Ch. 121..125: Begging For A Reconciliation Chapter 121-125

Chapter 121

Ian shrugged his shoulders helplessly and looked at Leah. His eyes were full of tenderness as he said, “I wish to accompany Sarah as I’m not comfortable leaving her alone. However, I’m occupied at work.”

“Tsk tsk. Look at the lovebirds.”

“Someone has finally captured the heart of our school hunk. So many girls are going to have their hearts broken.”

The men at the table chatted merrily and teased Ian and Leah. In contrast, the two female volunteers had bitter expressions and hardly consumed any food.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Bryan asked in concern when he noticed the women’s odd attitude.

The lady with curly hair, Rebecca Patel, forced a smile and said, “It’s all right. I can’t take spicy food.”

Ian said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I selected this restaurant as Sarah likes the food here. I forget to ask for your preferences.”

Rebecca scowled, her eyes glistening as she tried to fight back her tears. While Leah failed to notice the woman’s annoyance, Serena did. She smirked as she realized she had discovered a secret.

When dinner was coming toward the end, Sunny and the rest gave a toast to Ian. After downing three glasses of alcohol, Ian said, “Although I’m unable to join the trip, I’m confident that you guys will look after Sarah for me. She has a weak physique, so I’m worried that she’s unable to adapt to the harsh conditions there. Do keep me informed if there’s an emergency.”

“Of course, we will. We have been friends for so long, Ian. We’ll definitely take good care of your fiancee.” Bryan, who was slightly intoxicated, pounded his chest and assured. Sunny, on the other hand, was unusually silent. His face flushed and his eyes were hollow as if he was deep in thought.

Once they had eaten their fill, Sunny stood up and announced, “I’ll be heading to the restroom.”

“Me too!” Rebecca followed Sunny closed behind as they made their way toward the restroom. However, once the duo was close to the restroom, they made a detour and hid in an isolated corner.

“What’s with your expression earlier? Didn’t I tell you to get into the woman’s good books?” Sunny glared at Rebecca and chided her.

The woman’s expression turned solemn and she bit her lip hard. She replied bitterly, “I didn’t mean to defy your instructions. I couldn’t help myself when I saw how well Ian treated that woman.”

Sunny frowned and looked at Rebecca with disdain. “You can’t control yourself just because of that?” I warned you a long time ago to get lost if you are not up to the task! Don’t you dare to mess things up for me. Do you know what happens if you make a mistake?”

Sunny sighed in fear of incurring Rebecca’s wrath as he noticed her face turning crimson with rage. “Don’t blame me for being blunt,” he softened his tone. “I’m just being honest and speaking up for your sake.”

“Don’t act so righteous, you only care about your own interest. We are in the same precarious situation now,” Rebecca clenched her jaws and hissed.

Anger thrummed through Sunny’s veins when he heard Rebecca’s threats. However, he had no choice but to control his temper. The man sighed before urging, “Just bear with it for a while longer. Once we reach the village, we’ll be in control of the situation.”

Rebecca’s face scrunched up as resentment festered in her. Eventually, she swallowed down her frustration and nodded her head silently. After chatting for a while, they returned to the restaurant.

Sunny and Rebecca did not know that their every move was being watched. After they made their way back to the restaurant, a tall dark figure stepped out of the shadows. He frowned as he watched the duo disappear from sight. After a brief pause, he took out his phone and made a call. “Check this for me…”

Rock Hill Village was located in Abingdon, a town that was famous for being embedded in the mountains. There were approximately seven to eight villages like Rock Hill Village located across the area. However, each of the villages was located a few hundred miles away.

In the charted bus, the group was listening intently to Sunny’s enthusiastic introduction of Rock Hill Village. Leah was nonchalant about staying in an underdeveloped location as she had endured hardships before she married Han. Serena, on the other hand, was a pampered child. It was her first time sitting on a bumpy and uncomfortable bus ride. Her face was drained of color as she leaned on Leah’s shoulders for support.

