned back.
“I heard you stayed up all night for the company. You should try to get some rest.”
It was already midnight when I finished reading the proposal.
Sighing, I got up to go downstairs for some water, but when I reached the stairs, I noticed a warm yellow light lit the living room.
Paula rolled up her sleeves, revealing the deep and shallow cuts on her arms to Nicholas.
“You didn’t have to apologize to that kind of person for me!” Her eyes filled with tears.
“When you were being punished, I was stopped from being with you to share your pain.”
“It’s the only way I could share your suffering with you.”
Nicholas’ eyes were filled with tenderness and his trembling hands gently touched Paula’s arms.
“Paula… you didn’t have to do this…”
The atmosphere between them grew increasingly intimate, their bodies slowly drawing closer.
As if unable to control themselves, they exchanged a sweet, lingering kiss.
Nicholas’ hands caressed Paula’s back, his possessive gestures almost as if he wanted to merge her into his body.
Suddenly, Nicholas opened his eyes and pushed Paula away.
“We can’t do this! I am already engaged to Olivia...”
“I’ll go find some gauze to bandage it.”
With that, he tried to leave in a hurry, but turned around and locked eyes with me.
Nicholas’s expression froze instantly.
He stammered an explanation to me, “Paula’s hand is injured. I was just helping her bandage it.”
With that, he quickly brushed past me and fled the living room.
Even though she was caught red-handed, Paula didn’t show a hint of fear in her eyes as she looked at me.
The wound on her wrist was still bleeding, but her expression was lighthearted and defiant.
