Unlike Eden, the border of Rayway City felt incredibly cold. Snow had begun to fall, revealing the surrounding mountain ranges whose peaks were blanketed in white. The hotel where they stopped was the last hotel before they truly entered Rayway territory, a region mostly covered by forests along the mountain slopes.
Just as Sandra had said earlier, the temperature in that region felt freezing, perhaps even reaching the point where water would turn to ice. This time, Estelle did not ignore Hector's suggestion to wear a fur coat. Her stomach still ached slightly because her period had not ended yet. However, thanks to the vitamins and painkillers from the doctor, she felt much better. The bleeding had also subsided.
Still, despite the freezing temperature around them, the girl's heart burnt with emotion. Meanwhile, the twins could only watch Estelle and Hector anxiously, hoping the two of them could somehow get along better.
"Why are you in the driver's seat?"
Hector, who sat behind the wheel, immediately smirked. "Do you want to replace me and drive instead?"
"Shouldn't Sandra be the one driving?"
A shake of the head answered the girl's question. "Sandra and Sandro will stay at the hotel. Only the two of us are visiting Edward's residence."
Of course, Estelle was shocked. Turning around, her brown eyes stared at Sandra questioningly, but the bodyguard only gave her an awkward smile in return. A sign that Sandra had no power to oppose Hector's orders either.
Estelle's brows furrowed sharply. "What kind of trick are you using this time?"
Shrugging, the man merely chuckled. "If you don't want to go, we'll head straight back home."
The girl's jaw tightened. The man was not pressuring her verbally, but every word he spoke left her unable to refuse. Her experiences alone with Hector had always ended unpleasantly. Honestly, Estelle was tired of dealing with all of Hector's madness. Both her body and mind were in no condition to argue with that cunning man.
"So, yes or no?" A satisfied smile stretched across Hector's lips, it was obvious how proud he was of his victory.
Estelle gave no answer, but she immediately strode toward the car and went inside. She did not forget to slam the door shut and throw a sharp glare at Hector.
"There we go, good girl…"
Before the car started moving, her phone vibrated and an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. It was Sandro, secretly contacting her.
"This is Sandro. You can contact me if there's something bad happening," the doctor wrote in his short message.
"Thank you," Estelle replied.
At least now, there was someone who could give her a way out if Hector made her days in Rayway difficult. As much as possible, she would avoid situations where she was alone with the black-haired man. Since Hector's motivation revolved around her body, there was always the possibility that he might do something unpredictable.
In the middle of worrying about her days with the head of the Nightwood family, her phone vibrated again. This time it was Julius. The man was incredibly persistent about checking on Estelle every single day.
"Good morning. How are you feeling today? Are you feeling better?"
A smile spread across Estelle's lips as she read Julius' message.
"Yes, I'm feeling much better now."
Once again, her phone vibrated.
"Have you eaten breakfast? Do you want me to order something for you from here?"
"No need to trouble yourself. I've already had breakfast, and right now I'm on my way somewhere."
"Then be careful. Don't forget to prioritize your health."
As the final message was sent, somehow Julius' words managed to warm her chest. Like finding an oasis in the middle of a scorching desert. The feeling was completely different from when she heard Hector open his mouth.
Sometimes she wanted to sew the man's lips shut so he could stop violating her with his words.
"You reply to every message, but ignore the person sitting right beside you," Hector complained coldly.
So the man had been watching her. But of course Estelle did not care. She was simply doing what she should do. Both Sandro and Julius had been kind to her, and that was why she respected them.
Unlike someone who had violated her throat mercilessly.
"You stay quiet, and I stay quiet," Estelle responded.
Hector shot her a glance before letting out an irritated sigh.
"Tell me about yourself."
"No. I have no interest in telling you anything."
He shot her a sharp look, though his hands remained steady on the steering wheel. Naturally, he felt irritated. Estelle's phone had been tapped, and he knew exactly who had just contacted his girl. His presence beside Estelle felt meaningless compared to a man who was dozens of miles away. And it drove Hector insane with irritation, though he could not show his anger openly.
He did not want to worsen his relationship with the girl.
"If you need anything, just tell me."
Instead of arguing, Hector chose to swallow his anger. Things needed to stay peaceful for the next few days. He did not want his relationship with Estelle to become even more chaotic.
Meanwhile, Estelle's silent lips contrasted with the noise inside her heart. The pain had faded, and now her logic worked clearly again. If she thought back to the times when she and Hector were constantly at odds, it felt strange that the man suddenly wanted to help her.
Of course, that was not something that usually happened. Even now she still wondered why Hector was helping her meet Edward Wright. What was his true motive?
Even so, the girl kept her lips sealed. She did not want to voice the suspicions lingering in her mind. Starting a conversation with Hector was the very last thing she wanted while sitting beside the driver's seat.
Slowly but surely, her eyes that had been focused on the snowy road began to feel heavy. There was no conversation or sound of other vehicles around them, the road was truly deserted. And that brought a sense of peace to the girl's mind, gradually turning into comfort. The last thing she felt before falling asleep was her body relaxing. Her head rested comfortably against the seat. Slowly, her breathing became steady, and the girl drifted into dreams.
Hector glanced at her briefly before focusing on the road again. Damn it, the sight beside him truly stirred his instincts as a man. Estelle's small figure looked incredibly tempting. Without her resistance and sharp glares, Hector felt as if he were looking at a tiny rabbit wandering into a lion's cage.
"Damn," he cursed silently as he felt his pants become painfully tight.
The girl was not wearing anything provocative at all. Her body was wrapped in a thick coat that did not reveal her curves in the slightest. But Hector's mind, which had never been sane to begin with, interpreted it differently.
Pulling the car over, the man steadied his breathing and tried to calm himself down. But he could not. Simply looking at Estelle drove him crazier. And he would continue going insane for the next few months because he would not be allowed to touch his girl.
The growing pressure became unbearable, making Hector restless. Like it or not, he ended up doing something shameful right beside Estelle, who was still asleep. Unzipping his pants, his hand quickly moved along the hard length now standing fully erect.
No. He would not touch the girl, not even a strand of her hair. He still had enough sanity to not pounce on someone who was sleeping and had only recently recovered from illness. As badly as he wanted to devour Estelle, he was not that low.
The only thing he could do was relieve himself in his own way. The same way he always did whenever he longed for the girl's touch. Beyond that, only Hector understood how twisted he was and how fiercely his desire burnt.
"Esse… you make me crazy…"
***