Before his eyes was a beautiful scene, and Louis suddenly did not know where to look. He had never imagined he would see Elisa in such a cold and alluring state-white silk nightgown, lace trim, exposing her slender and delicate arms, with long hair hanging down. In the dim light, her refined eyebrows and eyes like autumn water made her look like a dazzling night fairy.
Louis’s breath caught. He felt like a puppet on a string, completely unable to control his own limbs. His hands were still resting on Elisa’s delicate waist, feeling the warmth in his palms, as if a flame was burning, ready to consume his entire hand at the slightest movement.
Louis’s heart trembled.
But then he noticed something unusual-Elisa’s eyes seemed to have been crying, still red now.
“You cried?” Louis asked.
Elisa subconsciously touched her own face, “I had a nightmare and couldn’t help but cry when I woke up.”
“What kind of nightmare would scare you to tears?”
Her voice, after crying, sounded somewhat hoarse as Elisa muttered, “I dreamed that you forgot me, didn’t remember who I was.”
Louis rarely saw Elisa cry. When she did, it was quiet, just like when she acted in a sad scene, she would quietly gather her emotions in a corner. Her body trembled, lacking any sense of security, like a newborn kitten.
Louis let go of her waist and gently touched her head, “If I ever forget you one day, don’t be afraid. I can guarantee that when I see you again, I will definitely fall in love with you once more.”
Elisa’s body jolted, and she finally raised her head.
Yes, the person who loved her most in this world was Louis. No matter how much time passed, even if he forgot her, when they met again, he would still treat her well, giving her all his tenderness. Just like when he bought her candied hawthorns to cheer her up as a child, or when he, like a fool, gave her a cookie to eat alone on her twenty-fourth birthday, Autumn.
Even if she died and changed bodies, Louis would still recognize her at a glance.
Elisa took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions.
Louis then shifted his attention and asked, “Is Brittany not here?”
“Yeah, she’s in the guest room.”
When Louis heard this, the tension that had been in him all night finally eased, and his relieved expression was clearly visible.
“It seems like you don’t like me sharing a room with your sister.”
“If she were normal, it would be fine. I just feel like she has ulterior motives. She was cold to you before, and now suddenly she’s clinging to you like a leech… ” Not to mention the nightgown Elisa was wearing, which was clearly given by Brittany, with obvious ill intentions. Thankfully, Elisa didn’t sleep in the same room with Brittany tonight.
Brittany was obviously prepared for something tonight, so why did she suddenly go to the guest room? Did something happen in between?
Elisa smelled jealousy, and the gloom that had hung over her all night suddenly dissipated.
“It’s probably around 2:30 in the morning now. You should get some more sleep, or you’ll have bags under your eyes in the morning.”
“Will you stay with me?” Elisa asked.
“I’ll stay with you, watching you sleep.”
Elisa furrowed her brows, full of confusion, “Watch me sleep? Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Louis shook his head, “A girl’s bed is not for anyone to casually sleep on,” not even if that person was his sister.
“Then I’ll go to your room to sleep.”
“What… what? You… you want to sleep in my room?” In the dim light, Louis’s complexion wasn’t very clear, but from his hesitant voice, it was clear that his face must be red.
“Is that not allowed?”
It wasn’t that it wasn’t allowed, but a man’s nature couldn’t be controlled, and Elisa was dressed in such a provocative manner…
Louis made an effort to suppress his restless heart and spoke calmly, “Of course, it’s allowed.”
“Then let’s go.” Elisa said, and as soon as she said it, she was pulled back by Louis as she walked out of the room.
“Where did you put the clothes you changed out of?”
“They’re hanging in the cloakroom.”
“I’ll go get them. You stay here and don’t move, don’t take a single step outside. It’s not okay to go out dressed like this; there are cameras outside. What if someone sees you?”
Elisa obediently nodded, waiting for Louis to get the clothes. She was wearing a white suit today, and Louis draped the suit jacket overher shoulders, making sure everything was fine before leading Elisa back to her room.
Louis’s room looked even larger than Brittany’s bedroom, and it seemed more empty, clearly less often used.
Louis lifted the covers and looked at Elisa on the bed, “Are you cold?”
Elisa shook her head, “Not cold.”
Louis didn’t get into bed, but sat at the edge, looking down at Elisa. Under the black crow-like eyelashes, his eyes were gentle and serene. Though they were calm, just one look would inevitably draw her in.
Suddenly, Elisa felt that she had been foolish all her life. Clearly, they were the same person-her eyes, her teeth, her smile, her soft voice-everything was exactly the same, so why had she only just realized it now?
The tooth he had pulled out, even though he had a false tooth now, was still a pain in Elisa’s heart. If she had realized it earlier, he wouldn’t have been hurt.
Elisa felt guilty and uneasy, still tightly holding Louis’s hand, “Aren’t you going to bed?”
“I want to wait until you fall asleep.” Louis leaned forward and touched Elisa’s warm forehead, “Are you still afraid now?”
Elisa shook her head, “Not afraid anymore.”
“It’s good that you’re not afraid anymore. Sleep, I’ll watch over you.”
Louis wasn’t this gentle with everyone. He kept his family at a distance, appearing gentle to others, but always with a sense of detachment. Only when it came to Elisa did he devote himself entirely, always gentle.
Elisa found herself always being watched by Louis. Every time she opened her eyes, every time she turned her head to see him, she saw herself in his eyes, and she couldn’t help being drawn in by his sincere and passionate gaze.
