Chapter 345
Chapter 345
Behind her, the sea wind drove the rain hard against the bathroom window.
It almost felt like the cold was slipping in through the gaps, wrapping around her.
Her fingers paused on the drawer handle for a second before she closed it, her expression blank.
“Dinner’s ready, Mrs. Xander p>
The maid’s voice came from outside the bedroom door. The room was so large it sounded distant, pulling Winter’s thoughts back.
She came to her senses, stepped out of the bathroom, and said, “I’m not hungry. And call me Ms. Scott. I’m not Mrs. Xander p>
The maid froze for a moment, then remembered the instructions she had been given earlier. Whatever Winter said, they were to follow.
She nodded. “Yes, Ms. Scott p>
After the maid left, Winter sat on the black sofa by the window. Her hand drifted to the edge of the armrest.
Then she suddenly froze.
She stared at her own hand.
Her thoughts had been a mess just now. She had only wanted something to distract herself, so she had reached out without thinking.
But why had she done that?
She moved her fingers forward, then down.
As expected, her hand slipped into a pocket along the side of the armrest and pulled out a magazine.
She looked at the magazine in her hand, something flickering in her eyes.
Why did this feel so familiar?
Back at her place in Westbay, there had been the same kind of pocket on the sofa armrest.
Was that why she had reached for it without thinking?
She set the magazine aside and looked out at the rain growing heavier outside, irritation creeping into her chest. She stood and walked over to the window.
Outside, the rain poured down in sheets.
Chris walked toward the house, holding the torn shirt he had ripped apart earlier.
Rainwater ran down his bare, well-defined arms. He lifted a hand and wiped the water from his face, and the motion brought back memories of his training years.
Before he turned eighteen, he had already finished all his university coursework. The year before enlisting, he had spent almost all his time training.
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Chapter 345
+25 Bonus
The officers under his grandfather had been strict. They had never treated him like someone special, which was exactly what he wanted.
Growing up, he had spent most of his summers and winters at his grandfather’s place. The training had only grown more intense as he got older.
He threw himself into it, pushing his body to exhaustion every time. When his body was worn out, his mind would finally quiet down.
Back then, he only returned to the Xander residence once a month for family dinners.
Each time, he would see her from a distance, a little taller than the last time.
He suddenly felt a gaze on him.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
Through the curtain of rain, his dark eyes met Winter’s across the distance, where she stood at the window on the second floor.
The muted lavender dress fit her well, just slightly snug at the chest.
Rain slid down his throat as he swallowed.
In the next second, the cold indifference in her eyes was like ice.
Rainwater ran into his eyes. He narrowed them slightly and watched as she turned away and disappeared from view.
Chris stepped inside, bare-chested, and tossed the torn shirt into the trash.
A bodyguard immediately stepped forward and draped a towel over his shoulders.
He glanced at the maid. “Did you ask her to eat p>
The maid hesitated. “Mrs… Ms. Scott said she wasn’t hungry p>
Ms. Scott.
His gaze darkened slightly, but he said nothing more. He glanced toward the stairs and headed upstairs.
When he entered the room, Winter was leaning against the sofa, flipping through a magazine.
The light fabric of her skirt flared out around her ankles, revealing the same feet that knew exactly how to kick him.
Chris pulled the towel off his shoulders and roughly wiped his face and dripping hair.
“Not hungry?” he said. “Then what do you feel like eating p>
Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.