Chapter 8
During that period, I had kept probing, trying to confirm Adrian’s feelings.
But I had never gotten a clear answer.
I did not want to keep testing him anymore.
I did not want to keep clinging to him.
So that same night, before Adrian returned, I packed my luggage as fast as I could and moved out of the villa.
I checked into a hotel.
Afraid I might soften and go back to him, I went all in. After sending a breakup text, I deleted and blocked every way Adrian had of contacting me.
When I finished all that, I finally let out a long breath.
For the first few days, I was not used to it.
There was suddenly one less person beside me.
And because I was clingy by nature, always wanting someone with me at every moment, it was even harder to bear.
During that time, Ethan heard I had moved and kept dropping by with little daily necessities.
I could not keep refusing his kindness, so I started bringing him small gifts at work in return. Gradually, we became more and more familiar.
That withdrawal period had helped.
A week later, I finally got rid of that miserable feeling.
Only late at night, in the silence, I still could not help thinking of Adrian.
His handsome face, his nearly perfect body, and the way he took care of me like a tireless housekeeper.
I was lying there with random thoughts when faint noises came from outside my door.
It sounded very much like someone picking the lock.
A thief?
The moment I realized that, I quickly turned on the light and shouted toward the door, “I’m calling the police! Get out now!”
Then I scrambled for my phone, ready to dial emergency services.
The next second, however, chaotic footsteps sounded outside the door, moving farther and farther away.
Then someone knocked.
A deep, magnetic voice came through the door.
“It’s me. Adrian. The thief already ran away.”
I was still scared and stayed on guard.
“How do I know it’s really you?”
The man outside gritted his teeth.
“Nora Bennett, this is the seventh day since you ran away from home. Eleven hours and thirty-nine minutes. Is that proof enough?”
I silently did the math in my head, then opened the door.
Adrian looked awful.
His face was dark as storm clouds. After taking a quick look around my place, his expression became even uglier.
“You’re living in a place like this?”
“And as for the breakup, I don’t agree. Come back with me.”
I shook my head, took two steps backward, and kept my distance from him.
“No.”
“You’d rather be scared every night in this place than live with me?”
I blinked, and a tear rolled down.
It was only a stress reaction from being frightened, but the moment Adrian saw my reddened eyes, he panicked.
He ground his teeth. “Fine. If you won’t leave, then I’ll stay.”
Only then did I notice he had come prepared.
He had brought a pillow with him.
The pillow I had bought for him.
A strange feeling surged in my chest.
Didn’t Adrian like the pillow Chloe had given him?
But this one had always been mine for him.
I had not taken it when I left the villa.