Chapter 5
The fog in Lena’s mind cleared completely when she heard those words.
She didn’t even know where the strength came from, but she suddenly shot up and snatched her phone back.
Hunter was stunned by her sudden movement. It took him a good few seconds to recover, and his voice was full of doubt when he spoke again..
“Lena, what’s going on with you?”
Lena lowered her gaze. “Nothing. I just don’t like other people answering my phone.”
Hunter stiffened slightly, his expression growing darker. “Lena, what are you talking about? How am I ‘other people‘ to you?”
He was about to press further when his own phone rang.
The second he saw the caller ID, he stood up without hesitation and left after tossing her a sentence.
“Get some rest. I just need to take this call–I’ll be right back.”
Lena had barely breathed a sigh of relief when her phone chimed twice.
She tapped the screen and saw a message from Eleanor, which had been sent just a few seconds before.
“Do you like the anniversary gift I gave you? Hunter chose to save me when it came down to life or death. And now, all it takes is one phone call from me, and he comes running. You get it now, right? Between you and me, who really matters more to him?”
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So the call Hunter just rushed out to take was from Eleanor,
No wonder he left in such a hurry.
As the door slowly shut, a cold heaviness sank in her chest. Lena forced her sick body up and quietly followed.
She saw Eleanor run straight into Hunter’s arms at the stairwell, her eyes filled with tears.
“Hunter, you haven’t come to see me these past few days. Are you still mad at me? That night, when you stayed with me the whole time, and I asked you to let me handle the party, it was because I wanted you to rest. I wanted to ease some of your pressure. I didn’t mean to mess everything up, and I didn’t think Ms. Steele would get hurt. It’s all my fault. You can blame me.”
Hunter’s heart, which had been cold and hardened, softened the second he saw her like that.
“Lena’s injury was an accident. No one could’ve predicted that the chandelier would fall like that. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m just glad you’re not mad at me.” Eleanor blinked, her voice trembling slightly. “I keep thinking, what if that chandelier had hit me instead? But you pulled me away just in time. You always said you didn’t know who you really liked. But in such a dangerous moment, you chose to save me. Doesn’t that mean, deep down, I matter more to you than Ms. Steele does?”
She bit her lip and looked at him pitifully, clearly hoping for a straight
answer.
But after hearing her words, Hunter just fell silent.
Second by second, the silence stretched on. Eleanor clung to his waist, crying so hard she was practically shaking.
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Chapter 5
288 Wow bers
“I don’t care. You saved me. That means I’m the most important person to you, right? I’m not trying to steal your girlfriend’s spot. I’m just insecure. I need to know where I stand with you. But if you won’t even give me an answer, then just let me go. I won’t stay by your side anymore. I don’t want to be the secret lover hiding in the shadows.”
The second he heard the word leave, Hunter gave in completely and rushed to comfort her.
“Okay, okay. You’re the most important one. Don’t cry. And don’t say anything about leaving ever again—I hate that.”
The moment he gave in, Eleanor broke into a teary smile. “Then I won’t say it again. This time, it really was my fault. I’ll take the punishment.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow and playfully tapped her nose, his eyes full of affection.
“What kind of punishment?”
“The usual, okay?”
Even though she phrased it like a question, Eleanor had already risen on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Hunter pulled her waist in closer, deepening the kiss.
Lena watched the entire scene from the shadows–the kiss, the embrace,
the tenderness between the two–and all the color drained from her face.
Her chest felt like it was being crushed, heavy, and suffocating, each breath bringing a sharp, cold pain.
She bit down hard, but nothing could stop that bitterness from spreading through her, fast and mercilessly.
In the end, she lowered her head, turned around, and dragged her weak,
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aching body away.
