CHAPTER 114: CHAPTER 114: I’M AFRAID I’LL SCARE YOU

After dark, there were no street lights along the road, and Shannon Quinn couldn’t even discern the surrounding environment. She only felt the road winding and bumpy, making her carsick and nauseous, feeling miserable inside.

Now to find a place for a proper sleep.

Occasionally, she could see cars coming and going, but not many.

When the opposite cars were illuminated by the road conditions, Shannon Quinn felt as if she were on a cliff. Looking out of the car window was an invisible abyss, as if she might accidentally fall off.

She looked at her phone, but no more messages from him, not even a word of concern, or a question like "Where are you?".

She didn’t know how long she’d been driving, but gradually she could see homes on the roadside, though they didn’t look like private residences — more like homestays, presumably catering specifically to backpackers.

"There it is in front. The address you gave is the address of this homestay. Call your friend to pick you up; otherwise, I won’t be at ease just leaving you here."

Shannon Quinn smiled wryly, thinking how could she possibly get through on that phone call. She just took another look at the surroundings, finding it quieter than expected, with residential lights on but no people visible.

"This is it. This homestay is considered the best residence around here. I heard the boss is a millionaire and generally doesn’t welcome guests randomly, making it safer than other places."

Shannon Quinn glanced outside the car window. Compared to the several in front, this one looked far more luxurious just from its exterior. The overall style seemed more refined; if not for the bumpy road, one might believe it was a private villa.

Perhaps the millionaire the driver mentioned could very well be Vincent Rhodes.

"Thank you, driver. Here’s five hundred yuan; keep the change, and be careful on your way back."

"Alright, thank you, young lady."

Shannon Quinn took her luggage and stood outside the homestay, examining it for a while, until a middle-aged man in a black down jacket came out, looking at her and asked, "Miss Quinn?"

Shannon Quinn was momentarily stunned and nodded.

"Please come in. Mr. Rhodes has already booked a room for you."

Seeing the man accurately recite her information, it indeed seemed pre-arranged by Vincent Rhodes. Shannon Quinn dismissed her doubts and followed the man inside.

There was heating inside the room, much warmer than outside. The interior looked cozy, the environment seemed quite good, and the service attitude was excellent.

The man helped her carry her luggage upstairs to the guest room, poured hot tea, and told her if she was hungry, she could go downstairs to find something to eat.

Initially, Shannon Quinn thought she might encounter difficult people or troublesome situations. Now it seemed Vincent Rhodes’ arrangement was indeed trustworthy.

It’s just unclear why he went to such lengths to come here.

Judging from the tone of the homestay owner, Vincent Rhodes booked a room, indicating this homestay wasn’t his. Thus, he shouldn’t reside here regularly. Could it be owned by another friend of his, and he was here for a vacation?

Too tired to indulge in wild imagination, she checked the time — eight o’clock in the evening.

He mentioned a time at ten o’clock. She wondered if she had to wait until ten or if he could arrive promptly at ten.

Shannon Quinn took a hot bath, turned on the television, and lay on the bed, stretching her swollen legs from sitting all day.

She intended to wait for his arrival, but felt too exhausted. Despite her attempts to stay awake, she fell asleep amidst the sound of the TV show.

A few minutes past ten, the man entered her room, leaning on a cane.

When he saw the woman lying on the bed, all the longing in his heart surged up in an instant — there was pity and heartache, yet he didn’t know how to make it up to her.

Walking to the bedside, watching her sleeping face, he knew how hard this journey had been for her.

If only he had more time, he wouldn’t have let her come alone to such a distant place.

He reached his hand into the quilt and touched around her lower abdomen.

It was still flat, seemingly unnoticeable if she was pregnant, and he had a troubling thought that perhaps the child was no longer inside her.

His touch seemed to disturb her; she slowly opened her eyes, dazed by sleep, trembling her eyes slightly. It seemed she was surprised by the sudden appearance of a figure by the bed and abruptly sat up, startled.

The frightening black skull mask on his face, oddly enough, calmed her heart immediately.

Then a surge of grievance welled up inside her, her nose tingled, and tears uncontrollably emerged, swirling in her eyes. She dared not blink, fearing the tears would fall.

Seeing such a pitiful and aggrieved look on her face, Vincent Rhodes felt as if something had pierced deeply into his heart, causing him pain.

He reached his hand towards her face, stopping one or two centimeters away, his fingertip trembling slightly. Seeing she didn’t flinch and only stared at him unblinkingly, he finally reached out to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes and asked, "Tired?"

Shannon Quinn lowered her head, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes messily, mufflingly replying, "What do you think?"

"If I didn’t want to see you so badly, I wouldn’t have brought you over."

Shannon Quinn paused, seemingly never having heard him say he missed her before. Hearing it from his mouth felt oddly mushy.

All her anger and resentment seemed shamefully to dissipate upon seeing him, especially after hearing that sentence.

Shannon Quinn scrutinized him for a moment; this time, he was dressed in a full set of suits, no longer cloaked in that black cape like before. She realized his figure wasn’t strange at all, his legs and feet seemed fine, not understanding his usual concealment.

Glancing at the crutches beside the bed, Shannon Quinn asked him confusedly, "You... came in with a cane? Can you walk without a wheelchair?"

Vincent Rhodes was indeed too hasty to prepare properly, so he replied, "I’ve been trying hard to look like a normal person, hoping to stay by your side in the future."

Shannon Quinn didn’t quite understand what he meant, but noting his changes, she guessed and asked, "Did you actually come here for treatment?"

"Sort of. Can you wait for me until I recover and return?"

Shannon Quinn glanced at him twice, unsure if it was her illusion or because Landon Sutton had used a cane in the past, but now Vincent Rhodes’ figure seemed similar to Landon’s, nowhere appearing like a man confined to a wheelchair for years.

She looked at his mask and asked, "Then when will you be willing to take off the mask in front of me?"

Vincent Rhodes fell silent; beneath the mask, no expression was visible. After about a few seconds, he focused his gaze on her, saying, "I’m afraid of scaring you."