Chapter 26
Angeline seemed to be fighting against something; she refused to beg for mercy. She tried to stop herself from trembling as she looked at Ned. “Now, can I leave on my own?”
Though she knew Ned and Tommy had threatened her to come to the hotel so they could force her to sleep
with Zachary, she still harbored one last sliver of hope for Ned’s conscience.
“Why are you being so stubborn?” Ned’s voice was cold. “That dump you’re staying at doesn’t even have
streetlights around it. Do you want something to happen to you without someone taking you home?”
Even without his memories, he knew Angeline’s biggest nightmare was Emmerson Village. It was precisely because he knew that that Angeline’s admission under the truth serum made him angrier.
Dizziness and dazedness washed over Angeline. She felt like countless ants were crawling into her bones.
She knew she couldn’t hold out for much longer.
Her mind was starting to turn murky, but she remembered that she didn’t want anyone to see her so out of it.
Almost subconsciously, she staggered toward the door.
Ned’s gaze darkened. He kicked his chair away and easily caught up with her, grabbing her by the arm and
turning her to face him. “Angeline!”
When he saw the tears on her face, he felt like a fist was clenching around his heart. His anger immediately.
dissipated. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He could see Angeline wasn’t feeling well, but he refused to set aside.
his pride.
He said, “You still owe me a wish. This is my final one-allow someone to take you home.”
Certain emotions that Angeline had been suppressing underneath her mask of calmness rose to the surface. They grew stronger under the influence of the drug. Her eyes dimmed as she dug her nails into her palms.
Her body was burning up, but she only felt cold all over. Angeline looked at Ned’s incredibly familiar face. She thought about how he’d looked at her as a bright-eyed 18-year-old, saying that he wanted to save his
remaining two wishes.
He told her that no matter when he made those wishes, she had to make them come true. He’d been so proud
and spirited at the time.
Sure enough, his wish had to do with her. She hadn’t expected him to use it like this, though. Did he really
have to force her to sleep with someone else?
Angeline shut her eyes. When she opened them again, they were bloodshot but devoid of any other emotion.
She laughed almost inaudibly and said, “If that’s the only way to make you believe I won’t pester you anymore,
so be it.”
Since waking up from her coma, Ned had disapointed her time and time again. She didn’t know whether he’d
changed after the accident or whether he’d always been like this.
Perhaps she’d been blinded by her love for him in the past; maybe it had stopped her from seeing his true
Angeline shook off Ned’s hand, which was still gripping her. As another wave of hollowness washed over her, her weak legs made her stumble backward and fall to the floor.
The pain from digging her nails into her palms was no longer enough to keep the emptiness and torment at bay. The drug’s effects were much stronger than Angeline had expected; it was the only thing she could feel
right now.
“Oh, no! What’s wrong, Ms. Emmerson?” Tommy hurriedly helped her up before Ned could do anything. He said to Ned, “Since Ms. Emmerson doesn’t want Zachary to take her home, I’ll help her downstairs so she can hail a
cab.”
Ned’s brows were furrowed with an inexplicable hostility.
