Chapter 928: With his last thread of hope cut, Rhys felt his spirit deflate, his voice hoarse and faint.
"Okay, I understand. I won't bother you again." His tone was strained, as if he were battling a severe cold, weak and breathy.
Tears welled up in Harlee's eyes as she tightly gripped the bed sheets, her knuckles turning white. She pressed her lips together, resolved not to reveal her true feelings to Rhys.
"Mm..." "Rhys, are you in the bathroom? I need my toner. I'm con-ung..." Just as Harlee was about to end the call, Anika's voice halted her actions, and tears began to stream down Harlee's cheeks.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHarlee felt utterly foolish. The notion of calling Rhys to talk seemed more misguided than ever.
Harlee then heard Rhys' soft response from the other end.
"Is it this one?" Then cthe sound of a door opening and an item being retrieved.
Harlee realized Anika had entered the bathroom.
Feeling drained of all her energy, Harlee collapsed onto the bed. Unable to endure hearing more, she pinched her thigh sharply and then forcefully pressed the hang-up button.
Her face, buried in the pillow, was drenched with tears. She couldn't explain why she was crying, only that she was overwhelmed by a profound sadness.
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of a hotel, Rhys leaned against the sink, quietly pocketing his phone without needing to check to know Harlee had disconnected.
ŁATést Çh Aptëяş ín GalпovεlŞAnika, unaware of the strained atmosphere, pecked Rhys on the cheek with a cheerful smile. "Nicely done.
Here's a little reward." She then left with her toner.
Rhys watched Anika go with a seemingly tender look until he was left alone in the bathroom.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmPulling out his phone again, Rhys stared at the familiar number in his recent calls, his expression clouding over. He lit a cigarette and smoked in contemplative silence, his hand shaking as he held it, the shivers soon spreading through his body.
Rhys had been aware of every one of Harlee's calls over the past three years, leaving them unanswered. Today, he had found the courage to answer, only to end up deepening a misunderstanding. It seemed they were fated to remain apart.
His relationship with Anika was in nonly, and they hadn't even shared a kiss.
He was in Anika's room because she had suddenly texted him ṭago dut, and he was waiting for her. Now that the misunderstanding had unfolded, Rhys resolved to accept it.
He would continue to take care of Harlee from afar, a silent guardian.
As tpassed, two weeks had slipped by since Rhys's unexpected return. It felt as though his previous absence had been nothing more than a brief pause, with the notable difference that Anika was now constantly by his side.
Meanwhile, Harlee had been kept in the dark about Rhys's whereabouts during those two weeks. Her only sources of information were Patrick, Hamilton Brixton, and Zandra.