Chapter 07
1826 Words
Ava rescued Liam from the torrential downpour and brought him upstairs.
As soon as they entered, she rushed to the bathroom to rinse off the mud from her shins and feet.
Liam, once radiant, now resembled a drowned rat, standing pitifully at the foyer.
Ava emerged from the bathroom, wiping her face, and frowned. “Why don’t you go home? Even if there are deep-seated grievances or unspeakable burdens, isn’t there anything that can be resolved with family?”
“I have no home,” Liam replied steadily, as if discussing something unrelated. “My mother has been dead for over a decade, and my father—”
He paused, offering a nonchalant smile. “He probably deemed me beyond redemption, so he severed ties with me many years ago.”
Ava didn’t realize that the “beyond redemption” Liam referred to was her; she assumed he was talking about his incarceration.
Indeed, few parents could accept their child breaking the law, let alone going to prison. However, such a complete severance of paternal ties seemed rash and extreme.
But this was none of Ava’s business. Although she had taken him in out of concern that he might be driven to crime again due to a lack of warmth, she remained vigilant about dangerous individuals like Liam.
Ava scrutinized Liam from head to toe several times. Finally, noticing the rainwater dripping from him onto the floor, she said, “This won’t do. You should at least clean up in the bathroom.”
Liam’s intense gaze remained fixed on Ava.
Growing irritated by his stare, Ava snapped, “If you don’t want to follow my instructions, get out of my house!”
Before she could finish, Liam obediently headed toward the bathroom.
As Liam entered the bathroom, Ava suddenly remembered that all her belongings were inside…
At the very least, she couldn’t let Liam use her towels!
Ava hurried back to her bedroom, rummaging through the wardrobe.
Where were the new towels…
After a thorough search, Ava finally found a fresh towel. She sighed with relief, but before she could rise, the bedroom door was pushed open—
Ava looked up and immediately yelped, falling onto the floor.
The towel she was holding had naturally covered her eyes.
“Sorry, I was just going to ask if you had a new towel. Otherwise, I’d have to use yours.”
Liam’s voice carried a hint of amusement. Although he said “sorry,” Ava could not detect any true remorse!
Ava’s muffled voice emerged from behind the towel, “Get out! Go wait in the bathroom!”
The gentle sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom.
Ava approached slowly with the towel in hand.
The sound of water abruptly ceased.
The partially open door was pushed further open from within—
Ava was stunned.
Her gaze seemed to have a mind of its own, brazenly roving over Liam’s bare form despite her strong internal objections:
From his straight neck to broad shoulders, from his firm chest to his slim waist, and—
To the slight curve below his abdomen…
When she reached this point, she finally managed to control her gaze.
Though her eyes strongly desired to admire his long legs, Ava exercised her reason to restrain them.
She mentally reviewed the areas she had just scanned, from necklines to shoulder lines, from arm lines to waistlines… every contour of his body was nearly perfect, complemented by flawless skin and an abundance of male hormones…
And his face.
Calling his physique “model-like” would be an understatement.
Only a “Renaissance-era male sculpture” could do him justice!
At that moment, he spoke with a half-smile, “Ava.”
Ava jolted, her entire body tensing.
Damn, his voice calling her name was utterly unfair!
“If you’re done looking, could you pass me the towel?”
The sound of water and the rain outside created a harmonious symphony.
Ava sat dazed on the living room sofa.
She increasingly regretted bringing Liam home…
The era of male beauty.
She never imagined she could fall for such a crude “handsome trap”!
Well…
She admitted, this “handsome man” was anything but crude…
Ava picked up her phone from the coffee table. She needed to find a way to send Liam to a shelter or the police station—he couldn’t stay in her house.
After she explained her situation to the shelter, she heard—
“So it’s Officer Yu from the old Criminal Investigation Unit. We understand your predicament, but you must understand ours…”
“It’s a power outage in the East District, and we’re swamped with work. We really can’t spare any manpower!”
Ava: “…………Thank you for your hard work.”
Although Ava genuinely wanted to get rid of Liam, now…
Why did the power suddenly go out?
Probably the storm had damaged the power lines. Tomorrow, their police station would be busy too.
No sooner had Ava ended the call than Lucy’s phone rang.
“Sis!” Lucy shouted, “Damn, do you know the East District is out of power?”
“I just found out. What’s wrong?”
“Damn it!” Lucy’s tone grew even higher, “I was watching a soccer match, and they were attacking the small penalty area. The power cut off. Did the ball go in or not? I’m so anxious! My OCD is acting up!”
Ava laughed. “Use your phone to watch live text updates.”
