“Be careful!” Just as Cheyenne thought she was about to be hit by the lamp, a hand suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
The man’s chest was incredibly warm, and when her back touched it, she thought there must be a furnace hidden inside.
As she turned around in surprise, she didn’t expect to see a familiar face. Iker had come to her rescue.
Just then, the lamp fell to the ground with a loud crash. Iker quickly wrapped his cloak around Cheyenne for protection. In that split second of light from the falling lamp, they saw corpses with purple faces scattered throughout the room.
Cheyenne swallowed hard in fear and stuttered out, “I-it’s so scary. Maybe we should leave.”
After the noise subsided, darkness enveloped them once again except for their small space under Iker’s cloak. He looked at Cheyenne biting her lip in frustration and chuckled softly.
“What? You’re a doctor but you’re afraid of ghosts?”
Cheyenne felt embarrassed but didn’t want him to look down on her so she retorted, “Who said doctors can’t be scared of ghosts? I believe in science but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect deities.”
“Hmm,” he replied nonchalantly.
Is that all he had to say?
Cheyenne glanced at him before muttering under her breath, “If you were a woman, then you and Kelvin would make an ideal couple since both of you hardly ever talk.”
At Kelvin’s name being mentioned, Iker frowned unconsciously looking unhappy at hearing it.
“Nonsense!”
He could never get along with Kelvin who had taken away what he liked most – Cheyenne herself!
Cheyenne smiled lightly before grabbing onto his sleeve saying, “Let’s just go already… I’m cold.”
Without hesitation or protestation this time around, Iker took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders gently as if handling something precious while maintaining an expression serious enough as if carrying out some kind of mission; which would have surprised anyone who knew him well enough as one feared commander known throughout military circles . It was more spine-chilling than seeing ghosts!
“What about you?” She asked after putting on his cloak.
“I’m fine,” He replied dismissively. “You’re too thin-skinned anyway”
This made Cheyenne angry again causing her fist to land lightly on his back while shouting,”Being tall doesn’t make you superior!”
The man had his back to her, but he was still smiling even though he had been beaten. “Hmm, the air up here is definitely much fresher than down below,” he said.
Cheyenne was most proud of her silver needle technique, but she also had a flaw in her figure – she was too short. Even though her grandfather and father were both tall, and Selah looked at least 168 in her younger photos, Cheyenne was only 163 cm tall. In this world where 180 cm is considered average height, she felt like a little dwarf who needed special attention.
Iker was 186 cm tall – half a shoulder taller than Cheyenne – which made her feel uneasy. If she could trade ten pounds of fat for one centimeter of height, she would do it without hesitation! “Hmph! What are you so proud of? When my husband comes back I’ll make him carry me on his back so I can feel the fresh air up here too.”
As soon as Cheyenne finished speaking, Iker bent over in front of her. She was surprised again and asked him why he did that: “Is your waist sore?”
“Pfft!” Iker’s cool voice sounded above her head again: “I mean… if you want to feel the fresh air up here you don’t have to wait for Kelvin; I can carry you on my back.”
Cheyenne fell silent immediately because she knew that Iker liked her more than just friends should be. She shouldn’t give him any hope if they were just friends especially since now that she has reconciled with Kelvin and become a mother of two children.
“Never mind; let’s go quickly instead. Thank you for your kindness,” Cheyenne said hastily.
But before she could finish speaking, Iker firmly grabbed hold of one arm and lifted Cheyenne onto his back: “Idiot! Can’t you feel your feet bleeding? You’re ungrateful even when someone wants to help you out? Why bother thinking so much?”
“Are you afraid that Kelvin will get angry if he finds out? You’re done for now; being controlled by a man like this… have you forgotten what your goal used to be when we were young girls?”
Why did they have to end up like this now?
Iker felt very unwilling because it used to be him who wasn’t behaving properly which made him always lag behind Kelvin by one step or more.
If it had been him who fell into the sea with Cheyenne at first place, would things be different between them right now?
That’s why after his leg healed from injury three years ago, he chose to go abroad military school for further study. During these three years, he kept an eye on everything about Cheyenne.
He knew that She started a company;
He knew that She got along well with Kelvin;
He knew that She gave birthed two children;
But he also knows deep down inside himself, that there has always been only one person in his heart – Cheyenne.
Knowing that he should let go and forget about her, but he just couldn’t do it. So every chance he got to come back to the country, he eagerly returned.
Leaving Onistead for Akloit was only to see her once.
He wasn’t planning on telling Cheyenne any of this.
Cheyenne snapped out of her panic and looked down at her bleeding foot. She had been too busy chasing after the person and hadn’t noticed when she stepped on something sharp.
And then there was the burn mark from when the chandelier fell, making it red and swollen. It looked terrible.
“So that’s how it is. Thank you very much. But please put me down now, these are just flesh wounds so I can walk.”
“Stay put. If you leave a trail of bloody footprints outside the morgue tomorrow, what will people think?”
What would they think?
They would naturally think… it’s haunted!
Cheyenne felt like she was being dramatic over nothing. Why did she feel like this wasn’t right? Was it because she was afraid Kelvin would find out and get jealous?
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she dismissed it immediately – it definitely wasn’t because of Kelvin!
In an empty hallway, Iker carried Cheyenne on his back through a dark staircase without hesitation or stumbling despite not being able to see where they were going.
Cheyenne trusted him completely not to let her fall or hurt herself along the way.
From the top floor all the way down to her office twelve floors below – there was even an elevator at level ten – Iker had chosen this path solely for more time with Cheyenne alone together.
“You don’t have to feel burdened by any of this; everything is voluntary on my part.”
“I…”
She didn’t respond at all.
Iker knew what she wanted to say but didn’t care. “Don’t refuse me; at least let me protect you while Kelvin isn’t around.”