Chapter 80
Chapter 80
When Shawn didn't reply to my message, I gave Gary a call. He was still in Ashere then. In the end, Gary wasn't the only one who came to pick me up. Nicholas was also in the backseat, and he had a cold expression on his face.
My eyebrows crinkled as soon as I saw him. "What are you doing here?" I demanded.
However, Gary was the one who hurriedly replied, "President Forger and I were staying at the same hotel last night. We left our hotel rooms at the same time because we had the same flight. I coincidentally received a call from you then, President Felix."
Rendered speechless at that, I had no choice but to open the car door and get into the vehicle. After I had gotten in, Nicholas tilted his head and looked at the residential area with indifferent eyes. "You got a place here?" he asked.
Gary, being the ever-observant assistant that he was, noticed that I had no intention of answering the question and immediately made up a lie. "We have two pieces of property here, President Forger."
I didn't say anything, but I was impressed by how dedicated Gary was at his job.
He turned out to be quite obedient to Nicholas.
It was already late at night when we arrived at Bryxton. I wanted to go back to my apartment to sleep because of how exhausted I was from having a fitful rest last night, but Nicholas continued to stick to me.
As I didn't want him to find out where my new place was, I told Gary to send me back to Felix's Villa instead. I went to my bed and fell asleep almost immediately after I got back, completely ignoring Nicholas, who had followed after me.
I was fading in and out of consciousness when I felt a touch on the wound on my shoulder, but still I didn't open my eyes once.
It was almost evening by the time I woke up from my slumber. After I got out of bed, I went to get freshened up before I put on a dress. The weather in Bryxton had been rather clear and sunny these days.
Nicholas wasn't there when I went downstairs. It was a good thing that he had left, or it would have taken me a whole lot of effort to get rid of him.
After all that had happened, I didn't dare approach him anymore. I was afraid that he would still choose Quinn if she ever came back on the pretense of wanting to treat my illness.
I didn't need this fake show of kindness just because someone wanted to ride my coattails.
I was in the middle of cooking myself some instant noodles when I received a call from Kevin, who asked me where Shawn was as soon as I picked up the call.
The lot of them had started coming to me whenever they lost contact with Shawn.
But then again, how was I supposed to know where he was all the time?
I only nonchalantly told him, "I don't know."
Still, he complained, "I can't find Sunny."
"Oh."
I could hear the laughter in his voice then. "What kind of answer is that?" he asked.
"Because I don't know where he is!"
"Give Sunny a call, then." Kevin was actually instructing me to call Shawn.
Hearing that, I subconsciously asked, "Why don't you give him a call?"
"Didn't I just say that I can't reach him?"
"And you think I can?" I asked again in return.
"You are full of questions, aren't you? Give it a go."
Kevin immediately hung up after throwing that out. I, on the other hand, took my time with making a call to Shawn as I cooked my noodles. However, I received a message from Kevin after I was done eating. 'Ray, have you managed to contact Sunny?'
I only stared at the message. This was getting more and more annoying.
I didn't want to contact Shawn at all, if I could.
After I cleaned up my used cutleries, I went to my backyard and, with a complicated feeling, squatted down under the tree. Peach blossoms were falling down from the branches of the tree every now and then when the breeze blew.
It took me a long time of contemplation before I finally gave Shawn a call.
He didn't answer immediately, which made me heave a sigh of relief. However, my relief was cut short when his clear, calm voice suddenly rang out as he hummed. "Ray."
Did he not investigate who I was? It seemed that he still thought that my name was Myra.
I didn't greet him, and only went straight to the point. "Kevin is looking for you," I stated.
"Mm. I am in Bryxton."
What was he suddenly doing here?!
"Oh—what are you doing in Bryxton?"
His short answer came again. "I have a last-minute engagement."
I noticed how his voice was calm the entire time. After I gave him another "oh", he suddenly asked me, "Ray, where are you from?"
Even though it might seem intimate how he was calling me by my nickname, it only sounded like a
normal name when it came from him. There was not a hint of gentleness in him calling me Ray.
