Having found out that there was no news about Noelle, Shawn showed no sign of rage or disappointment. His response was unnervingly composed, saying, “Alright, I understand.”
Without another word, Shawn abruptly ended the call.
Upon hearing that, Charlie couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. He realized that something was amiss, so he made a point to call Shawn regularly in the following days. Yet, as the days passed, Shawn’s response grew increasingly brief.
His replies initially started as complete sentences like, “Got it” or “Go on.” Yet, as time went on, his responses eventually dwindled to nothing more than a faint hum.
Charlie was instantly alarmed. He was worried that Shawn might have suffered a mental breakdown and was planning to isolate himself in the villa until he withered away. He wasted no time in alerting Shawn’s parents to the situation.
Upon learning of Shawn’s troubles, his parents–Samuel Pitt and Lydia Baker–immediately rushed to the villa.
In the villa, the household staff worked according to the rules and processes that had been put in place when Noelle was still around. It seemed like everything was in order–except for the fact that the master of the house was nowhere to be seen.
Lydia stopped one of the household staff who was in the midst of her cleaning and asked worriedly, “Where’s Shawn? Why hasn’t he come out yet?”
In the past, Shawn would have personally welcomed them. But now, he didn’t even show up. He had even completely disregarded their earlier phone calls.
ith a troubled
Upon hearing that, the household staff gestured toward the upper fl expression and replied, “I’m sorry, but Mr. Shawn has locked himself in his bedroom, and he has forbidden us from disturbing him as well.”
Lydia’s worry deepened as she asked again, “Are you saying he hasn’t stepped out of his room at all?”
“No, Madam Lydia.”
“What about his meals? Did any of you bring him anything to eat?”
“Given how he refuses to eat or drink anything, there’s nothing much we can do about that. If anyone tries to knock on his door, they’ll get scolded.”
Samuel and Lydia exchanged a worried glance, realizing how serious the situation had become.
Shawn had been living in seclusion for quite some time, with his bedroom door remaining unlocked. Having knocked repeatedly but to no avail, they forced their way in and were all dumbfounded by what they saw.
A sea of paper had engulfed the bedroom floor, leaving barely a square inch of bare surface. Yet, amid the chaos, Shawn sat cross–legged on the floor with his head down, busily
+25 BONUS
Chapter 18
scribbling in a notebook.
Even though the bedroom was bathed in sunlight, Shawn’s figure was a stark contrast–dark and brooding.
Samuel bent down and picked up a handful of papers. He found that every single one of the papers bore the same, repetitive message, stating, “It’s all my fault, Noelle.”
A shiver ran down Lydia’s spine as she approached Shawn. His eyes were red–rimmed, and his hand trembled uncontrollably as he held the pen Yet, he continued to scrawl the same words
over and over.
Lydia’s tears immediately streamed down her face as she asked, “What are you doing, Shawn?”
Samuel snatched the
paper and pen From Shawn’s hands and snapped, “What’s the point of writing all this? We already know everything you’ve done, Shawn! How could you have done something like that?”
He had always assumed that Shawn and Noelle were a blissfully happy couple, so it came as a shock to learn that their relationship had soured so badly,
Shawn buried his head in his hands under Samuel’s disappointed gaze. His voice was thick with remorse as he said, “It’s all my fault. I let Noelle down because I couldn’t resist the temptation. I have to finish writing these to show her how deeply I regret it.”
Chapter 191
