Chapter 303
A tall, dark figure flitted past.
Stephanie stood up and started to chase, but she couldn’t catch up.
From the strange encounter with Hayley at noon to the sudden appearance and disappearance of the two baby strollers and now this cerie figure running off before her eyes, today wasn’t truly a smooth day.
Stephanie’s face was tense with frustration.
After wandering outside the plaza for over two hours, she felt her checks chilled by the wind, her fingers red with cold.
She decided to go home. Christmas Eve was definitely not the time to be out and about, witnessing the happy reunions of others, only to feel her own loneliness more keenly.
Stephanie was left with a dark expression, but just as she reached the central fountain of the plaza, a little girl around seven or eight years old, like other children selling flowers, ran up to her with a basket of red roses. She called out in a sweet, childish voice, “Miss, would you like to buy a rose?”
Stephanie paused for a moment, looking down at the little girl at her feet.
The girl was wearing a slightly worn red coat and had two adorable buns in her hair. She wore a pair of fringed boots that
ere too big for her and looked a bit old. The child’s eyes were dear and innocent as she looked up at Stephanie with a hopeful expression.
Stephanie admitted that she was sometimes a bit slow to react. She simply stared at the little girl out of curiosity, but the busy little one quickly assumed she had failed to make a sale.
Just as Stephanie was about to dig for change in her purse, the lile girl ran off.
“You’re supposed to sell roses to boys, silly! Boys are the ones who give roses to girls. Come over here… Another boy, around ten years old, ran over, and the two small figures left together,
Stephanie once again sank into a gloomy mood. She was sure she would never be a good mother. Even these children didn’t
like her.
She hailed a cab and returned to her apartment, still feeling downcast.
While others were enjoying Christmas Eve dinners, she could only go home and eat alone.
She didn’t even feel like ordering takeout. In the kitchen, she simply made herself some sandwiches, ate them
expressionlessly, and curled up on the small sofa, lost in thought
The property management in her apartment had also organized a small Christmas Eve party. Downstairs, parents, children, and elderly folks gathered together, laughing and seemingly playing some kind of guessing game.
It had been a long time since she had taken her antidepressants.
Tonight, she felt her heart was a bit erratic, a flustered, arrhythmic beat that made her uncomfortable.
She rummaged through a drawer, found the pill bottle, and took two.
She didn’t know how others were spending this Christmas Eve, but all she wanted was to fall asleep peacefully, without nightmares.
She closed all the windows and doors and turned on the heater.
By 9 PM, she was already in bed.
Perhaps due to the medication, Stephanie fell asleep quickly, but she didn’t avoid the nightmares.
In fact, she wasn’t sure if this counted as a nightmare.
Stephanie had slept soundly the whole night, yet she felt someone lift her blanket, and a tall figure lay beside her. Normally, the presence of something unfamiliar would make her uneasy, bait in the hazy dream, the smell and warmth of this body felt familiar, even comforting.
A large, rough hand slipped around her waist, sending a slight slover through her body. The hand moved up her smooth skin, pausing gently at her chest, pulling her closer.
She was sleeping on her side, her back pressed against the person’s chest, held protectively. This sleeping posture was very
familiar.
Stephanie didn’t resist or feel scared. She even shifted her body to find a more comfortable position.
Then, she heard a soft, low chuckle right by her car.
g out to gras
grasp
Stephanie was a very sensitive person. Even when she was asleepy, her body would instinctively react, reaching out the man behind her.
However, as soon as her left hand extended, it was gently pressed down. Then, she felt a cool sensation on her neck, as if someone had lifted her long hair and was kissing her neck, her earlobe…sucking on her skin, “Hey, it’s itchy… she frowned in displeased
She immediately tried to push away, but the furry head resting on her was persistent. It was heavy and wouldn’t budge, making Stephanie feel annoyed. Her brows even started to furrow.
A low laugh sounded again, teasing and natural as if the person was in a very good mood.
A cool fingertip gently stroked her furrowed brows over and over, trying to soothe her irritation. The touch was light and
affectionate.
In the end, she remembered nothing.
On that same Christmas Eve, Molly, far from home, wasn’t in a good mood either.
“Why did you trick me into coming here?” She glared at the man beside her, confused and frustrated. “Scott, you said Andy wanted to see me. Where is he? Why did you bring me all the way to Caelorium?”
Scott didn’t seem to be bothered despite being accused. He turned and gave her an inseritable look.
“Ms. Snuggleton, I told you to come with me to Caelorium, and you fell for it. I’m really worried that one day someone might sell you, and you’d still had no idea.”
Molly was fuming. How could anyone be so shameless?
He was the one with ill intentions, yet somehow, it seemed like it was her fault.
“Yes, it’s all my fault, Mr. Roberts. I assure you, I won’t ever be so presumptuous again, okay?” Molly snorted, unable to bear
it any longer. She turned and walked away with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Wait a minute. Molly, wait for me,” he gently called out from behind her.
Molly decided not to give a damn,
But as she reached the bus stop, she couldn’t help but sneak a glance back and saw her crouching by the roadside.
Just as she muttered to herself. Molly’s expression changed drastically. All thoughts of pride and dignity were thrown to the wind.
She rushed back, anxiously helping him up. “Scott, is your stomach acting up again?” Molly was genuinely worried about
him.
Scott remained crouched in the middle of the road, slowly lifting his head. A glint of amusement flickered in his deep eyes.
He replied with a single word, “No.” He was perfectly fine.
Molly had been tricked by him one too many times and was momentarily stunned. When she finally reacted, she saw this seemingly gentle but utterly shameless man straightening up and smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes.
“You… Scott, you’re too much!” Even Molly, with her good temper, couldn’t stand this kind of behavior. It was outrageous!
“You tricked me again!!” she yelled.
Sensing that she was about to make a run for it. Scott reached out and grabbed her.
“Hey, let go of me!” Molly struggled.
Scott completely ignored her warning and explained in a serious tone, ‘It would be silly for a grown man to chase after a
woman.
You have the nerve to talk about being silly! She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.