It was probably because of his emotionless tone that I felt this way.
I gave it some thought and finally told him, "I am Bryxronian."
I was especially worried that he would come find me.
Alas, he only bid his farewell in the same cold voice. "Alright. I'm hanging up."
I was slightly surprised by that. Was he really just asking for the sake of asking?
After the call ended, I sent Kevin a message.
'Sunny said he is in Bryxton."
His reply came soon after. 'You are the best tool in baiting him out.'
I didn't know what Kevin meant by that, and I was too lazy to find out. I only put my phone away as I started planning to go out for a break.
I then randomly picked a Porsche to drive myself to the beach, and my mood greatly improved as I enjoyed the sea breeze.
After I parked my car by the road, I walked to the beach, and took off my shoes to enjoy the feeling of fluffy sand against my feet.
Waves kept washing against my feet as I took my stroll.
Just as I was having my own fun time, I was interrupted by a call from Kevin. He sounded panicky when he asked, "Where are you, Ray?"
"I'm at the beach." I sighed, my eyes gazing at the sea, golden from the evening sun.
"Ray, Sunny is in danger. I will send you an address in a bit. Please go to him and pick him up!"
I was slightly speechless at that. What was the point of making a weak lady like me go to a dangerous place?!
I might be complaining on the inside, but I couldn't possibly not go when Kevin had personally requested my help. I even forgot to put my shoes back on as I started driving according to the GPS in the direction he sent me. However, I didn't see Shawn when I arrived at the location.
The place that the GPS had brought me to was the entrance to the mountain highway of the most well- known mountain in Bryxton, Brimstone Mountain. I debated about it for a while, and finally decided to get out of my car and give Shawn a call.
I immediately thought that he had gotten himself into some dangerous situation again when he didn't answer my call. Just why was he always tangled up with something dangerous?
Just as I was in the midst of my musing, a heavy weight abruptly pressed itself on me against my car, making me yelp in fear.
"It's me," a low growl rang out beside my ear.
I immediately realized that the person pressing against me was Shawn, who was injured yet again. Seeing the blood soaking into his white dress shirt, I quickly supported him and brought him into my car.
I started to drive to the hospital, only for him to stop me.
"They will find me at the hospital, Ray," he groaned.
"Will a hotel do?" I couldn't help but feel worried looking at the serious injuries he had sustained.
"Avoid video surveillance."
The hotels were mostly in the city area, which was packed with surveillance cameras.
Since I couldn't bring him to a hospital or hotel, and I certainly did not want him at Felix's Villa, I decided to take him to my new apartment instead.
I drove on a trail to stay away from surveillance as I headed back into the city. There were so many cameras in the residential area that I began to suspect that someone who lived there must be in the surveillance camera business.
Once I arrived at my apartment, I drove my car into my private garage. It was a place filled with luxury cars that Gary had prepared for me.
I then turned and looked at Shawn after I parked in an empty spot I found. His gaze was still clear and sharp, and he didn't look out of it at all.
He had promised that I would be under his protection for the rest of my life, and even claimed that I was now one of his own. As much as I might not agree with him, and that I could have not bothered myself with him, there was no way I could just hop off of his coattail that I had somehow gotten on.
What if there came a day when the Felix Corporation could partner up with him for a project of some sort?
It was probably because I had hopes for that that I decided to help him in the end.
He was still a complete stranger to me.
I then got out of my driver's seat to support Shawn into the elevator to head back to my apartment unit. After that, I gave Gary a call to make sure that no one was allowed to go through the surveillance recordings of the residential area. I also told him to bring me a set of men's clothes.
"In Mr. Forger's size?" Gary asked.
Shawn and I were too close together for him to not have heard the question Gary asked. I pressed my lips together for a brief moment and in the end, I answered, "Yes."
Shawn and Nicholas were about the same build anyway. I brought Shawn straight to my bed when we reached my place, but he insisted on staying seated on the sofa without moving another muscle.
