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Chapter 250 Clipping Her Wings
Chapter 250 Clipping Her Wings
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As usual, Connor kept the post away from family circles, sparing his parents and relatives any immediate knowledge of his new relationship. But with friends, he felt no need to hold back. After all, wasn’t that what social circles were for?
Just as he’d expected, his friends, classmates, and colleagues sent in congratulatory messages, wishing him happiness.
Among them was a comment from Stanley: Congrats!
Connor replied with a brief: Thanks, Mr. Fuller.
However, Stanley had other ideas and took a screenshot of the post; promptly forwarding it to Zachary.
Zachary stared hard at his phone screen, the dark eyes reflecting something unfathomable and intense. The picture clearly showed the hand of a woman–delicate and fair–skinned, hands he recognized easily after three years of marriage.
Stanley, ever thoughtful, also sent screenshots of the congratulatory comments and Connor’s responses. Though the post was only a photo and emojis, the warm remarks below confirmed the obvious: this was a relationship made public.
Zachary’s grip tightened on his phone, his knuckles whitening as veins rose on the back of his hand. Behind the controlled exterior, a deep fury boiled, barely restrained, as though a beast within him had just awoken, ready to tear through anything in its path.
“Lenora!” he muttered under his breath.
You really are something!
Just yesterday, she’d assured him that she wouldn’t intentionally pull away from him, even going so far as to say she’d allow him to compete fairly for her attention. She knew how he felt about Susanna, how much he’d valued their connection.
Yet that night she had gone to see Connor.
Is she really that fond of him? What is she trying to make of me?
Zachary clenched his jaw, forcing down the tremor of frustration that lodged itself in his throat.
He clicked his screen off, slumping back against the couch with one arm thrown over his eyes. The emotions he’d managed to hold back all day surged forward, fierce and hot, a firestorm lighting up his mind with thick, suffocating smoke.
Deep down, something dark took root, pushing through the cold soil of his thoughts.
Since she’s going to be so defiant, I should just lock her up and clip her wings. Maybe then she’ll stay by my side.
“Uncle Zachary, are you okay?” A small, innocent voice cut through his storm of thoughts.
The child’s voice was like a sliver of sunlight piercing a heavy cloud, calming the chaos within him.
Zachary lowered his arm and turned to see Harrietta’s concerned little face. “I’m fine, Hattie. I’m just a bit tired.”
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Chapter 250 Clipping Her Wings
“You should go to sleep then, Uncle Zachary,” she advised, stifling a yawn of her own.
He shook his head gently, smiling, “I’ll wait up for Aunt Lenora to get back.”
She checked her watch, yawning once more, “It’s almost nine. She’ll be back soon, right?”
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“Yes,” he murmured, his gaze going distant, a shadow flickering in his eyes. “Any time now.”
Harrietta eventually couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. Slowly, her head started to droop forward, until finally, she slumped sideways on the couch, sound asleep.
Zachary stood up, gently lifting her and carrying her to the hospital bed. He laid her down carefully, tucking the blankets snugly around her small frame. Then, he settled back onto the couch alone, his eyes locked on the doorway, waiting for Lenora’s return.
After dropping Connor off at his home, Lenora returned alone to the hospital. When she reached the room, she knocked softly and entered. Her eyes met Zachary’s, his gaze dark and steady.
She felt an odd jolt of surprise, looking around. “Is Hattie asleep?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“She is,” Zachary replied, his eyes fixed on her, as if trying to peer into her thoughts. His gaze was almost unnervingly intense.
Lenora shifted slightly, an odd chill running down her spine. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Zachary lowered his gaze, but his tone was composed. “No reason. Are you taking Hattie home tonight, or should she stay?”
With a slight chuckle, she replied, “We’ll head home. This isn’t the best place for her.”
She moved toward the bed where Hattie lay, nestled deep in her blankets with only her small head peeking out. Her face was serene in sleep, her tiny mouth moving as she dreamed.
Lenora couldn’t resist waking her up at that moment. Thus, she leaned in and poked Hattie’s cheek playfully. It was soft and warm.
