Be My Cure Now

Chapter 8 His True Face

"Clarice, hey, I'm here. Don't worry. I'm coming to your place right now," Ivan said gently.

Clarice took a deep breath and wrapped herself in a bathrobe.

The louder the noise outside the bathroom became, the more Clarice reminded herself to stay calm.

She looked around: the door and windows were locked, so the bathroom was temporarily safe.

There was a mop and a razor in the bathroom—at least some makeshift weapons for self-defense.

Suddenly, there was a click at the bathroom door. The intruder seemed to be using a heavy object to smash the handle!

Clarice's mind went blank for a moment.

In desperation, tears of fear began to flow as she muttered under her breath, "Eric, I'm scared..."

Outside, a piercing siren sounded, and the banging ceased.

The intruder murmured, "Ford! You ruined me, but I will come for you again!"

Then, the footsteps retreated, indicating that the intruder had fled.

Clarice felt as though she had heard that voice somewhere before, and it seemed like the person knew her.

She breathed a sigh of relief but still remained in the bathroom, afraid that the person might return.

"Clarice, are you inside? It's me, I'm here."

Ivan's voice came from both the phone and the door, easing Clarice's tension.

She opened the door and was immediately pulled into his arms.

The familiar scent of lemon reached her nose, reminding her of that evening on the hospital's southwest path, when Ivan had also swooped in like a savior.

"It's okay now, Clarice. I'm sorry you were frightened."

Clarice's face was buried against his firm chest, and she felt slightly embarrassed. "Mr. Morris, I'm fine now."

Ivan then realized that he had lost his composure.

He released Clarice from his arms, a hint of awkwardness flashing in his green eyes behind the mask.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and Clarice's damp bangs clung to her face. Her skin was soft and smooth, appearing even more so in the mist.

A few strands of hair fell along her slender neck, trailing down to her collarbone before disappearing into the bathrobe.

Her robe had loosened slightly during their embrace, revealing a broad expanse of collarbone...

Ivan's gaze darkened, and he quickly turned his head, his voice low. "You shouldn't stay here tonight. Pack up some essentials and move somewhere safer. Let the police handle the rest."

Clarice noticed Ivan's unusual behavior.

She instantly understood what was going on. She pulled her robe tighter, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Clarice went to the bedroom to get changed and pack some toiletries while Mike and the police finally arrived on the scene.

'But what about the earlier siren?'

Feeling confused, Clarice followed Ivan to his car, watching as he turned off the car's speaker, silencing the simulated siren sound.

It turned out Ivan had arrived faster than the police and used the simulated siren to scare off the intruder.

Clarice also noticed that Ivan drove himself here despite the injury on his left leg. He even needed a cane to get out of the car.

Yet, he had still managed to be the first to reach her.

Back in the car, Ivan returned to his usual aloof demeanor, but Clarice had caught a glimpse of his gentle side earlier.

Beneath his cold, untouchable exterior, there was a kind heart.

Mike got into the driver's seat and reported the situation to Ivan.

"There's no sign of the suspect, but he left some traces, so the police should be able to solve the case soon. There have been several break-ins targeting single women recently; it's likely the same person."

The police approached Clarice to get her statement before departing.

Mike tried to steady his breathing, still shaken by the sudden incident.

Everything happened so suddenly. When Ivan called him earlier, he had simply said, "Clarice's house, call the police immediately," before rushing off himself.

He had never seen Ivan so frantic, even disregarding his injured leg.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Mike noticed that Ivan still seemed upset.

Usually, Ivan remained calm no matter the circumstances, his emotions never betraying him—not even when he was shot in the leg.

But now, he was visibly agitated because of Clarice.

It seemed Ivan truly cared about her.

Mike thought for a while and suggested, "Dr. Ford, it's quite late, and your home isn't safe right now. Why don't you stay at our place tonight?"

Clarice hesitated briefly before politely declining. "Thank you, but I don't want to cause more trouble. Just take me to a nearby hotel."

Having just experienced a break-in, she didn't dare take a taxi alone at this hour.

Seeing that Ivan didn't object, Mike drove toward the nearest hotel.

Heavy rain soon began to pour, drumming loudly against the windows.

However, the nearest hotel was fully booked, and the next option was quite far away.

Clarice looked embarrassed.

"Seems like fate is telling you to stay," Ivan said, a subtle, elegant smile appearing on his lips.

With no other choice, Clarice followed them back to Ivan's place.

Mike showed her to the guest room, which surprisingly had a fresh, minimalist design—quite different from the mansion's usual heavy, antique decor.

Outside, the sound of rain pattered gently against the windows, and the bed's silk sheets were soft and comforting. Clarice soon drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night, she was startled awake by a loud thud from the ceiling.

'What's going on?'

The room above belonged to Ivan, so she decided to check it out.

Approaching the door, she heard low groans from within, as if someone was enduring immense pain.

She hurriedly opened the door.

It was nearly dawn, with the faint light illuminating the dark sky. Ivan lay awkwardly on the floor, his clothes disheveled.

Clarice's heart lurched, but as she moved forward to help him up, she found herself face-to-face with Ivan's unmasked face!