Conner leaned in and wrapped an arm around Noelle’s waist. He said, “Noelle, I really missed you!”
Noelle instinctively resisted his touch. Her mind was hazy, yet she was certain something was wrong. There was no way she would act like this for no reason. “Conner, what did you do to me?”
Conner pressed his lips to her cheek, his breathing growing noticeably heavier. “I’m sorry, Noelle, but this is the only way. I missed you too much.”
Outside the Spencer residence, the shadows of the sycamore trees swayed gently. A deep stillness
lingered in the air.
Conner leaned closer and planted a kiss on Noelle’s face. That jolt completely snapped her awake.
Her face flushed with heat as she clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. The pain gave
her back a faint surge of strength.
Noelle gritted her teeth as she looked at him. “If you dare touch me, I will never let you get away with it!”
She was supposed to look furious, but under the influence of the strange fragrance, her gaze turned
strangely soft and alluring.
Conner had planned this from the start. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have deliberately asked Noelle to visit the Ashford residence, nor insisted on driving her back to the Spencer residence himself.
These days, he’d realized his longing for Noelle had settled deep into him. He could no longer wait to
have her.
That thought tormented him, leaving him restless night after night. He would even find himself calling out
Noelle’s name in his sleep.
Tonight, Conner was determined to claim her no matter what happened.
It was the height of summer in Norland, and Noelle wore only a plain dress, which made things easier for
him.
His hands roamed all over her, and in no time, her dress had been tugged down to her chest. Her exposed
shoulders were pale and alluring.
Conner couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Noelle, you missed me too, didn’t you?”
A wave of nausea churned in her chest. She wanted to raise her hand and slap him, but her body was limp, utterly drained of strength.
Her eyes darted to her phone. Right now, the only way to save herself was to call Mary.
Noelle glanced up at the lights still on in the Spencer residence. All she needed to do was call Mary, then she might still be saved.
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But shadows swam in her vision, and she couldn’t make out the phone screen on the seat. Even unlocking it took an exhausting amount of effort.
“Say you missed me, Noelle!” Conner grew impatient when she didn’t respond.
To keep him from noticing she was fumbling with her phone, Noelle had no choice but to play along. “I
missed you too.”
God knew just how sick she felt the moment those words left her mouth
What she truly thought was that it should’ve been Conner who died in that plane crash, and that it
should’ve been the real Caleb who came back. It would have been better if he had died in that crash than
live to do something so vile.
Hearing the answer he wanted, Conner lit up with smug and excitement. “I knew it! I knew you definitely
missed me!”
Noelle struggled to focus on the phone screen, but she couldn’t make out a thing, let alone find Mary’s. number. With no other choice, she dialed a random number.
She wasn’t sure who she had called or whether the call had even gone through. All she could do was count the seconds in her head and hope for the best.
“Help me! Help me!” she cried.
Chapter 84