She began to withdraw her hand but brushed against Zachary, who had somehow approached her without making a sound. She turned, startled, to find him standing close, his expression dark and unreadable, eyes like ink pooling in shadow.
Their gazes locked, and for some reason, Lenora felt an eerie chill, her pulse quickening. “Zachary? I didn’t hear you walk up…”
“It’s because you were too focused.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
Lenora felt the atmosphere growing increasingly odd, almost suffocating. She turned back to wake Hattie, wanting only to leave quickly.
“Hat-”
Just then, she felt a sharp jab at the back of her neck. Her vision dimmed, her consciousness slipping as her knees buckled.
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Chapter 250 Clipping Her Wings
Zachary caught her as she fell, a look of fierce possessiveness crossing his face as he held her close. Brushing a soft kiss on her forehead, he murmured, “Don’t blame me for this, Nora…”
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At Galaxy Bay, the sound of a car engine in the driveway caught Miranda’s attention. She stepped outside, looking slightly surprised to see him there. “Mr. Fuller, I thought you were at the hospital. What brings you back so late?”
Since her grandson’s health had improved and she’d heard that Zachary himself had been hospitalized for a stomach bleed and was scheduled for surgery, she had come home two days earlier. She’d planned to visit the hospital the next day.
Zachary shut the driver’s side door and walked around to the passenger side, carrying Lenora, who was still unconscious, out of the car. “Hattie’s asleep in the back seat. Take her up to her room, and if she wakes up asking for Lenora, just tell her that she’s sleeping,” he instructed.
“Very well, sir,” Miranda replied without any hint of suspicion. She went around to the back seat to retrieve Harrietta and carried her upstairs to her room.
Meanwhile, Zachary carried Lenora directly to the master bedroom. He laid her gently on the large bed, taking a moment to gaze at her face. In the stillness, he couldn’t resist the urge to lean forward, his lips pressing softly against hers in a lingering kiss.
Unbeknownst to her, he continued to kiss her until her lips were flushed and a gentle warmth radiated from them.
As he studied her peaceful, sleeping face, Zachary found himself thinking that she was at her most compliant and beautiful when she was like this, lost in sleep.
He removed her shoes, scarf, and coat, and, carefully, her skirt, now warmed by the body heat of their ride. Left only in her thermal underwear, she looked serene, her form perfectly outlined by the fabric.
Suddenly, an image from a snowy night in Nardor flitted into his mind, of her standing there in similar layers, the curves of her body enhanced by the snug clothing.
Taking a breath, Zachary gently pulled the blanket over her and moved to her face, gently removing her makeup.
Ding!
The sudden chime of a message broke the silence. Zachary slipped his hand into the cool pocket of her coat and found her phone. He unlocked it to see a message from Connor.
It read: Are you home yet, Lenora?
A faint glint sparked in Zachary’s eyes, but he calmed the small storm stirring within and typed a he small storm stirring within and typed a
response: Yes.
Connor: That’s good then.
Zachary typed back: It’s late. I’m going to freshen up. Goodnight.
Connor: Goodnight, Lenora.
Zachary’s fingers lingered over the screen before
g through her recent chat with Connor.
Nothing flirtatious stood out, though he noticed they had shared several meals together recently. He
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Chapter 250 Clipping Her Wings
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wondered if their closeness was mostly platonic or if, perhaps, the ambiguity was more prominent in real life.
With a steady, serious expression, he set her phone aside. After washing up, he slipped into his own sleepwear and quietly slid into bed next to Lenora.
With one smooth motion, he pulled her into his embrace, the familiar feel of her warmth against him flooding back as if only moments, not months, had passed.
Closing his eyes, he breathed in the sweet scent of her hair and the subtle fragrance of her skin, letting it lull him into a deep and contented sleep.
In the middle of the night, he was roused by a soft murmur, faint but unmistakable.
“Dad… Dad…” she whimpered, her forehead furrowing, her voice trembling slightly as though she were caught in a dream that wouldn’t release her.
Zachary reached out, his hand resting on her forehead. The heat startled him–it was unmistakably high.
Lenora had developed a fever.
