When There Is Nothing Left But Love

Half an hour later, there seemed to be no more movement outside. The sound of a car starting could be heard, and Ashton stumbled in after a few minutes.

Having eaten my fill, I was feeling a little bloated. I also could not shake the feeling that my belly had been growing a lot bigger lately. I decided that I would drop by the hospital tomorrow for a regular check-up.

Mrs. Eriksen, who had been cleaning the kitchen while paying attention to the commotion outside, yelped when Ashton stepped into the house. “Oh my! Look at the state that you’re in!” She then rushed over to check on him.

Meanwhile, I was resting on the sofa after my meal. I looked up to see that Ashton’s handsome face was now swollen with a streak of bloodstain at the corner of his mouth. Despite the sorry state that he was in, he still stood tall and proud, exuding a certain triumphant aura.

While Mrs. Eriksen was busy looking for a first-aid kit, I took a glance at him before turning to inform the older lady, “It’s getting late. I’m going to rest first.”

She gawked at my nonchalance, unable to say anything.

Avoiding Ashton’s intense gaze, I went upstairs.

I knew that I was being cruel by acting in such a cold-hearted way, but such was the fact of life, the more I took the initiative to care, the more I would be taken for granted. Just like I had things that I had hidden from him; he too, had many secrets that he had kept from me.

When I came out of the bathroom, Ashton was standing on the balcony, smoking. His tall and slender figure looked forlorn and cold.

Averting my gaze, I sat in front of my dressing table for my nightly skincare routine.

After a long while, and countless cigarettes later, he came in from the balcony and glanced at me before stepping into the bathroom.

Since it was already very late, I quickly dried my hair and went to bed, drifting into slumber almost immediately.

I guess we’re having a cold war again, huh.

cacophony of insects and animals in the yard of our villa sounded unusually loud. As the dazzling moonlight shone through the windows, the atmosphere in our

discomfort, I tossed and turned as I tried to find the right position. Just then, a pair of large hands held

to find that Ashton was trying to have his

when I’m awake. What

looked at me sulkily, “Are you taking your

sleepy.

before saying, “Seems like I have to try

 Indeed, behind that good look and well-dressed

I endured his forceful thrust

Thinking that I was beginning to respond to him,

silent and let him have his way with

a long time, he was finally done. He turned on the light on the bedside table and was prepared

me, he saw something that made him recoiled in horror.

his gaze at me and muttered in a hoarse voice, “Why didn’t you yell?” Panic was written all over his

pain in my lower abdomen and the blood that was flowing out of me continuously were all indications that

feeling was not on any part of my body, but

tightly crushed by something. The kind of

 Ashton lost his balance when he was getting down from the bed and bumped into

not say anything

across the phone screen. It took him a long time before he was

the call got through, Ashton spoke with an urgency not heard before, “She is bleeding a lot! It’s

the phone immediately after, he stumbled into the bathroom and emerged with a towel

away and