Gwendolyn scowled at the abrupt manner she had been roused and turned to face the other side.
Jonah kept knocking, seemingly intent on hammering down her door if she did not answer it soon.
Irritated by the racket, Gwendolyn flung aside her quilt. She slipped on her slippers and donned a thick sleeping gown before answering the door.
“What does he want this time?” she demanded, glaring at Jonah with a look of irritated disgust.
“Mr. Lund isn’t messing around this time, Ms. Harris. He visited a bar this afternoon and spent the day drinking. He even sent us away. When I went back for him earlier tonight, I found him drunk as a skunk with your name on his lips. So, the only thing I could do was to bring him here to you.”
Gwendolyn was impassive. Cold, even. “Give him something to sober up, then, or get him a doctor who would give him a jab. What good will it do sending him to me? I’m not a doctor.”
She was about to shut the door after her speech, but Jonah threw himself against the frame. “Please see him. He would feel much better in your presence.”
Gwendolyn’s frostiness did not dissipate. “I’m under house arrest because of him. He wouldn’t let me out of this house. What if he sobers up tomorrow and accuses me of misbehaving? Wouldn’t that be unfair to me?”
“Uh…”
Jonah was conflicted. He gave the matter a moment of serious thought before suggesting, “Why don’t I bring him to your room?”
“No way! I can’t stand the stench of alcohol on him. You’d better get back to Alzer Palace.”
Jonah fell silent.
“Gwen. Gwen…”
booze and laced with melancholy, traveled
was near tears. “Go down and have a look at him, Ms. Harris. I’ll explain everything to him for you tomorrow. You wouldn’t want him to be keeping
best to conceal her irritation. “Wake the maid,” she instructed. “Have
“At once.”
sprinted down the
pulled the thick, furry sleeping gown tighter around her and followed him down the
couch. His cheeks were flushed with
her sleeve, Gwendolyn sprayed some organic freshener to mask the stench of alcohol in the living
Charles, she prodded him in the knee several times with the sole of her slipper, trying to wake
Charles! This isn’t a place for you to spend the night. Get lost back to your Alzer Palace after having your
twitched. The haze of
Gwendolyn’s voice and caught hold of
conceal the disgust in her eyes, she snatched her garment
“Let go!”
on firmly. He was brutishly
the thought of seeing Nico covered in blood from the torture that morning in
the maid, Jonah had
she gave him two merciless slaps across his
smacks, dealt in quick succession,
then did he loosen his grip on her shirt and
massaged his swollen head and stroked his flaming cheeks, tender with
“Gwen?”
my sleep by turning up here
his head, pretending not to hear her. Suddenly,
were filled with helpless despair. Coupled with the handprints on his cheeks, he looked as if he had emerged
remained unmoved. “You can drop your act. Get out. You stink so badly
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