“We’re on our way to the school where we’ll be doing volunteer teaching. It’s the only school within a ten-mile radius. All of the children from the eight villages will attend school here,” Sunny announced with a grin.

Bryan was intrigued because it was his first visit. Hence, he inquired further, “They walk a few miles a day just to get to school?”

Rebecca added in confusion, “Would all the students be taught the same curriculum then?”

Sunny sighed and explained, “Unfortunately, that is the case. The villages are run-down and backward. As a result, those locals with some form of education would strive to leave their village and find work elsewhere. As a result, there are very few teachers available. In addition, the school is poorly resourced. Please be prepared for a challenging experience while volunteering to teach here.”

“What could be more difficult than this bus ride? Ahh…” Serena’s speech was cut short due to nausea. Leah hurriedly patted her back to ease her discomfort.

After a four-hour journey, the bus came to stop as it was unable to ride through the narrow street.

“All right, we’ll have to go by foot from now on. Please get your belongings and let’s prepare to head to the village,” Sunny informed.

Serena immediately straightened up when she heard that they could get off the bus. She went on to fetch her belongings as instructed.

At the village’s entrance, two men and four women awaited the group. The apparent leader looked radiant and he was dressed simply but presentable.

“Welcome to Rock Hill Village, Teachers. I’m the village head, Agus Welton,” the man grinned and said merrily.

Sunny stepped forward and gave the man a firm handshake. “Hello, Chief Welton. Sorry for the long wait.”

Agus signaled the villagers beside him as he spoke, “It’s all right. I’m sure you have brought along many things. Let me send some help.”

Serena had the most belongings in the entire group. She had three pieces of luggage and numerous bags of snacks. In addition, she had brought along a barbeque rack, as though she was on a holiday. The most important item was a white pouch that carried all her valued skin products.

Serena was still dazed from the earlier bus ride. To her dismay, she witnessed a burly woman grab her bag and search through it, muttering to herself.

“Hey! Stop touching my things!” Serena shrieked.

Chapter 122

The woman was taken aback by Serena’s sudden scream. As a result, her fingers slipped and the bag landed with a loud thud on the ground.

Serena did not care if she was still feeling light-headed. She rushed forward to look over her belongings. When she realized the extent of the damage, her face turned pale.

“What happened?” Leah asked in concern when she noticed Serena’s frozen expression. The latter reached into the bag for a palm-sized glass bottle. Unfortunately, the bottle had broken, allowing the white cream to leak into her hand.

“My miracle cream… it’s gone…” Serena whimpered, sadness clouded her features.

“I didn’t mean to break it.” The burly woman hurriedly waved her hand and continued nervously, “I was curious and decided to take a look. Your sudden scream frightened me.”

Serena’s expression hardened as she chided, “How can you search through others’ belongings without permission?”

The woman protested, “I didn’t mean to. I apologized for the mistake didn’t I?”

“Can I slap you and apologize for my actions?” Serena retorted.

The duo could not stop bickering and the atmosphere turned tense. Suddenly, Rebecca interjected, “Can you stop being so unreasonable, Serena? It’s just a broken bottle of cream. You won’t be needing it in the mountains anyway.”

“That’s easy for you to say. Who the hell are you?” Serena mocked with a sidelong glance and a poker face. “Oh yes, you are Rebecca. Do you know how much a bottle of this costs? 115 thousand dollars. I don’t think you can even earn that much for the rest of your life. What gives you the right to suggest letting the matter off so easily?”

Serena’s revelation stunned everyone as they could not believe that such a small bottle would be so expensive. They wondered in unison, this costs 115 thousand dollars?

“Don’t worry.” Leah patted Serena’s arms and assured her, “I’ll get a bottle for you once we get back.”

Sunny pursed his lips and hardened his expression. He had nearly offered to compensate Serena for her loss, but decided to rescind the offer once he heard it was 115 thousand dollars. He grimaced further when he heard Leah calmly offer to buy another bottle for Serena.

