Upon hearing some noise, Garrison Reeves hurried over. Although he had told Winifred Dawson to call him if she needed anything and that he would come right away, in reality, he didn’t need her call to be alert to any sounds from her direction.
From inside came Winifred Dawson’s voice: “I’m fine, I just accidentally knocked over some toiletries, but I’ve picked them up. You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be finished in a moment.”
“Okay.”
With her nerves taut as a string, knowing that Garrison Reeves wouldn’t come in for the time being, Winifred Dawson quickly cleaned up the floor and then went to wash up. She just rinsed off without using any shower gel, dressed quickly, and opened the door.
She was too nervous. While bathing, she kept feeling like Garrison Reeves was standing outside, but in reality, there was no one there.
Winifred Dawson checked carefully again to make sure no scars were visible before she dared to step out.
Upon reaching the dining area, she immediately ran into Garrison Reeves who was carrying bowls of food.
“Wearing so much in such hot weather? Are you cold?” Garrison Reeves scrutinized her from neck to ankle, covered up tightly.
“I caught a cold, and I feel a bit weak, so I feel a bit cold. Plus, the seasons are changing right now. It’s hot one moment and cold the next outside, so wearing a bit more at home can’t hurt.”
Winifred Dawson’s explanation made sense, and Garrison Reeves didn’t think any further about it.
“Today’s breakfast includes your favorite shrimp dumplings. They’re still in the steamer; I’ll get them. You sit down first.”
“Mm.” Winifred Dawson obediently sat down, watching Garrison Reeves bustle about, bringing over breakfast.
The vegetable porridge that was made had been off the heat for a while and was ready to eat immediately; it was the perfect temperature-warm enough to comfort the stomach without burning the mouth.
After eating, Winifred Dawson got up, intending to take the dishes in to wash them. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do these chores, but Garrison Reeves never let her.
This time was no exception. As soon as she picked up the bowls, Garrison Reeves intercepted them: “How can someone who is sick do these things?”
“But I need to do something, otherwise, I’ll get bored.”
“What to do? Just sit, rest, play with your phone, or watch TV.” Without another word, Garrison Reeves took the dishes into the kitchen and even closed the door behind him, leaving no chance for Winifred Dawson to help with the dishes.
Winifred Dawson sat on the sofa, took out her phone, and aimlessly browsed through it, not knowing what she wanted to watch, just killing time.
Just then, her phone vibrated twice, and a text message popped up. It was from an unknown number.
“Have you woken up? Did you sleep well last night?”
Winifred Dawson looked at the message, a seemingly ordinary phrase, yet she felt an unusual hint of intimacy in it.
Winifred Dawson stared at the string of numbers with no note attached, certain it was from someone she didn’t know, most likely sent to her by mistake.
She chose to ignore it, pretending she hadn’t seen it.
Just as she was about to leave the page, another message popped up, this time a picture accompanied by some text.
“Do you still want this?”
The photo appeared, and with just one glance, Winifred Dawson’s pupils shrank, and a chill ran from her feet to her head, as if she were standing naked in sub-zero temperatures, every pore on her body invaded by the cold.
It was him, the man from that night.
He had found her necklace.
Winifred’s hands trembled uncontrollably, nearly unable to hold onto her phone. She tried to calm herself, but no matter how she breathed or tried to adjust her emotions, she couldn’t return to normal.
It was as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, a slight move from the other person could doom her, and she had no way out.
What to do… The sender had obviously investigated all her information.
The hotel that night, the scent of the man, she knew he was no ordinary person.
She had hoped to escape this once as if nothing had happened. Why wouldn’t he let her go?
Winifred Dawson’s face was pale, her limbs weak, her calves spinning, unable to concentrate. The phone vibrated again, terrifying her further, scared to look, but unable to resist.
She prayed that what followed, whether a call or a message, would be spam, but alas, the heavens didn’t hear her prayers, and it was still from him.
“I know you’re looking. If you dare act like you don’t remember anything, then I’ll just have to reenact that night’s events, permanently imprinting that memory in your mind. Of course, you could choose to ignore this, but are you sure your fiance Garrison Reeves can ignore it as well?”
He had guessed exactly what she was thinking, leaving Winifred Dawson on pins and needles.
It felt as though the phone screen had suddenly grown a pair of eyes, staring straight at her.
Winifred glanced towards the kitchen, saw the door was still closed, and hurriedly replied to the message: “What exactly do you want?”
“Just to see you again and let you retrieve your lost item.”
“What if I don’t want that necklace anymore?”
“Then I’ll just have to send it to Garrison Reeves, but I must remind you, once Garrison receives this necklace, he’ll know everything about that night. And you know what a man can least tolerate, don’t you, Miss Dawson?”