Chapter 166 Uninvited Guests and Silent Homes
Eliza nearly choked on her own breath when she heard Nolan’s words.
When had she ever agreed to live at his place?
But Nolan clearly wasn’t asking for permission. He simply pressed down on the gas, running a red light even though he clearly saw it coming.
“Nolan-” Eliza paled.
He suddenly slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the curb on an empty road.
It was late. The streets were deserted.
Then, without warning, Nolan turned toward her, cupping her face in both hands.
Startled, Eliza found herself forced to meet his gaze—an intense mix of panic and concern burning in his
eyes.
“Why weren’t you more careful?”
“I…”
“If I hadn’t made the right guess–if I hadn’t gotten there in time–do you know what would’ve happened to you?”
He couldn’t even let himself picture it.
Had he arrived a moment later, had he not followed the hunch sparked by her vague text, Grace would’ve made sure Eliza never left that house alive.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t expect her to actually go that far,” Eliza said softly, sincere and shaken.
She truly hadn’t seen it coming. Not to that extent.
Nolan looked at her for a long moment before finally letting go of her face and glancing away.
“Stay at my place for now. It’s safer.”
“…Are you sure? Do you live alone? I don’t want to intrude.”
Eliza already knew returning to her own apartment would be dangerous. Nolan’s place was the safest option.
But she’d never been there before.
“Yes. I live alone. No one else is there.”
Eliza let out a quiet breath of relief.
“… You sound like I’m scared of your family or something.”
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Chapter 166 Uninvited Guests and Silent Homes
“You are, aren’t you?” he replied bluntly.
I’m just not used to meeting elders,” she admitted.
Maybe it was because the Rivers family had always overlooked her. Deep down, she was still uneasy around older people.
“There’s no one to meet,” Nolan said quietly. “I don’t have any family.”
Eliza’s lips pressed together.
Right. She should’ve known.
Nolan’s family had all died years ago–by his own hand.
The car stopped in front of a villa.
It looked cold and unwelcoming, more like a show home than somewhere people actually lived. Despite being in a residential neighborhood, the place was so quiet it felt abandoned. Even the lights were off.
Nolan drove into the garage and activated the elevator.
Eliza followed behind him silently.
Upstairs, the house was just as she imagined–spotless, bare, and eerily sterile. Like it had been furnished but never lived in.
“There’s a room upstairs. I’ll take you there in a bit.”
“…Why in a bit?”
Before she could finish the question, she noticed Nolan retrieving a medical kit from the living room
cabinet.
“I’m going to change your dressing.”
“No need, the doctor at the hospital just did-”
“Sit.”
He didn’t leave room for argument.
Eliza sat down obediently as Nolan began organizing antiseptics, gauze, and tape with practiced hands.
“If I’d known you had all this here, I wouldn’t have bothered going to the hospital.”
She meant it as a joke.
But when she glanced up, she met Nolan’s expressionless stare–one that clearly said: Do I look like I’m in the mood for jokes?
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Chapter 166 Uninvited Guests and Silent Homes
She wisely shut her mouth.
Finished
“The wound isn’t too deep. The hospital treated it, but you still need to redress it regularly. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“… Otherwise it’s going to hurt. A lot. Especially when removing the bandages.”
And as soon as he finished saying that, he peeled off the gauze.
Eliza sucked in a sharp breath from the sting.
Seeing her face go pale, Nolan’s hand paused.
“I’ll be gentler.”
“You could’ve said that before you tore it off.”
“…Sorry.”
He truly was trying not to hurt her. Once the re–bandaging was done, he began putting the kit away.
Then he asked, “Who did you give your address to?”
Eliza thought for a moment. “Tyson came by once, but I never actually gave him the address. Then there’s Henry, Colton, and Lewis. Oh, and… my mom and Naomi showed up tonight too, but I don’t know who told them where I lived.”
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