“I’ll hold you to your words. I want another soap along with it.” Serena requested as she clung to Leah’s arms.

“Sure, I’ll get it for you.” Leah chuckled.

The rest of the group looked fondly at the two ladies who willingly forked out 115 thousand dollars for a small bottle of cream. After the episode, no one dared to go near Serena’s belongings. Despite having a load of items to carry herself, Leah offered to help her friend with her luggage.

After seeing Leah trudge for a few steps, Sunny walked toward her and offered, “Let me help you with it.” Leah glanced at the man and replied, “Thank you.”

Sunny smirked to himself as he attempted to project a gentlemanly demeanor. He purposefully brushed his fingers against Leah’s arm as she passed over the items. This caused goosebumps to appear on the woman’s arm.

Leah raised her head and looked at Sunny with a poker face. The man acted as though nothing had happened and looked quizzically at her through his shades. He asked, “What’s the matter?”

Leah shook her head and replied, “Nothing.” Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, she thought to herself.

It took the group approximately two hours to make it to the top of the mountain. Serena no longer had the strength to speak by the time they arrived. The village chief had arranged for them to stay at two of the best houses in Rock Hill Village. One of the houses belonged to the village chief while the other belonged to a widow, Alyssa Thazer.

Alyssa’s husband had been working abroad for a long time. As a result of his passing from a work injury, Alyssa received compensation of 40 thousand dollars from his superior. The woman used the money to build a large house and led a comfortable life with her son.

The seven visitors congregated at the village chief house to discuss their living arrangements.

“Why don’t the four ladies stay with Alyssa while the three men stay at the village chief’s house?” Bryan suggested.

The rest agreed in unison, “I’m fine with this arrangement.”

“Me too.”

It was the first time Alyssa was hosting guests from the city. Hence, she put on her best smile and warmly received the four ladies. She was especially kind to Leah and Serena as she noticed that their appearance and demeanor were distinct from the rest.

Once they were settled at Alyssa’s house, Serena announced that she would be skipping dinner. She was void of energy and chose to return to her room to rest. She did not have the mood nor the stamina to examine her poorly furbished surroundings.

Meanwhile, the remaining three guests, Leah, Rebecca, and Gracia Perez, decided to help Alyssa prepare dinner.

Just then, Sunny called out from outside the house. “Are you there, Ms. White?”

“Yeah,” Leah responded without looking at the man.

Sunny walked into the house and saw that the ladies were busy preparing dinner. He asked in astonishment, “You know how to cook, Ms. White?”

Leah smiled politely and said, “A little.” She had intentionally given a cold and distant reply. However, Sunny did not seem to take notice as he hovered behind her and probed, “What are you making?”

There was barely enough space in the kitchen. As a result, when Sunny stood behind her, he appeared to be hugging her from behind. Leah furrowed her brows and turned around to widen the distance between them. She asked curtly, “Why are you looking for me?”

A sinister look flashed across Sunny’s face. He said casually, “Oh it’s nothing serious. The village chief said that we shall feast together tonight. Hence, I thought to come and see if I could be of any help.”

“There’s no need to. You can wait outside,” Leah nodded her head and urged.

“All right,” Sunny replied helplessly.

Dinner was served shortly thereafter. Owing to the limited ingredients available, there wasn’t an assortment of dishes available. However, it was considered a lavish meal for the locals at Rock Hill Village. The village chief even pulled out his prized possession, a bottle of white wine that he had kept for quite some time.

Leah went to Serena’s room to inform her of dinner. However, the latter waved her hand and said, “I have no appetite. You guys can enjoy your meal. I want to sleep.”

“All right. I’ll keep some food for you, in case you are hungry in the middle of the night. You can warm it up by yourself if that happens.”

After speaking, Leah exited the room. As she was about to step out of the door, she bumped into Sunny, who was about to enter. Upon noticing Sunny’s troubled expression, she asked, “What’s the matter?” Her heart was filled with skepticism at his sudden appearance.