Seeing him acting stubborn made me frown a little. "You will feel more comfortable lying down," I offered.
He only curtly said to me, "I am mysophobic."
I was rendered speechless at that. Was he really complaining about my bed because I had slept in it?
"I have only moved in for a day! You are the first person who has come to my apartment. I haven't even complained about—"
What did I just say?!
I couldn't believe I almost said that I was going to complain about him being in my place!
I immediately stopped myself before I finished my words.
However, Shawn had stopped insisting on using the sofa after hearing my words. As I moved him to the bed, he told me to get him a clean shirt.
Thinking that he was going to wrap his wound with a cloth just like he did the other day, I quickly told him, "I have bandages and rubbing alcohol."
I then left him there by himself as I went to look for the items, and when I came back, I explained to him again, "My assistant is a thorough man. He has everything prepared no matter if I will come to need them or not."
"Mr. Forger's assistant, you mean?" he casually asked.
He must have thought that Gary was Nicholas' assistant.
Shawn would definitely have doubts about my identity if I were to tell him that Gary was my assistant. Even though there was no need for me to lie about myself, I still subconsciously lied to him. "Yes. Mr. Forger's assistant."
After hearing my answer, he let out a soft reply before he sat up and started to cut the clean bandage to use on his wounds. He didn't ask me who this 'Mr. Forger' was, and neither did Shawn ask me what my relationship with the man was.
Seeing this, I hurriedly offered to help him, only to have him reject me by saying that he would do it himself.
Since he was so insistent about this, I obediently sat down on the floor as I watched him cut the bandage before he took off his suit.
His white dress shirt had been dyed red with blood, and it had hardened against his skin. I continued to look on as he unflinchingly removed his shirt without even letting out a sound.
I could only be impressed by how good he was at holding back his pain.
Still, I asked out of curiosity, "Doesn't it hurt?"
He didn't answer my question. Seeing how he struggled to wrap the bandage, I quickly reached out to help him. Shawn, however, retracted just as fast as I went to him. "Ray." He reminded me, "I don't like being touched."
He was calling me so intimately, but the next words he said were so cruel.
"Sorry," I shrunk back.
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It isn't like I wanted to touch him anyway.
Grumpily, I stomped my way to the living room. It didn't take long before Gary brought the clothes I requested over. After I opened the door for him, I especially reminded him, "Don't tell anyone about what I tell you to do. And that includes Nicholas."
He was stunned after I told him that. At that instant, he must have guessed that the person in the apartment was not Nicholas. "Understood, President Felix," he answered with a nod.
"Shh! Keep it down!"
Gary finally left, albeit with a confused look on his face. I closed the door and reentered the bedroom, only to find Shawn missing from there. However, there was a sound coming from the bathroom.
Guessing that he was busy cleaning himself up, I placed the clean laundry next to the bed and went to the kitchen.
I then cooked him a bowl of congee, an egg, and two sweet potatoes. This should be enough to count as repayment for his bowl of noodles last night.
By the time I was done preparing and had brought the food into the room, Shawn had already put on the new dress shirt that Gary brought over. He had even put on the black necktie that came along with the fresh cloth.
Just like an old man, he had always been this stoic, solemn self from the first time we met.
I was going to leave after I placed the bowl of congee on the dressing table when he suddenly called out to me rather coldly, "What were you doing there, Ray?"
I proceeded to tell him about how Kevin wanted me to go get him. Shawn's stern face looked somewhat apologetic then. "I apologize for inconveniencing you," he uttered.
I shook my head in response. "Don't worry about it."
The influential Shawn Xenos only had himself to blame for having his fancy coat with coattails I would gladly ride on.
It wasn't like something bad could come out of me trying to appease him.
"Ray, are you a permanent resident of Bryxton?"
His raven black hair was slightly tousled, causing his side profile to look extremely sharp and cold under the purple lights in my bedroom.
"Yes," I replied without showing too much emotion myself.
"Do you have a long-term partner, Ray?"
I immediately froze at that. What did he mean?
Was I supposed to have many men I keep around m