At night.

After I helped Mary to sleep, I was also tired and returned to my room to rest.

I had justid down when an arm suddenly encircled me from behind, steady and

somewhat familiar.

“Aurora.” A low, hoarse voice sounded from behind my ear.

Ferris?!

I instantly became alert: “Ferris, what are you doing?!”

Although this man had amnesia, he hadn’t forgotten his habit of sneaking into other

people’s rooms.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt, his body pressed close to mine, with one hand even resting on my lower abdomen.

My back stiffened: “Don’t you dare!”

He leaned close to my ear, exining seriously: “I’m not nning to do anything, it’s just… I couldn’t sleep and wanted to hold you for a bit.”

I was stunned, both embarrassed and angry.

The air suddenly became quiet, and I could almost hear my own heartbeat.

“I don’t need this!” I growled quietly, hurriedly pulling the nket over myself.

Ferris didn’t move again, just leaned close and said quietly: “If you want it, tell me secretly…

don’t

go looking for others.”

I was almost driven to high blood pressure by his anger: “Get out! Right now, immediately,

get out!”

When he got up, I inadvertently saw there was still a purple bruise on his waist from where

I had pinched him in the car.

But he didn’tin at all.

I used to think that with his amnesia and blindness, he was a “weakling” I could manipte

at will.

But now I realized that the post–amnesia Ferris waspletely beyond my control.

He was no longer aloof, no longer coldly observant. He had be shameless, even learning to use persistent pestering and clinging methods to get close to me.

Afraid he woulde again, I locked the door and even dragged a cab to block it.

But I didn’t sleep well all night, closing my eyes only to hear his words “tell me secretly.”

When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed I had be a broken, tattered raft, drifting back and

forth on an endless ocean.

I woke up covered in cold sweat.

I picked up my phone – it was ten o’clock.

Good thing Mary had been getting uptetely.

Just as I was about to get out of bed, my phone rang again. It was a message from Adrian:

[Are you free this afternoon? Want to go see Linus together?]

Seeing Linus’s name, my heart softened.

I barely hesitated: [Okay, see you at the hospital]

I washed up, changed clothes, and went downstairs. Breakfast was still warm in the dining

room.

I nced at Ferris sitting in the corner reading, my tone cold:

“I’m going out for a while and will be back tonight. Please take good care of Mary,”

If not for Mary, I wouldn’t even want him living here now.

Ferris suddenly spoke: “Where are you going?”

I shot back without turning around: “It’s none of your business. Don’t follow me again, or please leave.”

I was really fed up with his attitude of taking advantage while acting innocent.

Now he had been abandoned by the Vargan family, and Victoria didn’t want him either.

I had once called Victoria to try to ask about Dennis.

She didn’t answer directly, only saying: “You take care of Ferris and don’t let him appear in

public view. I won’t shortchange you.”

“But if you let him be exposed, don’t me me for being rude.”

In that moment, I finally understood-

Ferris was just another chess piece in her hands.

Just like I used to be, just like Dennis was now. No one was truly “family” that she cared

about.

(