“I’m here to collect something, Ms. White.” Sunny approached Leah slowly. His eyes became ferocious and remained fixed on the woman. Leah began to back away, concerned about the man’s demeanor.

“Ahh! I’m having a headache,” Serena complained lazily as she sat on the bed and held her head. “Forget it. I’m getting up.”

 

Chapter 123

Sunny’s menacing look and attitude vanished when he was interrupted by Serena’s voice. It was replaced by his usual wide and warm smile.

Leah heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran to Serena. She urged, “Let’s go for dinner.” Serena walked out the door groggily, seemingly unaware of Sunny’s odd behavior earlier.

Around eight o’clock in the evening, the dinner feast came to an end. The nightfall in the mountainous areas was earlier than in the city. Furthermore, the locals led a simple life and were early sleepers. As a result, they went to bed soon after dinner.

It started to thunder in the middle of the night. Because the cement walls did not provide soundproofing, Leah and the other visitors could clearly hear the howling wind outside. In addition, it was the summer monsoon season when heavy downpours and thunderstorms were expected. The constant rain trickling and deep rumble of thunder disrupted their sleep.

Unable to fall asleep, Leah flipped over on the bed to face Serena. Upon noticing that the former was also wide awake, she asked, “Are you having difficulty sleeping too?”

Another loud thunder rumble sounded as Leah nodded her head. She held on to the blanket sheets and whispered, “I’m feeling a little worried.”

Serena stared at the ceiling and said in despair, “You may be feeling jittery about coming to an unfamiliar place. Hurry and get some sleep. We’ll be visiting the school early in the morning tomorrow right?”

Leah acknowledged, “You are right.” With that, the duo forced themselves to get some rest.

After some time, a clanging sound echoed from outside, followed by a knock on their door.

“Are you there, Ms. White?” The village chief asked anxiously.

Leah and Serena were still awake, so they jumped out of bed, put on their coats, and walked out of the room. They noticed that a crowd had gathered at the hall. Sunny and the other volunteer teachers were also present, in addition to the village chief. Everyone had a solemn expression on their face. They approached Leah and Serena when they noticed their arrival.

“What happened?” Leah asked quizzically.

The village chief asked, “Apart from the seven teachers, did anyone else from the city come to the village?”

Leah turned to face Sunny, who shook his head hurriedly. “We have already told the village chief that no one else joined us on this trip. However, he insisted on asking both of you as well.”

Leah nodded her head and asked the village chief, “No one else came along. Did something happen?”

The village chief frowned and his expression darkened. “Someone reported seeing a person at the foot of the mountain. However, due to the intensity of the downpour, the person seems to be trapped. Based on the person’s attire, he seems to be from the city. We thought that he may be your friend. Since you have said that no one else came to the village, who could he be?”

The other locals had a grim expression as well. They were terrified of climbing the mountains in the current weather as the heavy downpour and thunderstorms would cause the path to be muddy. However, they could not turn a blindeye to the person trapped at the foot of the mountain. Moreover, the person seemed to be an unfamiliar guest from the city.

“Let’s take a look,” someone suggested.

“But… the weather…” another said hesitantly.

Leah’s heart raced as she remembered the uneasiness that had plagued her all night. In fact, she considered the possibility that Ian had secretly visited her. She bit her lip and interrupted the ongoing heated discussion, “I’ll take a look. All of you can stay here.”

“I disagree,” Sunny objected. “It’s very dark right now, and the heavy rain has made the ground slick and muddy. Who will save you if there is an accident?”

The village chief nodded his head in agreement. “Why don’t we search for the person tomorrow?”

“There’s no time to wait. Don’t worry, I’ll be extra careful. Nothing serious will happen,” Leah shook her head and said with conviction.

Serena hurriedly offered, “I’ll accompany you then. It’s better to have someone with you.”

Sunny clenched his jaws and muttered unwillingly, “I’ll join you then. I promised Ian to take care of you.”

