Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
She came in and scanned the room. It was empty. The bed\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t even look like it had been slept in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Rebecca\u2019s luggage was definitely on the table nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was completely baffled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wait\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
What gossip did she miss last night?!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hungover. Headache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was the only thought in Bradley\u2019s mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He returned to what should have been his own room. The bed\u00a0<\/p>\n
was neatly made, and there seemed to be a faint scent of\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was very faint, but Bradley could still smell it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chugged a large glass of water, squinted, and tried to recall\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
what exactly happened last night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last night, after getting Simon drunk and prying the information\u00a0<\/p>\n
about that doll from him, Bradley couldn\u2019t wait a second longer\u00a0<\/p>\n
and stumbled to Charlotte\u2019s room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that hour, Charlotte was already in bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, she wasn\u2019t asleep yet. She was also upset about\u00a0<\/p>\n
everything that had happened during the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Knowing that Bradley and Simon were still outside having a drinking contest, she wanted to go check on them several\u00a0<\/p>\n
times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she was worried\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she showed up, the situation would probably get even more\u00a0<\/p>\n
out of control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As her mind was racing, someone knocked on the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To be precise, they were banging on the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The force was so strong it startled Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Worried she would wake the others, she quickly turned on the\u00a0<\/p>\n
light and got out of bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Bradley\u2019s voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte\u2019s palm on the doorknob was sweaty. She didn\u2019t open the door right away, her heart racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen the door.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s voice was, muffled, and he was making a lot of noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she didn\u2019t open the door, she had no idea if he\u2019d start making\u00a0<\/p>\n
a scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte knew he wasn\u2019t a good drinker, and he was probably\u00a0<\/p>\n
drunk by now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With no other choice, Charlotte could only open the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as she opened the door, Bradley practically fell in, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
a startled Charlotte could only reach out to catch him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026\u201d Charlotte gasped, unable to get the words out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So heavy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley was six\u2013foot\u2013one; Charlotte really couldn\u2019t hold him up\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
without using all her strength.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reeked of alcohol and felt hot. Charlotte gritted her teeth,\u00a0<\/p>\n
struggling to get him to stand up straight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t\u2026 don\u2019t move around. I\u2019ll help you inside so you can sit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two of them remained in that awkward, intimate embrace,\u00a0<\/p>\n
slowly shuffling inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time they reached the bed, Bradley stumbled, falling onto\u00a0<\/p>\n
it and pinning Charlotte underneath him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUgh\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pinned beneath him, Charlotte felt a sharp pain and let out an\u00a0<\/p>\n
involuntary grunt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her delicate brows furrowed tightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That pained sound seemed to flip a switch in Bradley\u2019s hazy,\u00a0<\/p>\n
drunken mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His heavy body stiffened for a moment. Then, he wobbled and\u00a0<\/p>\n
managed to prop himself up on his arms, taking some of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
weight off Charlotte.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He struggled to focus his hazy eyes, looking down at the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
woman beneath him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In his bloodshot eyes, there was a look of dazed, almost\u00a0<\/p>\n
instinctual concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlotte.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was slurred, thick with the smell of alcohol, but it had\u00a0<\/p>\n
somehow softened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like a big dog that did something wrong and was afraid of its\u00a0<\/p>\n
owner\u2019s scolding, he asked clumsily and anxiously, \u201cDid I hurt\u00a0<\/p>\n
you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He kept repeating \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t be mad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His warm, alcohol\u2013laced breath tickled the crook of Charlotte\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
neck, making her uncomfortable and causing her heart to skip a\u00a0<\/p>\n
few beats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was a side of Bradley she had never seen before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All his thorns and pretenses were gone, leaving only a raw, almost childlike dependence and a desire to please.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte\u2019s heart felt like it had been gently bumped, leaving a soft, aching feeling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had intended to push him away, but her hands had lost\u00a0<\/p>\n
their strength without her realizing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d she heard her own voice, a little hoarse and with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
faint, almost imperceptible tremble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2026 get up first, you\u2019re too heavy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2026 okay\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley mumbled in agreement, trying to push himself up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But his limbs were weak from the alcohol, and after a few\u00a0<\/p>\n
wobbly attempts, he just kept falling back onto her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each unintentional collision made Charlotte\u2019s face flush a\u00a0<\/p>\n
deeper shade of red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gritting her teeth, she simply shoved Bradley to the side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rolled over and lay on his side, finally allowing Charlotte to\u00a0<\/p>\n
get free.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She quickly sat up, straightening her messy clothes and hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much did you drink? You even came to the wrong room. I\u2019ll go get Isabella to take care of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 257\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte tried to leave, but Bradley grabbed her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes were hazy, and his voice was hoarse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlotte, don\u2019t leave me.\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 ` 257 Chapter 257\u00a0 She came in and scanned the room. It […]<\/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-29554","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\/29554","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=29554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29554\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}