Ste''s gaze was locked onto the scarf in Ronald''s hands, especially the bright red bloodstain that marred its fabric.


    Ronald nced down at the stain, his brow furrowing. "Isn''t this my scarf? How did blood get on it? What happened here?" Ste was speechless. Already feeling out of her depth, the question from Ronald made her feel like she was running out of air. "I, uh..."


    Even the sharpest of minds would struggle to find a suitable excuse in this situation.


    Oh, this was a nightmare.


    Wait a minute, she remembered. "I had a nosebleed."


    "Excuse me?" Ronald raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, a nosebleed. I identally bumped my nose while helping you, and it got on the scarf."


    Was that excuse usible?


    She wasn''t sure if Ronald would buy it.


    Ronald''s deep eyes, now filled with an unreadable emotion, only made Ste feel more suffocated.


    "A nosebleed?"


    Ste instinctively swallowed. "Yeah, a nosebleed."


    What else could she say?


    Facing Ronald''s intense gaze, an unfamiliar tightness gripped her chest.


    Ronald, upon hearing her, quickly stepped forward and lifted her from the bed with ease.


    He pinched her nose lightly. "Had a nosebleed, huh?"


    Ste managed, "I cleaned it up."


    Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest as she struggled to escape Ronald''s grasp.


    "Can you just let me sleep? I''m really tired."


    Though it was more like scared to death!


    If this went on any longer, she might actually die of fright. Why was he putting her through this?


    As she made a sudden movement, the loosely tied scarf slipped.


    Ronald caught a glimpse of therge bruise on hiding an indefinable emotion happened to your neck?"


    her neck, his deep eve


    Ste''s mind went nk, pleading internally for the questioning to stop.


    If she had done something wrong, she''d rather be caught by the police than endure this torment. Having scrambled for excuses all night, Ste was at a loss when confronted with Ronald''s question.


    She tentatively met Ronald''s gaze.


    "Ronald?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Ronald''s warm fingers gently touched the bruises on Ste''s neck, sending shivers down her spine.


    "If I did something wrong, would you forgive me?" she asked, voice barely a whisper.


    She felt like crying.


    Ronald replied, "That depends on what you''ve done."


    Ste thought, "Can you forgive me for sleeping with you?"


    But it wasn''t her idea, he''d made the first move.


    Only, he got drunk and remembered nothing, leaving her to wonder if she''d somehow end up taking the


    me. o!


    Her mind was a mess.


    Seeing her silence, Ronald pressed, "If you fell for some guy, that would be unforgivable."


    Ste''s heart skipped a beat. Her expression froze as she looked


    him, thinking: What if I fell forene


    Would that be forgivable?


    She was already overwhelmed, and now Ronald''s words had ignited a bomb inside her.


    "I just want to sleep," she mumbled, desperate to escape.


    But Ronald wasn''t about to let her off so easily. His arms wrapped around her waist, leaving her no way out.


    "You haven''t told me yet. How did you get these bruises on your neck, hm?"