Chapter 202
+25 BONUS
“Ahhh!” Niamh screamed all the way down as she tumbled down the slope, her mouth filling with dust and sand.
She landed in the bushes below while suspended mid–air by the ropes. Leonard’s subordinates secured the rope, ensuring that with her hands restrained, she wouldn’t be able to climb back up.
Then, they handed a pair of safety harnesses–one large, one small–to Harvey and Beau, instructing them to put them on themselves.
“Prof. Fisher said that only by making the perpetrators experience exactly what their victims went through can they truly understand what should and shouldn’t be done.
“He also said, since you failed to educate your child properly, he will personally teach both of you how to behave.”
Harvey’s expression darkened. Grabbing the back of Beau’s collar, he slid down the slope with him.
“Wah! Daddy, I’m scared!” Beau clung to him while wailing
Harvey scolded him sharply, “Be a man! Toughen up! Just stop crying!”
On the way back to camp, Elara noticed that Finnegan’s gaze hadn’t left her face. She lifted her hand and touched her cheek. “Is there something on my face?”
After all, she had fallen down the slope. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was dirt on her face.
Finnegan withdrew his gaze and asked in a low voice, “What do you think of Leonard?”
Elara replied, “He has always been incredibly good to me. He’s like a towering tree–someone you look up to, but who also provides shelter from the storm.”
“The one person he shelters is you,” Finnegan muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.
A strong gust of wind rustled through the trees, carrying away his words.
“What?” Elara asked, not catching what he had said.
Just then, a plainclothes security officer approached her respectfully and said, “Ms. Jones, as a token of appreciation for protecting Mr. Xavier, Prof. Fisher would like to invite you to dinner tonight. Would you be available?”
Finnegan’s brows furrowed slightly. He knew well that an invitation from Leonard Fisher was not something easily refused.
Elara asked, “After dinner, I’d like to request access to Mr. Fisher’s study to review some materials. Would that be possible?”
Leonard’s study contained a wealth of confidential documents–information that wasn’t available online or even in university archives.
Meanwhile, he had also already instructed his subordinates to agree to any request Elara made.
The officer responded on his behalf, “Of course. Prof. Fisher would certainly welcome you to browse the materials in his study.”
At that moment, Theodore received a phone call at the Snapp residence.
Chapter 202
+25 BONUS
As he listened to the person on the other end reporting what had happened to Elara and Xavier that day, his free hand absentmindedly tapped against the walnut desk, his fingers drumming lightly in an irregular rhythm.
“Hmm, I see.” A glint of cold light flashed through his deep, narrow eyes.
“Throw down some snakes, rats, and insects,” he ordered lazily, his tone almost indifferent.
Shortly after he hung up, his phone rang again. Theodore cast a casual glance at the screen, but the moment he saw Elara’s name, his eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and rushed into the bathroom. His pants went flying within seconds. He turned on the shower before answering the call.
“Hello?” His deep voice, mixed with the sound of running water, flowed through the phone.
At that moment, Elara sat in Finnegan’s car. Behind her, Merida and Xavier, who were exhausted from playing all day, leaned against each other in the backseat. Both of them were fast asleep.
She lowered her voice. “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Snapp. Are you busy?”
She was always so distant with him.
Theodore’s voice, laced with the steady rhythm of water splashing, slipped into her ear. “Not busy. I’m taking a shower.”
Elara was silent for a moment. The moment he said it, her mind spiraled out of control, conjuring up an image of Theodore showering.
Damn it. It wasn’t her fault–his voice alone had set the mood so effortlessly. Besides, she had seen him soaked in the rain before.
She still remembered how his white dress shirt had turned semi–transparent, clinging to his glowing skin, making him look impossibly alluring.
And, of course, he had to be completely undressed while showering. She had seen his upper body before, too, and
Stop! Stop it, brain!
Elara pressed her fingers to her forehead, feeling the heat creeping up to her ears as they turned red against the phone screen.
She hurriedly said, “I’ll let you finish first.”
Theodore replied smoothly, “I can talk to you and shower at the same time. It doesn’t bother me.”