The village chief sighed and said, “I’ll send two of my young men to follow along. Even though the weather is not ideal, it’s not as scary as it seems. It’s better to have someone familiar with the location to guide you.”

The crowd dispersed so that the necessary preparations could be made. Fortunately, Leah had planned ahead of time and packed raincoats for the trip. She distributed them and brought a waterproof torchlight with her.

Soon, the group started to make their way down the mountain. The journey was more arduous than what they had expected. As they cautiously trudged through the mud, everyone clutched the torchlight tightly and helped each other on. The rain continued to fall mercilessly on them, obscuring their vision and making each step more difficult.

The torchlight was the only source of light in the mountains. However, in complete darkness, the dim light was weak and practically useless. Everyone remained silent, with only light breathing audible.

Just then the villager shouted, “Look, there seems to be someone there!”

Everyone directed their torchlight at the villager’s direction to get a better view of the situation. They noticed a tall figure trapped in the mud, but he appeared to be motionless.

“Hey, are you all right?” The villager called out but there was no response.

Leah and the others approached the figure to get a better look at the stranger. Leah felt an odd sense of familiarity as she approached the man. When they arrived, they shone their torchlight at the nearby surroundings.

“Are you conscious?” Leah asked. Given her gentle voice and the loud pouring rain, it was hard for one to hear her clearly. However, the moment she ended her sentence, the still figure suddenly moved.

Boom! An earth-shattering clap of thunder rumbled in the sky. It was followed by a sudden strike of lightning that lit up the dark surroundings.

The man slowly raised his head, his dark hollow eyes fixed on Leah. The mesmerizing eyes held the woman captive, causing her to lose her senses. She held her breath and unintentionally released the torchlight.

Leah felt as if she were in a dream. The man she had least expected to see was trapped in the mud in a disheveled state.

Chapter 124

Many years later, when someone asked Han why a man as proud as him would lower himself so many times for Leah, only one word appeared in his mind: rain.

All the most memorable moments of Leah happened in the rain.

At that moment, Han suddenly felt the hardship of traveling through the rugged mountain terrain was nothing when he saw Leah.

They locked eyes for a few seconds before Leah shifted her gaze.

Leah would never dream of seeing Han there. However, she could no longer persuade herself otherwise that Han was there for her.

He still would not let go of her.

“Quick! Get him out of the mud!” the villagers shouted.

Han’s feet had sunken deep in the mud. It was impossible to pull himself up without help. Everyone quickly rushed forward and shoveled the mud to get Han out.

“Do you know him?” Sunny asked Leah and Serena because he thought Han looked too elegant and graceful to be involved with villagers like them, except Leah and Serena.

Leah pressed he lips tightly and refused to say anything. The color drained out of her face when Han laid eyes on her. The atmosphere became intense.

At that moment, Serena yawned. “I know him. He’s my friend. I’ll bring him home.”

Sunny let out a sigh of relief.

He thought Han was here for Leah. But, then, that would be bad for his intention for Leah.

“Great! Let’s go,” said Sunny to Han.

Han gave him a cold stare. He did not move an inch.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to come with me? But then you can only leave here tomorrow morning. No one could save you if you fell again,” asked Serena curiously.

Serena did not know what happened between Han and Leah, but she could sense something from their intricate interactions. So, she was pretty excited to find out more about them.

So, Serena could be the only person who was happy about Han’s arrival.

Han gave a brief look at Serena before landing his gaze on Leah. “My feet are numb,” he said.

Everyone could sense a hint of hurt feeling from Han’s deep voice.

However, Leah completely ignored Han. She turned and left.

“Erm… Let me help get out of here.” Sunny took a step forward hesitantly.

Han gave him another cold stare. “No, not you.”

Sunny pulled a face. “Who do you want then?” he asked.

“I want her.” Han pointed his finger at Leah, who looked slightly scrawny from behind.

Of course, Leah heard Han’s words. She was not deaf. Moreover, Han had intentionally raised his voice.

Even so, Leah pretended like she did not hear anything. She continued to walk forward and did not even turn her head.

