Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis thing you\u2019re afraid of, or rather\u2026 this state you\u2019re in, it has\u00a0<\/p>\n
to do with me, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s body went stiff, and her breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t want to respond, but Roderick\u2019s gaze seemed to\u00a0<\/p>\n
pinpoint her every reaction, even in the dark.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She struggled internally, and finally, very slowly, almost\u00a0<\/p>\n
imperceptibly, she nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s heart sank. Just as he thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He continued, his voice steady, but he was pressing her:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not something happening now, but\u2026 something that might\u00a0<\/p>\n
happen in the future?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or a risk you feel is coming?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s fingers curled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019s too sharp!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
She bit her lip, torn, and finally gave another difficult nod.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this risk\u2026 huge?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe even\u2026 unbearable?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s voice was still calm, but the arm he had around her\u00a0<\/p>\n
tightened unconsciously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes stung, and she nodded hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than unbearable\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick was silent for a long moment, as if he was processing\u00a0<\/p>\n
this information, or maybe trying to form a more crucial guess.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His mind raced, connecting Madeleine\u2019s recent strange\u00a0<\/p>\n
behavior, the fear she sometimes showed, and her\u00a0<\/p>\n
oversensitivity to certain things.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, he asked a question that made the blood in Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
veins run cold:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis kind of risk\u2026 isn\u2019t it a bit beyond normal understanding?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe even\u2026 unbelievable?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chose his words carefully, trying to get closer to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemingly impossible truth. \u201cLike\u2026 it\u2019s not a typical accident or\u00a0<\/p>\n
illness?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze completely, forgetting even to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How could he\u2026 how could he have guessed in this direction?\u00a0<\/p>\n
!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her huge reaction was the best answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick didn\u2019t even need her to nod; he could feel the\u00a0<\/p>\n
immense shock and fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused for a long time, so long that Madeleine thought he\u00a0<\/p>\n
had given up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he hadn\u2019t. His final words were so low they almost blended\u00a0<\/p>\n
into the night, yet they carried a clarity that cut through the fog:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re afraid to tell me, is it because you\u2019re worried that if I\u00a0<\/p>\n
know, it might trigger this risk?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or\u2026 that it would have some kind of bad effect on me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like\u2026 some kind of taboo?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
!\u00a0<\/p>\n
!\u00a0<\/p>\n
!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s mind went blank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He guessed it!\u00a0<\/p>\n
He guessed almost the entire core of it!\u00a0<\/p>\n
The shock of being seen through so completely and the fear\u00a0<\/p>\n
she had buried for so long seized her in an instant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She started trembling uncontrollably, like a leaf in the autumn\u00a0<\/p>\n
wind. Tears streamed from her eyes without warning, not from\u00a0<\/p>\n
sadness, but from extreme shock and panic!\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t nod, but her violent reaction and silent tears were the\u00a0<\/p>\n
most definite \u201cyes\u201d he could get.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick finally got the answer he wanted\u2013and the one that\u00a0<\/p>\n
terrified him the most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had guessed most of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was an extraordinary risk hanging over them, something like a \u201ctaboo\u201d or a \u201ccurse,\u201d and she alone knew and feared it,\u00a0<\/p>\n
choosing to stay silent because she was worried it would affect\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth was probably even more bizarre and cruel than he\u00a0<\/p>\n
imagined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick didn\u2019t guess any further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pulled the trembling, tear\u2013streaked Madeleine completely\u00a0<\/p>\n
into his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He held her as tightly as he could, as if trying to merge her into\u00a0<\/p>\n
his very bones, using his body heat to drive away the chilling\u00a0<\/p>\n
fear that came from the unknown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, okay, no more guessing. Don\u2019t be scared.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice was incredibly hoarse as he repeated it over and over\u00a0<\/p>\n
in her ear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid, Maddie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He kissed the top of her head, his tone firm and decisive, with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
calmness that could soothe anything. \u201cWhatever it is, leave it to\u00a0<\/p>\n
me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the sky falls, I\u2019ll hold it up for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine sobbed uncontrollably in his arms. The string that\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
had been pulled so tight finally snapped. It was panic, but also a\u00a0<\/p>\n
kind of indescribable relief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the end, she hadn\u2019t been able to keep the secret, revealing it\u00a0<\/p>\n
in this silent way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But strangely, amidst the overwhelming fear, a faint glimmer of\u00a0<\/p>\n
hope actually appeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because he said to leave it to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s sobs in his arms grew quieter, but her body hadn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
completely stopped trembling. She curled up dependently, like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
frightened little animal that had finally found its den.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s heart ached for her, but he knew he couldn\u2019t stop\u00a0<\/p>\n
here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had to use this chance to sketch out the shape of that \u201crisk\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
as much as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He needed information, a direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He continued in that very slow, low voice, as if organizing his\u00a0<\/p>\n
thoughts, or perhaps soothing her:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me think\u2026 something you\u2019d find unbelievable, that you\u2019re\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 299\u00a0<\/p>\n
so afraid of, that it even involves me\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused deliberately, feeling the person in his arms tense up\u00a0<\/p>\n
again instantly, before he slowly spoke the name:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to do with Edward, right?\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 ` 299 Chapter 299\u00a0 \u201cThis thing you\u2019re afraid of, or rather\u2026 this […]<\/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-29596","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\/29596","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=29596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29596\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}