690 No Training, Just Trouble

    Any time Tessa failed to meet Maric’s standards, she wasn’t allowed to eat or sleep.

    It was that strict.

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    There were even days she didn’t get a single bite from morning till night. It forced her to meet the mark–no exceptions.

    But around Victor…

    Thirty minutes in: “Drink some water.”

    Another half hour: “Have some fruit first.”

    Half an hourter: “The sun’s brutal. Let’s move to some shade.”

    Her hand started hurting: “Let me see. We’ll treat it first.”

    Her feet were sore: “You can’t stand? Sit and have something to drink.”

    Her stomach growled: “Come on, let’s eat.”

    So it went–half an hour at a time. Hand pain, foot pain…

    There was always some excuse to stop. This wasn’t training—it was practically a vacation.

    At first, Tessa had worried Victor might be even tougher than Marie. Now? That was clearly not a problem.

    If anything, she was starting to fear that everything she’d learned under Marie might get undone at this rate.

    Inside the lodge’s dining room-

    A cool breeze swept through.

    “Ah… that feels amazing,” Tessa sighed.

    This kind of blissful day? She hadn’t even dared dream of ittely. Her world hadpletely copsed under Marie’s training–and now, it felt like it had been gently put back together.

    That’s why she’d pushed herself so hard with Marie. She really gave it her all.

    Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble

    If Marie told her to do something, she took it seriously.

    Victor watched her gulping down juice. “Why put yourself through all that?”

    Tessa blinked. “Huh?”

    That was considered hardship?

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    Clearly, he hadn’t seen her dive into the ocean barehanded, or climb a cliff with no gear.

    Now ithat /iwas tough.

    Victor said, “If it’s about the Ashen Pact, you could’ve asked me. I could’ve killed them all for you.”

    The word “killed” made Tessa’s face shift instantly.

    A momentter, she looked conflicted.

    Victor asked, “What is it?”

    Tessa hesitated. “You, um…”

    Ugh, forget it. She wanted to tell him not to always go straight to violence—but then again, wasn’t that the kind of world he lived in? People treated him with the same kind of

    ruthlessness.

    If he were actually a kind man, ithat’s /iwhen he’d be dangerous.

    After everything that had happened…

    Tessa no longer cared whether the scary, violent Victor was good or bad.

    “Is this your way of confessing ito /ime?”

    Victor raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”

    Tessa said, “Men usually only go that far to protect women they care about. If it’s someone they don’t care for, they wouldn’t bother.”

    Like Ste-

    Abraham went all out to protect her. That kind of fierce protection only came from love.

    For a moment, the air stilled.

    Victor reached out, pinching her chin gently to get a better look at her. His gaze made Tessa a

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    Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble

    little self–conscious.

    Um…

    Maybe she’d picked up Marie’s blunt personality these past few weeks.

    A

    Marie was the definition of straightforward—she never sugarcoated her feelings or her opinions. Zero filters.

    “What… why are you looking at me like that?” Tessa asked.

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    His fingertip slid lower, brushing a spot on her neck that made her flinch. She instinctively tried to step back.

    But then she heard him chuckle lowly. “You’re right. I have been using all my strength on you.”

    The way he said “on you” wasced with heavy, unmistakable meaning.

    Tessa was stunned.

    Her cheeks flushed red in an instant.

    Sure, her time with Marie had made her bolder, a bit more open…

    But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still traditional at heart.

    “Why are you blushing?” Victor asked, amused.

    “I’m not–I mean… are we still training?” she deflected, not wanting to keep this conversation going.

    From Marie’s unnamed ind to this beach, Tessa had realized something serious:

    Victor couldn’t handle being teased.

    The man she’d first met in Rivermount, cold and refined, with that icy, dangerous aura- underneath it all, he had a heart full of filth.

    All it took was the slightest tease, and that frosty surface would peel right off.

    His fire… was not easy to put out.

    Her back still ached.

    Victor suddenly grabbed her hand. Tessa jumped. “W–What are you doing?”

    Why did it feel like he was about to squeeze her hand just to see how strong it was?

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    Chapter 690 No Training, Just Trouble

    He gently rubbed her palm, which had be a little rough. “It’s dark. And rough.”

    Tessa went quiet.

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    Dark and rough?

    Those were idevastating /iwords for a girl to hear. “You–you…”

    “If you keep training like this, you’ll be too unsightly to look at.”

    Tessa was stunned.

    Her face cracked.

    iToo /iiunsightly/ii? /iHe’d devoured her over and overst night. Multiple times.

    Victor asked, “Cursing me in your head?”

    Tessa said, “Not at all.”

    Just… maybe ia /iilittle/ii. /iiHmph/i.

    Before long, the food arrived.

    Papaya fish head stew, chicken in milk, kelp with carp, papaya yogurt, banana milk, papaya… and more papaya.

    Tessa’s mouth twitched.

    She gave Victor a long,plicated look. “Do you really like papaya that much?”

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