Serena had a strange feeling like she was watching a squabble between a couple.

Han refused to let anyone help him, even though the rain was getting heavier. He stood still there like he would not leave until Leah turned her head.

Everyone was in raincoats except Han. His expensive, custom-made suit was soaking wet and covered with mud.

“Cindy, are you going to leave him like this?” Serena ran over to Leah and whispered in her ear.

Leah took a look at Han from the corner of her eyes. “Yes. He can stay there forever if he wants,” said Leah flatly.

Her voice traveled to Han’s ears, which were not far away from her.

“Tsk, tsk. I didn’t know you could be this cruel,” Serena teased Leah.

Han stayed in the rain for another two minutes. Meanwhile, Leah and others did not go far because of the slippery road condition.

Han’s expression hardened, looking at Leah’s back.

She did not turn her head back even once. Leah had only looked at Han once since they discovered Han.

Has she ultimately given up on me?

Han suddenly felt despair.

He never lost hope when he traveled far into Abingdon Town or even when he was trapped in the mud.

However, at that moment, he felt helpless.

“Er… are you sure you don’t want to go?” asked another villager hesitantly.

Han pursed his lips and raised his chin. “Well, since you care about me so much, I’ll go with you then.”

“…”

The villager was wondering what did he say indicate his care for Han.

Shortly after, Leah heard another set of footsteps behind her.

Leah knew too well she could recognize Han’s footsteps among others.

The journey back to the village was long. The villagers only arrived home around midnight.

Finally, the rain stopped.

Leah took off her raincoat. She pulled back her slightly damp hair, not paying attention to her surroundings.

All this while, Han’s gaze was fixated on her.

Leah was wearing a shirt made of light, thin fabric. When she raised her hand, one could see a small patch of fair skin on her waist.

Han narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips. Then, he lunged forward and pulled down Leah’s shirt.

Leah was drying her hair. She was startled by Han’s sudden action. “What are you doing?” asked Leah as she stepped back and looked at Han warily.

Han was stunned at her reaction.

“I’m just adjusting your shirt,” Han explained.

Leah nodded. “I know, but please leave me alone.”

It hurt Han to hear her tone sound so distant.

Then, Sunny came in with a short-sleeved T-shirt and long pants. “These are my clothes. You can wear them if you don’t mind,” said Sunny to Han with a shy smile.

Han did not bring anything with him to Rock Hill Village. He was drenched completely without any clothes to change into.

“No, thanks.” However, Han declined without any hesitation.

Sunny froze for a while.

Leah was embarrassed and felt a bit angry at Han’s reply. “Keep your clothes. Some people could be very ungrateful,” she told Sunny.

“No. I mean, my clothes are in my car at the foot of the hill. I can get them tomorrow,” Han awkwardly explained when he saw Leah had misunderstood him.

Han was germaphobic. He never liked to use things others had used, especially things as personal as clothes.

Chapter 125

Leah thought Han’s explanation was rather unnecessary because they were no longer in a relationship that required one.

“Suit yourself!” said Leah before she returned to her room.

The commotion in the mud had alerted many villagers. They would not leave Han alone, even when Leah wanted to ignore him.

Especially someone like Gracia Perez. Her eyes sparkled when she saw Han.

Gracia was a hardworking person from a working-class family who had eyes like a hawk on any opportunity to climb the social ladder.

Han was the perfect embodiment of everything Gracia had dreamed of.

So, Garcia made up her mind the moment she set her eyes on Han: making Han her man.

Even though she did not know anything about Han’s background.

“Everyone, it’s late. Let’s go and rest,” said Alyssa.

Gracia bit her lips and looked at Han. “How about him? Where is he going to rest tonight?”

Alyssa kept her eyes on Han too, not because of his handsome outlook, but hoping Han would pull some strings for her.

Chief Welton was put on the spot. “Erm, we don’t have extra space for him.”

“How about this? If this gentleman does not mind, he can share a room with my son,” Alyssa quickly offered.