“…………” Lucy had a sudden realization. “Oh right, you can use data for text updates… Your area is also in the East District, no power outage?”
Ava looked out the window. Though most residents had turned off their lights, a few windows were still lit.
“No outage. Our entire neighborhood still has power.”
“Damn! That’s great!”
Lucy reassured Ava, “I know you have trouble sleeping when it’s hot. Luckily your neighborhood has power, so you can sleep comfortably with the air conditioning on~”
Then she switched topics, cheerfully, “Get a good night’s sleep. Be well-rested for the weekend; you’ll be meeting the ‘young white-collar worker’!”
Ava was stunned. “…………What?”
“Dad didn’t tell you?” Lucy said. “He met the ‘young white-collar worker’s’ mother today. The two elders have arranged a meeting for this weekend~”
This weekend…
That’s in just a few days!
“The ‘young white-collar worker’ is really handsome!” Lucy excitedly said. “Sis, you’re no longer young, so make sure to seize the opportunity!”
Ava: “…………”
The feeling was truly peculiar.
An iron tree that had never bloomed in years suddenly blossomed? And with double flowers?
Jack and the “young white-collar worker” — Ava smiled. Even though it’s all still uncertain, she wasn’t without men who wanted to pursue and be close to her!
Liam emerged from the bathroom into the living room, greeted immediately by Ava’s smile.
The hand that was drying her hair paused.
Was this smile meant for him?
Was it because of him?
Hearing the noise, Ava turned her head—
Her smile froze on her face, and the next moment, it vanished completely.
Liam: “…………”
It wasn’t meant for him, after all…
He had been delusional…
“Um…” Liam asked softly, “Do you have any alcohol pads or something like that?”
Ava frowned.
Liam extended one hand—blood was clearly visible in his palm.
Ava immediately stood up. “How did this happen?”
She efficiently retrieved a first aid kit from under the TV cabinet.
Ava ordered, “Sit down.”
Liam placed the towel on the coffee table and sat on the sofa.
Ava sat beside him and gently opened his wounded palm—revealing a deep cut from top to bottom. Ava lightly rubbed the skin around the wound, faintly revealing the underlying tissue.
She initially thought it might have been a cut from the rain, but it was evidently inflicted by a sharp instrument, a decisive, deep wound.
Ava asked, “What happened?”
Liam gazed at her intently.
Ava opened the first aid kit, took some alcohol on a cotton ball, and blew on Liam’s still-bleeding palm.
“It will hurt a lot; you’ll have to endure it.” She said as she applied the alcohol-soaked cotton ball to the wound.
Liam didn’t even flinch—no pain could compare to the agony of seeing her with other men.
He attentively watched Ava’s focused profile.
After thoroughly disinfecting the wound, Ava skillfully wrapped Liam’s palm with gauze—swiftly and lightly, even gently blowing on it.
Liam slowly shifted his gaze—
The heavy homewear enveloped her snugly.
Only through the collar could he faintly see her shoulder—fair and tender, though he wondered if it felt the same as it did seven years ago…
Obsession.
Deeper than desire, it was his obsession with her.
Ava finished bandaging Liam and was tying the final knot on the back of his hand.
If he could keep her by his side for a lifetime…
He would rather inflict two wounds on himself daily just for the chance of her tending to him once.
“Be careful with knives in the future.”
Ava heard Liam’s explanation: he had cut himself while searching for shampoo in the bathroom.
“I called the shelter. They’re currently overwhelmed, so you’ll have to stay in the living room tonight. You can check with them again tomorrow.”
As Ava closed the first aid kit, the room plunged into darkness!
The air conditioner stopped working at the same moment.
Ava quickly activated the “flashlight” feature on her phone and looked out the window.
The entire neighborhood was engulfed in darkness.
Even the streetlights' faint glow was swallowed by the
blackness.
The rain had stopped.
The power was out…
Ava lay in bed, tossing and turning.
She had long discarded her homewear onto the floor.
Yet even the breezy camisole couldn’t stand against the oppressive heat.
The power outage was one thing, but why had the rain stopped too? The post-rain air was even stifling!
Ava was half-alive, half-asleep.
Nightmares filled her mind, and her sleep quality was negligible.
In her hazy state, it seemed a shadow gently entered her room.
Who was it…
Liam?
But she had locked the door…
The shadow tiptoed to the bedside.
She felt a pair of warm hands gently support her head, placing her nightmare-filled head on a place that was both firm and soft—perhaps a human thigh.
Then, a refreshing breeze brushed her face.
It was a comfort beyond compare—
The fan’s gentle hum felt like a tender lullaby.
Nightmares vanished.
The cool breeze accompanied Ava into a sweet dream.
- Writer