Elisa felt the chill, even though her body had changed, it was still the same, and Louis’s body was always warm. She lay on her side, her hands tightly holding Louis’s warm hand against her cheek. The closer to warmth, the more she wanted to sleep. Her eyes, swollen from crying, didn’t want to open once closed. Louis let her hold his right hand, and hearing Elisa’s steady breathing, he knew she had fallen asleep and didn’t let go. Carefully, he lifted his left hand, brushing a few strands of hair on Elisa’s face behind her ear. Tonight was destined to be uneasy. Brittany had changed rooms at the last minute and couldn’t sleep. Regret and loss filled her mind, the words “missed out” occupying her thoughts. She couldn’t sleep with Elisa this time and didn’t know when she would have such an opportunity again.
She had a big heart, so she didn’t dwell much on Elisa suddenly mentioning his brother’s past. After all, she left everything to her mother to handle. What had been done in the past would be done in the same way now. Mrs. White returned home full of worry and told Mr. White everything she had just said to Elisa. “Do you think I’ve let Elisa down?” “Since you’ve made up your mind to do this, don’t feel guilty. It’s not a big deal. I do find it strange how the past Elisa met Louis. I did some investigation on her before. Elisa is from another province. She had never been to Bankshire, let alone Goodlife Orphanage, to meet the past Louis. Moreover, Louis was silly for more than ten years and had no chance to go out, let alone the age difference between them.” This matter was inexplicable no matter how one thought about it. “Elisa’s previous name was Aoife, and she spent a year with Finn,” Mrs. White said. “You just said that Elisa told you that Finn was the one who operated on Louis when he was shot?” Mrs. White nodded. “That’s what she said. She also said that Louis fell right in front of her eyes, and her expression and eyes didn’t seem like she was lying.” “Don’t you find it strange?” “What’s strange?” “At that time, Elisa was only fifteen or sixteen years old. At that age, she was still studying in the countryside. When would she have had time to meet Finn?” “You’re right, that is strange,” Mrs. White realized belatedly. “You said Elisa spent time with Finn? Why have you never told me about this? Could it be that she…?” Mrs. White couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild. She cared more about Louis than anyone else and was afraid that he would be harmed in the slightest way. Thinking about what Elisa had said and Mr. White’s analysis, she couldn’t help but wonder if Elisa would harm Louis.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mr. White interrupted her thoughts. “Since we chose to believe her from the beginning, let’s continue to believe her. You’ve been in contact with her for so long, you should know what she’s like. Moreover, she’s been with Louis, and we’ve seen it. But she definitely has secrets that we don’t know about. But I believe she wouldn’t harm our family. If she really had ill intentions, she wouldn’t have been so candid with you tonight.” “Do you think Finn really did what she said?” “It makes sense, but it still needs to be investigated,” Mr. White said, his eyes suddenly darkening, like a beast lying in wait, ready to pounce, he wouldn’t let those who had harmed his family go.
“Don’t worry about all this. Leave it to me. Whatever happens in the future, we’ll deal with it. Just be happy.” Mrs. White nodded and embraced Mr. White, leaning on his chest. “Weren’t you strongly against Elisa before? Why are you so understanding today?” “It’s not a sudden understanding. I trust your judgment more than believing her. And yesterday, I played a game of chess with her. She’s clearly a young woman in her twenties, yet she’s mature and composed. Her behavior and demeanor are nothing like someone of her age.” Mrs. White agreed, “Yes, I always felt something was off about her before. Now that you mention it, I finally see it. Her age, every time I see Elisa I always overlook her age. In her early twenties, she manages a company worth tens of billions and has a successful acting career. She really doesn’t seem like someone of her age.” “A year ago she wasn’t like this at all. It’s only been in recent years that she’s changed. What I’m curious about is what could have caused such a complete change in her.”
Just as Mr. White had said, Elisa had many secrets. Would a person full of secrets be frightening? But they knew for sure that the secrets Elisa had wouldn’t harm them.
Mr. White finally managed to lull the person in his arms to sleep. In the middle of the night, Mrs. White woke up from a nightmare, curled up in Mr. White’s arms, sobbing, and no amount of comforting seemed to help. She dreamt that Louis had regained his memory and no longer wanted them, resenting them for hypnotizing him and causing him to forget. Afraid of dreaming anything, Mrs. White had always felt uneasy about hypnotizing Louis, and now that Elisa knew, she began to feel anxious.
“It’s not true. Back then, we used hypnosis for his own good, and now we choose to continue hiding it, and Elisa has agreed. You don’t need to worry. Besides, we can’t always be by their side. The future is for them.” Mr. White believed in his son, but he knew his wife just needed some time to come to terms with it.
Thinking about the nightmare she had, Mrs. White thought back to when they had found Louis, lying in the hospital bed, barely clinging to life, with a weak heartbeat. Just the thought of it scared her. They had barely managed to find him, and she didn’t want to lose him again.
Even though she had slept late, Elisa woke up on time, her body clock already accustomed to it. She thought that after crying last night, she would wake up with swollen and painful eyes, but she didn’t feel any discomfort. She opened her eyes and looked around, the daylight allowing her to see everything in Louis’s room. She moved her hand and felt a force pulling her back. Slow to react, she looked over to find Louis lying on the bed, his head resting on his right arm. Judging by his position, he had been sleeping like that the whole night.