Everyone looked at Han.

Han nodded after weighing his chance to get closer to Leah if he stayed at Alyssa’s home.

“That’s it! Everyone had been working hard tonight. Sleep tight!” said Sunny.

Everyone cheered after hearing it before they went home.

Meanwhile, Leah did not sleep well. She was having nightmares, some about Han, others about Ian.

Her shirt was drenched in her cold sweats when she finally woke up.

Leah sat on her bed, still disoriented from her nightmares.

Then, she heard Serena mumble. “Are you awake? You were asleep talking in your dream.”

Leah pursed her lips and looked at her phone. It was only nine in the morning.

Leah hardly had five hours of sleep.

However, she could not fall back to sleep anymore. So, she sighed and got her clothes for a bath.

Then, Leah bumped into Han when she stepped out of her room. His wet shirt had dried up without a wrinkle.

Leah finally stopped being disoriented and shot a wary glare at Han.

She was shocked at what she saw.

Han’s cheeks were blushed, and his eyes were out of focus. His forehead was drenched in sweat, but his lips cracked from dehydration.

Seemed like Han caught a cold from the rain last night. Who knew how long he had had a fever?

However, Leah retracted her glare almost immediately and went to the bathroom.

Han felt a splitting headache when he woke up. He touched his forehead and realized he had a fever.

Then, Han remembered the days he was newly married to Leah. She always worried excessively when Han had slight discomfort from a minor fever.

Perhaps she might do the same this time?

So, Han waited in front of Leah’s bedroom door.

He finally waited until Leah opened the door. However, Leah seemed indifferent to his condition and walked past him.

Han was embarrassed and annoyed. He tried to create a chance to reconcile, but Leah did not care at all.

When Leah was about to close the bathroom door, a hand blocked it.

Leah frowned and looked up. She found herself gazing into Han’s eyes.

Even though Han tried to act cool, he was apparently weak from fever.

Yet, Leah looked at him without a change of expression.

Han was starting to get irritated. “Why did you ignore me?”

His voice croaked.

Leah was amused. “Why should I care about you?” she retorted.

“You lied to me.” Han looked at Leah with an unwavering stare.

“What had I lied to you?”

“You did not die. You faked your own death to get away from me and to torture me with guilt. Leah Murray, since when you became so calculating?” said Han.

Once again, Leah found Han’s accusation amusing.

Calculating? She might have died in Han’s hands if she was anything less.

“Like I said. We went our separate ways with no strings attached. Also, you have no say in my business. Leah Murray is dead, so the marriage is annulled. I am Sarah White, who has no relation with you,” said Leah coldly.

“No.” Han tried to deny it, but he could not find his words.

Leah’s words were cold and cruel, which made Han’s relentless pursuit seem laughable.

Han held onto the door frame tightly.

Han felt devastated looking at Leah’s cold expression for the first time.

“Anything else?” Leah asked.

Han’s eyes bored into Leah. “No string attached? Impossible! You lied to me. You are not getting away as long as I am still alive.” Han said each word clearly.

Leah’s heart skipped a beat.

She knew Han too well. She knew how relentless Han could be.

Leah opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but then she heard Sunny’s voice from chatting with others.

“Get out. I want to take a bath,” Leah lowered her voice.

Han raised his brows. “Afraid to be seen?”

“I said I want to take a bath.”

Han looked at Leah closely. She looked like a stranger at that moment, yet she was still the woman he once married.

“What are you so afraid of? I’ve seen every inch of you!” Probably he was too ill to remain civilized.

“You are mad!” Leah looked at Han in disbelief.

Han thought so too.

Han finally removed his hands from the door frame when he heard footsteps approaching, worried that he might further anger Leah.

Bam!

Leah shut the door behind her, along with Han’s eager gaze.

Holding her clothes, Leah felt her knees weaken when she recalled Han’s words.

The situation seemed to be getting worse.

She wanted to cut all ties with Han, but he was getting harder to understand.