CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 77: I BELIEVE YOU

For some reason, Vincent Rhodes uttered just one word, and Shannon Quinn’s eyes were instantly wet with tears.

In those days when Vincent Rhodes wasn’t around, Shannon Quinn kept thinking that next time he came, she would be colder to him, no longer using her affection to warm a stone that would never get warm.

But at this moment, nestled in his embrace, hearing him say he missed her, her heart seemed to soften instantly.

All the matters she had been brooding over, the grievances in her heart, seemed to dissipate.

"Do you have nothing to say to me?" Shannon Quinn sniffed and asked him.

Vincent Rhodes naturally understood what she wanted to know, but he couldn’t give her an explanation yet, so he changed the subject and asked her, "Did the child go to the hospital for a check-up?"

"Yes, the child is fine."

"And you?"

"I vomited today, and didn’t have much of an appetite for eating."

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, took a deep breath, and said nothing, just held her tighter.

Shannon Quinn didn’t know why, but in front of him, her grievances always seemed to come pouring out, although she had a stomach full of things to say, she didn’t know where to start now.

"I had a car accident a few days ago."

"Hmm, I know."

Hearing his indifferent response, Shannon Quinn frowned and felt displeased: "The child and I almost died!"

He was silent for a long while, then simply said, "It’s good that you’re okay."

Shannon Quinn didn’t know what kind of answer she really wanted to hear, anyway, his response didn’t satisfy her much, maybe she was just simply looking for some of his care and concern.

In front of him, she seemed more prone to emotional outbursts, able to amplify even a trivial matter.

"Just go back to sleep."

Shannon Quinn frowned, and somewhat resentfully reached out and pushed him, moving her body aside to create distance between them.

"What’s wrong?"

"I’ve gotten used to sleeping alone, can’t sleep next to you."

Recognizing her sulking, Vincent Rhodes smiled helplessly and explained, "I know everything about you, I worried a lot when I heard about your car accident, and later understood... that man saved you, and you’ve been taking care of him."

When he mentioned Landon Sutton, half of Shannon Quinn’s anger turned into guilt, and she pondered before asking him, "Doesn’t it bother you?"

"It’s good that you’re okay."

Shannon Quinn pursed her lips and clarified, "I have no other relationship with him, just because he saved me, that’s why I took care of him."

"I know, I believe you."

Those seven words completely dissipated the block in Shannon Quinn’s heart.

He tentatively reached out and embraced her again, Shannon Quinn didn’t resist, rested her head on his arm, and asked, "Can you tell me what exactly you’re doing?"

"For now, you just need to take good care of yourself, safely give birth to the child."

"Do you plan to hide it from me for eternity?"

"I’ll tell you when the time is right."

"When will that be?"

"Sleep, it’s late."

Shannon Quinn took a deep breath, feeling that he still didn’t regard her as one of his own, she stopped asking questions, and didn’t plan to ask anymore in the future.

A short while after closing her eyes, she felt him move behind her, thinking he might be leaving again.

After some rustling sounds, he reached out and placed the eye mask he had just found on the bedside table over her head.

Shannon Quinn said sulkily, "If you’re so afraid of me seeing you like this, then just don’t come anymore."

Vincent Rhodes’ hand paused for a moment, continued tidying her hair, and said, "Do you really wish I wouldn’t come?"

Shannon Quinn didn’t respond, her heart simmering with anger, unsure if he didn’t trust her enough or what the matter was, he married her yet didn’t treat her as his own, she had no idea what he really thought inside.

"If you really don’t wish so, then I won’t come in the future."

"Suit yourself."

Vincent Rhodes knew she was speaking out of anger, but still felt upset, yet he couldn’t give her the answers and life she wanted right now.

"Turn over." His voice was husky, yet it felt like an irrefutable command.

Shannon Quinn took a deep breath, pretended she hadn’t heard, lying there motionless with her back to him.

Vincent Rhodes furrowed his brow, directly reached out and roughly turned her body over, forcefully held her in his arms.

Shannon Quinn struggled twice, felt the vast difference in strength between them, aggrievedly raised her hand and hit his chest, and then gradually quieted down.

Seeing her calm down, Vincent Rhodes slowly loosened the grip, under the dim light glanced down at her in his arms, reached out and adjusted the blanket, gently kissed the top of her head, and hoarsely uttered two words almost reduced to just mouth shape: "Goodnight."

Shannon Quinn’s body trembled slightly, her tears moistened the eye mask, she took a deep breath, while inhaling the faint smell of his cologne.

She didn’t know if he would disappear again when the morning came, even though she was already mentally prepared for this possibility, she still felt sad, and before closing her eyes, she tightly grasped the hem of his shirt.

In his broad embrace, she felt safe and warm, knowing it wouldn’t last, she still lost herself in it.

After who knows how long, she estimated he had fallen asleep, softly snuggled further into his embrace, her slender arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

He didn’t move, just silently curved his lips upward.

If she realized he was still awake, she would probably push him away immediately.

A sleepless night, the time spent guarding her by his side always passed quickly.

He gently removed her hand from his waist, sat up from the bed, straightened the blanket for her, sat back on the wheelchair, and left without a glance back.

When Shannon Quinn woke up, sunlight was already streaming through the window into the room, she squinted dazedly at the bed for a couple of seconds, then suddenly sat up, as if something had struck her mind.

Seeing the empty space beside her, reached out to touch, it had long lost its warmth.

Unwilling to accept, she flung the blanket aside, didn’t even bother with her slippers, hurriedly ran to the living room, searched the kitchen, looked through the room he had previously stayed in...

Only then did Shannon Quinn fully come to her senses, standing dejectedly by the door, she chuckled self-mockingly.

She should have been used to it by now, he was inherently a selfish person.

She stayed indoors for three days, feeling too low to cook, ordered takeout but didn’t have much appetite to eat, forcing herself to take a few bites, almost always ended up vomiting.

Feeling downhearted, physically unwell, she languished at home, saw no one except the delivery guy, did nothing.

Wearing a loose nightgown, her hair disheveled, clutching a pillow, she lay on the sofa watching brainless soap operas.

"Ding dong"

The doorbell rang, Shannon Quinn looked towards the door with perplexity.

She hadn’t ordered any takeout, and no one knew her address, could it be Landon Sutton who hadn’t been seen for days? Or Erin Bishop returning from abroad?