An amazing thing happened. Hector offered no resistance when Mr. Wright gave him a different room from Estelle's. The man simply nodded and went to his room.
Estelle suspected the man was up to something more absurd. However, after sleeping all night, nothing unusual happened. And that night became the most peaceful night for her since she met Hector.
No Hector. No disturbance. No cunning tricks to ruin her sanity.
Moreover, Sandro gave her a special antidote to neutralize Hector's poison inside her body for free. She didn't need to "satisfy Hector's desires" to get the antidote.
Estelle rose and looked at herself, now dressed in the evening gown that belonged to Mr. Wright's daughter. The owner of the dress has moved out of town with her husband. There were only a few pieces of clothing in Mr. Wright's daughter's old closet, but they all looked very well-maintained.
Seeing all that, Estelle's lips curved into a smile. Her chest was filled with warmth. Will her father do the same if he were still alive? Although she didn't know the real answer, Estelle was sure that her father would do the same as what Mr. Wright did.
"My daughter, Father's precious jewel. "Dad's dearest daughter."
The lost term of endearment is now being heard inside her head. For a moment, Estelle's eyes felt hot and her smile turned into a bitter one. If her parents were still alive, her fate would surely be different.
Shaking her head, Estelle did not want to linger in sadness. Her sigh was heard before she stepped out of the room. As he opened the bedroom door, a familiar voice was heard.
"Hector, what about your engagement?"
The girl instinctively attempted to leave the room silently. Her small body leaned against the wall, trying to hear the conversation between Mr. Wright and Hector. The old man was drinking tea in the dining room, while Hector was cooking something in the kitchen. It was a very awkward sight in Estelle's eyes. Hector, who usually wears a neat suit and carries a pistol, is now wearing an apron and holding a spatula.
"It might be delayed for a long time," Hector replied.
The sound of a cup being placed on a saucer could be heard. The man sighed.
"If it you don't fix it immediately, the girl could misunderstand. Don't you love her very much?"
Hector's body froze for a moment until finally he also let out a sigh. His hands continued to cut the fruits.
"I will solve Esse's problem first."
If that is your plan, then I can only help you with my prayers. After all, rebuilding bonds that were once broken is not an easy thing.
Hector chuckled softly. "Yes, and I'm sure her family doesn't support our relationship at all either."
Mr. Wright smiled bitterly. However, there was no further reply after that. On the other hand, Estelle, who heard all of that, could only frown in confusion.
She knew Hector did have a fiancée in the past. Rumor also says that Hector deeply loves his fiancée. But, of course, Estelle didn't simply believe it. Imagining Hector having feelings of "love" is logically impossible.
But this time she heard it directly from Hector's mouth. And Estelle swore it was the most absurd confession that man had ever uttered.
Whoever the girl Hector was engaged to, Estelle sympathized with her.
No sane family would ever give their daughter to a man like Hector. It's understandable that the girl's family strongly rejected Hector's intentions. After all, the man wouldn't possibly move for pure love. There must be something else that made him target the girl.
And what's worse, even though Hector actually had a girl he liked, the man actually pursued and tried to win Estelle. This fact clearly places Hector in the red flag category.
"I'll wake Esse," Hector said after placing a bowl of oatmeal and warm milk on the table.
Mr. Wright merely nodded and smiled as he watched Hector take off his apron. Of course, Estelle, upon hearing that, immediately returned to her room and pretended to sleep. She didn't want to be caught eavesdropping on their conversation.
However, for some reason Estelle felt something was odd about Hector's way of speaking.
Esse.
Only a few people call her by that name. Only her parents and Julius called her Esse. Not even Lucille. How could Hector know that nickname?
Before he could think further, the bedroom door was suddenly knocked. Hector's voice asking permission to come in could be heard. A facade, because in his own mansion, Hector never did anything that reflected politeness.
"Little Lioness?" Hector called as he opened the door.
The girl's eyes were still closed, she pretended to be asleep to avoid interacting with Hector. Unexpectedly, the man entered and closed the door. The sound of approaching footsteps made Estelle's heart pound. She was afraid Hector would do something crazy to her.
But all those prejudices disappeared when the man sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair gently. The dilemma in her heart surfaced, Estelle wavered between staying put and pretending to sleep or roughly pushing away Hector's hand.
Unfortunately, Hector launched another attack. The man leaned in and gently kissed the top of Estelle's head.
Estelle's body froze instantly.
"Esse..." Hector whispered before kissing his girl's forehead.
Down. The man showered Estelle's cheeks and nose with quick kisses. His warm breath brushed against Estelle's face, every passing second heightening the tension between them.
"Esse... if only you knew... I'd set the whole world on fire if you ever left me..."
Hector's face came closer again, the man targeting Estelle's lips. Fortunately, before his lips could devour the girl's lips, his phone rang, interrupting him.
The man pulled his body. His hand took out his phone, and he saw a name on the screen.
"What's wrong?"
Estelle sighed, she had escaped him this time. There was no denying that her body was still tense, cold sweat sliding down her temples. She was scared that Hector would do something terrible to her.
"Tell him to wait, I'll be home tomorrow."
The phone call was cut, and Hector returned his attention to Esse. The girl's body tensed again as the man's footsteps approached her.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted Hector's step. As Hector turned, Mr. Wright opened the door and greeted him with a smile.
"I was afraid that her breakfast would get cold, so I brought it here," said the old man, placing Estelle's breakfast on the nightstand.
"Ah, thank you..."
"Actually, I was going to ask you to help me clear the snow that was covering the front of the house. I don't think my waist will be strong enough to do it today."
Hector paused for a moment before smiling. "Of course, I'll do it now."
Without saying anything else, Hector left the room to do what Mr. Wright had asked. Meanwhile, the old man immediately turned and stared at Estelle, who was still pretending to be asleep.
"You can wake up now. Hector has left," Mr. Wright said with a smile.
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes and looked at the old man. Mr. Wright sighed and patted Estelle's shoulder as he recognised her expression.
"Did Hector do something to you?"
Estelle remained silent. She just bit her lower lip.
"If you need help, I will help you."
"How could you know?"
Mr. Wright looked at Estelle's reddened wrist. He knew that the bracelet was a tracking device. As a former police officer, Mr. Wright's eyes couldn't be fooled even though the bracelet had been modified. And now, the bracelet fitted with a tracker by Hector scratches her skin until it turns red.
"Did Hector lock you up?"
"More or less," Estelle replied.
"He's a good person, but for some reason his way of thinking is too extreme."
Categorizing Hector as a good person might be a mockery of demons. Estelle strongly disagreed with Mr. Wright statement. In fact, Hector is crazy. And he will never stop being crazy.
"I need help, but maybe not right now."
Mr. Wright stared in confusion. "So, did you develop a special feeling for—"
"No," Estelle cut in. "It's just that this time is not the right moment."
Nodding in understanding, Mr. Wright gently patted Estelle's head. Looking at a face that reminded him of Mrs. Andersen. That girl is a carbon copy of her mother.
"When that time comes, don't hesitate to come to this house. I will help you."
A small nod answered Mr. Wright's promise. However, neither of them knew that the person they were talking about was still outside the room and clearly heard what they were planning. Hector's eyes darkened and the glass he was holding slowly cracked.
***