\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 141 The Unwanted Embrace\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, she really didn\u2019t want to talk to Scarlett.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett knew Vanessa all too well. She could sense Vanessa was still holding a grudge against her, the resentment simmering beneath the surface of her quiet compliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fine, if she wanted to stay angry, then let her stay angry. There was little Scarlett could do about it anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After monitoring Vanessa at the hospital for about an hour and confirming no further symptoms had appeared, Scarlett finally took her back to Ravenshade Villa, the drive home passing in heavy silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once home, she helped Vanessa wash up and change into fresh pajamas with mechanical\u00a0<\/p>\n
movements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only after Vanessa had finally fallen asleep, her breathing evening out into the rhythm of slumber, did Scarlett allow herself to take a shower and complete her skincare routine, the familiar motions offering little comfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still concerned about Vanessa\u2019s condition potentially worsening during the night, she decided to sleep on the couch in Vanessa\u2019s room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps because she had been caught in the rain earlier, Scarlett experienced restless dreams throughout the night-feverish visions of everything she had done for Vincent, of her painful falling out with her family, of her own daughter calling her a bad mother\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
In her half-awake, half-asleep state, she thought she saw Vincent leaning over her, his lips moving as if saying something, but she couldn\u2019t make out any words through the haze of her fever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though she couldn\u2019t hear him, she then felt Vincent bend down, one hand sliding beneath her back, the other under her legs, lifting her with surprising gentleness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lifted her up, cradling her against his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where was he taking her? Scarlett had no idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt like a dream, yet carried a strange sense of reality that confused her fever-addled mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night, Scarlett slept deeply once the dreams subsided. When she woke the next morning, her entire body felt sore and numb, as if drained of all strength, every muscle protesting when she tried to move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As consciousness slowly returned, she realized with growing confusion that she was no longer\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:41 Sat, Jan\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e0a\u0e23\u00a0<\/p>\n
86\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 141 The Unwanted Embrace\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
in Vanessa\u2019s room, but in the master bedroom she shared with Vincent-a space that had felt increasingly foreign to her in recent months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What truly shocked her was discovering Vincent lying quietly beside her-with her own arms and legs wrapped around him like an octopus, clinging tightly in her sleep as if he were her only anchor in a storm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett was completely bewildered. Recalling last night\u2019s hazy memory, had Vincent actually carried her here? Had that not been a dream after all?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regardless of how she got here, the current reality of her entangled position with Vincent was undeniable and deeply embarrassing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She attempted to carefully retract her limbs, moving as stealthily as possible to avoid waking him, but Vincent opened his eyes anyway, his gaze immediately clear and focused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment their eyes met, Scarlett froze-her entire body and movements halting abruptly like a deer caught in headlights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent turned his head and studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before finally asking in a morning-rough voice, \u201cYou\u2019re awake?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett quickly withdrew her arms and legs, scooting as far from Vincent as the bed would allow. Only then did she respond with a stiff, \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent clearly noticed her retreat, his eyes tracking her movement, but simply stated matter- of-factly, \u201cYou had a fever last night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett remembered being drenched in the rain and suddenly understood why she felt so wretched. \u201cOh,\u201d she acknowledged, the single word heavy with reluctant acceptance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feeling too weak to attempt getting up, she focused only on maintaining what distance she could from Vincent, pressing herself against her side of the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing her still disoriented and pale, Vincent instinctively reached out as if to check her temperature, but Scarlett flinched away from his touch as if burned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her immediate avoidance sparked an odd discomfort within him, a feeling he couldn\u2019t quite\u00a0<\/p>\n
name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He recalled how in the past-on the rare occasions he had ever stayed with her like this-she would have immediately snuggled closer, seeking his warmth and presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now, not only was she not drawing near, she was actively trying to put as much space between them as possible, treating him like a stranger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent didn\u2019t withdraw his hand. Instead, he grasped Scarlett\u2019s arm firmly and pulled her\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:41 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 141 The Unwanted Embrace\u00a0<\/p>\n
against his chest, ignoring her weak struggle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was too weakened by fever to resist effectively-he drew her in effortlessly, her body yielding to his stronger pull.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers in the classic method of checking temperature.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a few seconds of contact, he released her and said, \u201cYour fever hasn\u2019t broken completely. Don\u2019t go to the hospital today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett immediately shifted away from him again, putting distance back between them. She particularly disliked Vincent\u2019s scent this morning-it carried traces of cigarette smoke and a faint, floral perfume that definitely wasn\u2019t his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can take care of myself,\u201d she insisted. \u201cBesides, I work at a hospital. If anything happens, there are colleagues who can help me.\u201d Unwilling to follow Vincent\u2019s orders, Scarlett rejected his suggestion with stubborn defiance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent frowned at this resistance, his brows drawing together. He turned to look at her directly, remaining silent for an extended moment as if weighing his response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett could feel the irritation in his gaze burning into her, but she refused to meet his eyes, keeping her own fixed on the ceiling. She simply said, \u201cWhen Vanessa wakes up for school, you take her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent was quiet for a while, the silence stretching between them, before finally answering with a curt, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unable to summon the strength to get up just yet, Scarlett added, \u201cThen go wake her now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent said, \u201cOkay.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Vincent got out of bed, he sat on the edge for a moment, not immediately leaving but simply watching Scarlett as she lay there, his gaze intense and contemplative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under his prolonged stare, Scarlett finally asked, \u201cWh-what is it? Why are you staring?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of answering, Vincent reached out and unexpectedly slipped his hand beneath her shirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment she felt his touch, Scarlett instantly wrapped her arms around herself defensively, glaring at him with wide eyes. \u201cVincent, what are you doing?\u201d she demanded, her voice sharp\u00a0<\/p>\n
with alarm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Already feverish and lightheaded, it took her a moment to process his movement. By the time\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:41 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 141 The Unwanted Embrace\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u17e5\u17e9 (86)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
she tried to defend herself, his hand was already under her clothing, his palm flat against her\u00a0<\/p>\n
skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So now, she was hugging not just her shirt, but Vincent\u2019s hand as well, trapping it against her in her panic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flustered, she tried to push him away, but this only caused his hand to slide further upward, landing directly on a particularly sensitive area just below her breast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s hand was burning hot, searing against Scarlett\u2019s comparatively cool skin, the contrast startling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was utterly stunned. When she finally comprehended the situation and attempted to release his hand, Vincent spoke first, his voice low and deliberately provocative, \u201cScarlett, have you no shame?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett looked up at him, her cheeks flushed pink with both fever and embarrassment, her eyes still hazy and not fully alert, completely bewildered by his accusation and their compromising position.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.1K\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:41 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 141 \u00a0 Chapter 141 The Unwanted Embrace\u00a0 So, she really didn\u2019t want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27505\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}