Chapter 77
Nora lowered her head and said nothing.
"No wonder Luna wanted you dead six years ago." Michael smiled.
What a coincidence.
Six years ago, when he came home, he happened to overhear Luna hiring someone to kill a woman named Nora.
He wasn't interested at first, but for some reason didn't want Luna to succeed, so he had someone save Nora.
Thinking about it now, if he hadn't meddled back then, that would have been such a shame.
Nora clenched her hands. Luna must be terrified of her having any connection with Michael.
Luna bore undeniable responsibility for why James hated her so much.
"Why didn't you call Walter last night?" Michael asked.
Nora kept her head down, timidly gripping her fingers. "He has a fiancée."
Walter refused to break off the engagement.
That was why she stopped choosing Walter.
"Really? You have principles - won't be a mistress?" Michael asked with interest.
"If Mr. Smith is going to get engaged, please tell me in advance. I'll leave on my own." Nora wasn't naive enough to think Michael would want her forever.
He might only have a passing interest in her.
Michael looked at Nora for a long time without speaking.
After a moment of silence, Michael walked out of the bathroom. "If your body can handle it, we'll go back to Emerald City today."
The Clark family was all in Silverlight City. If Nora didn't drop the case, Pearl would have to stay locked up.
"I'll handle things with the police. You just follow me." Nora didn't need to worry about anything else.
Nora followed Michael in a daze, inexplicably feeling a sense of security.
She believed Michael could handle it.
On the way back to Emerald City, Nora used her new phone to message Savannah, saying she had to leave because Silverlight City wasn't safe.
Savannah didn't say much else, just told her to stay safe.
Looking at the heavy phone in her hand, Nora felt a bit distracted.
The phone Walter bought her was also new. It was a shame to lose it - nearly ten thousand dollars.
Michael kept his eyes closed the whole time, quietly leaning back in his seat.
Nora sneaked a glance at him. How could this Michael be so perfect, with absolutely no flaws?
Quickly looking away, Nora gazed out the car window.
Raising her hand to feel the fading sunset, Nora slowly closed her eyes.
Finally, she had taken that step.
Too weak, Nora slept the entire journey.
Probably considering Nora's condition, Michael would rather tire himself out by taking a private car back instead of flying.
Of course, the most exhausted was David. As assistant and driver, he drove for six straight hours on the highway with only a 30-minute break.
Glancing resentfully at the rearview mirror, David nearly hit the gas instead of the brake.
Nora was sleeping heavily against the car window. Worried she'd bump her head, Michael expressionlessly offered his arm, letting Nora rest on his hand.
Taking a deep breath, David's gaze grew complicated.
From what David knew of Michael, he must be genuinely interested in Nora.
It seemed Michael was really going to get involved with this trouble.
Sighing softly, David calculated in his mind how to help Michael minimize the trouble.
But Nora herself was big trouble - whether as James's ex-fiancée, the fake heiress of the Adams family, or the woman that almost everyone in Emerald City's heir circle had participated in bullying and humiliating.
Sleeping hazily for who knows how long, Nora had a dream, a very long dream.
In the dream, she fell into a bottomless pool, unable to breathe or cry out.
Until a hand held her and forcefully pulled her out of the water.
"No!"
Waking up suddenly, Nora's breathing was rapid.
The car had stopped at some point. She was lying alone across the back seat, covered with Michael's jacket.
"Where's Mr. Smith?" Nora asked nervously.
David frowned slightly and spoke quietly. "Mr. Smith went home. He asked me to take you back."
Nora looked out the window and realized they were at Jasper's repair shop.
Gripping her hands nervously, Nora felt afraid - afraid Michael didn't want her anymore. She couldn't be without support right now. "Did Mr. Smith say anything else?"
"Mr. Smith told you to rest well." David got out to open the door for Nora.
Nora's body was shaking. She gripped her skirt hard and spoke with extreme humiliation. "I want to see him."
She knew that to cling tightly to Michael, she was being shameless.
"Ms. Adams, you're a huge problem yourself. I hope you know your place and try not to let anyone know about your relationship with Mr. Smith, unless Mr. Smith needs to use you as a shield." David reminded Nora.
Nora's clenched hands slowly relaxed. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least Michael wasn't abandoning her.
At least she still had some small value.
"Mr. Smith wants you to spend time with Samuel. Don't overthink other things. He'll handle them. When he needs you to show up, I'll come get you in advance." David had Nora get out of the car and handed her a cup of sugar water. "Mr. Smith asked me to buy this for you."
Nora held the sugar water, her breathing somewhat numb. "Aren't I supposed to be his mistress?"
She didn't need to do anything? Just stay with her family and not give anything in return?
David looked Nora up and down and knew she had misunderstood. "You think our Mr. Smith wants your body?"
Nora's ears turned red with shame. She lowered her head and bit her lip hard, saying nothing.
"Our Mr. Smith is a germaphobe. He's helping you because you have your value, but it's definitely not that kind of lowlife transaction between men and women." David said disdainfully and got in the car.
Did she really think Michael was like those men who only think with their lower half?
Nora's reputation in Emerald City was already terrible. Even if David didn't believe her private life was that messy, the fact that she'd had a child was undeniable.
Michael wouldn't have that kind of impulse toward Nora.
At most, he was just interested in her as a person.
Nora instinctively took a step back, keeping her head down in shame without speaking.
Michael was a germaphobe, so he probably thought she was dirty.
That made sense. She had given birth to a stranger's child, and the rumors about her in Emerald City were extremely filthy. No one would think she was clean.
But just waiting like this made Nora anxious.
For Samuel's sake, she couldn't just sit and wait.
"Nori?"
Hearing a car outside, Jasper came out of the small house, somewhat shocked. "You're back!"
Nora snapped back to reality, looking nervously at Jasper.
Seeing the bandage on his arm, she ran over in panic. "Jasper, your arm."
"It's nothing. I'm working as a bodyguard for the Williams family. I took a knife for my boss." Jasper smiled somewhat honestly. "Why are you back so late? Did you sneak back?"
Bringing Nora inside, Jasper looked around. "I heard the Clark family is looking for you too, and someone tried to take Samuel from kindergarten."
Jasper knew Nora had gotten into trouble in Silverlight City.
"Yes, Pearl hit me. I called the police. The medical examiner found permanent hearing damage in my left ear - it's a criminal case." Nora said quietly.
If she didn't compromise this time, Pearl would have to spend some time in jail.
Though not long, it was enough to make the Clark family hate her to the bone.
But Pearl was the one who did wrong.
Jasper's face darkened. He had also seen the videos online of people bullying Nora. "They want you to drop the case?"
Nora nodded.
"We won't drop the case or settle privately." Jasper quickly started packing. "If it comes to it, I'll take you away from Emerald City. We'll take Samuel and hide in another city. The Clark family can't control everything."
Outside the window, car headlights shone in.
Nora hid in the corner in fear. "Jasper, did they find us?"
How could they find them so quickly?
Jasper comforted Nora and walked out alone.
A black sedan stopped outside. A man got out, his voice urgent. "Has Nora come back?"