Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Rebecca distinctly felt his gaze linger on her for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was easygoing and quickly struck up a conversation\u00a0<\/p>\n
with a few of the girls, so the atmosphere wasn\u2019t too awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until someone raised a question.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, why are you suddenly dropping out of our lab\u00a0<\/p>\n
project?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
All eyes immediately turned to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s movements and gaze froze, feeling several intense\u00a0<\/p>\n
stares fixed on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before, she could have lied easily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now that Adrian had seen through her, the lies felt like they\u00a0<\/p>\n
were burning her mouth, impossible to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two students who had been on good terms with Rebecca\u00a0<\/p>\n
chuckled and teased her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter you left, we were guessing if you went back to date\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
someone and get married or something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPfft\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine couldn\u2019t hold it in and spat out her drink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth and quickly explained\u00a0<\/p>\n
for Rebecca, \u201cDon\u2019t talk nonsense, our Rebecca is still single.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After saying that, she deliberately glanced at Adrian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although Adrian\u2019s eyes were on the menu, they were clearly\u00a0<\/p>\n
unfocused. His attention was all on Rebecca.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was indeed curious, wondering what kind of excuse\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca would come up with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just some family business. I had to go back and take care\u00a0<\/p>\n
of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrouble at home?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do you need our help?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as he finished, the person next to him nudged his\u00a0<\/p>\n
shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you stupid? What help can we be? If anyone\u2019s going to\u00a0<\/p>\n
help, it\u2019d have to be Professor Shaw.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since the conversation had turned to Adrian, he turned his head\u00a0<\/p>\n
to join in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there anything I can do to help you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca held her breath and turned to meet his gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her expression was complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was the one who knew best what she wanted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For him to ask like this, what did Adrian really mean?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was he doing it on purpose, to humiliate her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But on second thought, Rebecca felt she was overthinking it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After all, she was the one who had lied to Adrian in the first\u00a0<\/p>\n
place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca shook her head, \u201cI can handle it myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After that, she picked up her fork and started eating on her own,\u00a0<\/p>\n
looking unwilling to talk to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was probably the \u201cdon\u2019t come near me\u201d vibe she was giving\u00a0<\/p>\n
off. The students who had been eager to talk to her now just\u00a0<\/p>\n
looked at each other awkwardly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian looked away and called the waiter over to order.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked natural as he changed the subject to the research\u00a0<\/p>\n
project he was currently working on..\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they started talking about the experiment, the atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
between them finally became less awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine wanted to say something to Rebecca several times,\u00a0<\/p>\n
but seeing her just staring blankly at the plate of Spicy Wok-\u00a0<\/p>\n
tossed Kidney, she could only sigh silently to herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Forget it, I\u2019ll talk to her after dinner when we get back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you done eating?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine nodded. She had lost her appetite long ago. If Rebecca was uncomfortable, she felt uncomfortable too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca nodded and paid with her phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After standing up, she looked openly at Adrian and his\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoy your meal, everyone. We\u2019re leaving now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, you\u2019re leaving already? Why don\u2019t you stay a little longer?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Rebecca, we haven\u2019t seen you in days. Don\u2019t you miss\u00a0<\/p>\n
us?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca forced a polite smile, gave a slight nod, and left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the two of them left, Adrian\u2019s gaze followed their backs, lost\u00a0<\/p>\n
in thought for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until they were out of the restaurant that Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
felt the oppressive feeling ease up a bit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She reached out and tugged on Rebecca\u2019s sleeve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, are you okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat could be wrong with me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca composed herself quickly, her expression back to\u00a0<\/p>\n
normal as she spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She winced, \u201cIt was just a little awkward, after all, I was acting\u00a0<\/p>\n
like that in front of them every day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t help but rub her arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so cutesy, I feel weird just thinking about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine chuckled, \u201cI wasn\u2019t used to you acting so proper\u00a0<\/p>\n
either.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo yeah, it\u2019s better to just be myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They chatted as they reached the parking lot, and Rebecca\u00a0<\/p>\n
patted her pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHm?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy car keys.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She distinctly remembered slipping them in her pocket after\u00a0<\/p>\n
she got out of the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine rushed over and started patting Rebecca down with\u00a0<\/p>\n
both hands, searching with a serious expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few passersby glanced over, their expressions clearly shipping a couple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was speechless. She put her palm on Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 216\u00a0<\/p>\n
forehead and pushed her away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop it, they\u2019re not on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca pulled out her phone. \u201cI can unlock the car with the\u00a0<\/p>\n
app.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 216 Chapter 216\u00a0 But Rebecca distinctly felt his gaze linger on […]<\/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":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29513","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=29513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29513\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}