Chapter 46: Reward
"Hsfshffsshhsshhh..."
Those murmurs — William always heard them.
They were the thoughts of everyone around him.
"Make it stop!" he would cry to his father every single day, tears streaming down his face as he pressed his hands over his ears.
But that was the curse of a telepath — to always hear the whispers hidden inside people’s minds. He couldn’t turn it off, couldn’t run from it, unless he completely cut himself off from the world.
And so, his father built him a bunker beneath their mansion — a quiet place, filled with everything William could need. Every day, his father visited him, hoping that one day William would get used to being around people again.
Over time, William learned to silence the voices. Even in his sleep, he could sense people near him but no longer be disturbed. He could filter them out — push the noise to nothing.
But now... there was something strange.
Someone’s thoughts were too close — closer than they should be.
A nurse? No... this presence was right beside him.
He slowly opened his eyes — and saw her.
Emma.
Her deep blue eyes stared down at him, calm and soft. Then, a gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
It took him a second to realize — his head was resting on her lap.
"Why is my head on your lap?" he asked, blinking.
"The pillow looked uncomfortable," Emma said lightly. "So I thought I’d give you a bit of comfort instead."
William groaned and tried to sit up, but Emma placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It’s still too early to get up," she said softly. "Rest a little longer."
He could have easily moved away, but he didn’t. Instead, he sank back down, resting his head again.
Emma smiled, her eyes full of warmth. "You did great yesterday. You saved my life."
William raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if you couldn’t have handled it yourself."
Emma chuckled. "Maybe I could have. But you still saved me from something I didn’t want to face. So... thank you."
William exhaled slowly. "Then how about a head massage as a reward?"
Emma’s fingers brushed against his forehead. "Is it aching?"
He gave a wry smile. "It always does. You can’t relax when you can hear everyone’s thoughts all the time."
Her expression softened with worry. "Do you really have to go through that every single moment?"
He was surprised by the concern in her voice. But he didn’t dramatize it. "The whispers are faint now. I’ve gotten used to them."
Emma’s touch was gentle — slow circles that made his tension melt away. His eyes drifted closed as he sighed, feeling peace for the first time in a while.
Then, in a whisper barely above breath, Emma said, "You were being quite chummy with that woman."
William hummed without opening his eyes. "With whom?"
"That emissary," she muttered.
William cracked one eye open. "I threw boulders at her, and you call that being chummy?"
Emma frowned slightly. "Still... she caught your interest, didn’t she?"
He stared at her, half amused, half in disbelief. "Well, yeah — she’s strong."
"So you like strong women, huh?" she said, almost pouting.
William looked stunned. "Wait... are you actually jealous?"
Emma looked away. "I don’t know... I just didn’t like how much fun you seemed to have with her."
He smiled helplessly. Fun? He’d been fighting for his life. What was going on in that head of hers?
Sighing, he teased, "If this is your reaction just because I admired a woman’s strength, what’ll you do when you find out I’m engaged?"
Emma froze.
Her heart skipped a beat — and for the first time, her thoughts grew loud enough to hurt.
He’d meant it as a joke, but when he saw her eyes turn distant, hollow... he knew he’d gone too far.
"Who is she?" she asked quietly, her voice detached.
William sighed and sat up. "Relax. It’s no one serious. My father invited someone over, that’s all. I plan to reject it when I go back."
"Then let’s go today," Emma said firmly. "We’ve got two days off from the academy. Why waste time? Let’s go tell him right now."
He rubbed his temples. "And what reason do I give him?"
Emma’s eyes held no amusement when she said. "Tell him I’m pregnant, and you have to marry me."
William’s eyes nearly popped out. "A-Are you insane?!"
She shook her head with a straight face. "It’s perfect. You’ll be free, and honestly... I know you’ll fall for me sooner or later anyway. So why not use it as an excuse for now?"
He groaned. "If we’re going that far, I’ll just let him know that I am dating someone. Let’s not ruin your reputation with that ridiculous plan."
Emma raised her brows. "Are you sure that’ll be enough? Shouldn’t you visit him and tell him that in person?"
William shook his head. "I’m already meeting him in two weeks. I don’t want to go back there unnecessarily."
Emma studied his face for a moment and noticed the faint discomfort in his expression. He really didn’t want to go back home.
But why? From what she knew, Count Delimore and his son shared a good relationship. So then...
"Do you not like your stepmother?" she asked before she could stop herself.
William’s gaze snapped to her, sharp and cold. Without saying another word, he got off the bed.
"Don’t pry into my life," he said curtly, and walked toward the door.
The room fell silent once he was gone.
Emma sat there, biting her lip, regret flickering in her eyes. Their bond had been growing stronger lately, yet it seemed there were still walls he wasn’t ready to let her cross.
But then again... she wasn’t innocent either. There were things she hadn’t told him—things she couldn’t.
She hugged the pillow he’d been resting on and took a deep breath. His scent still lingered, faint and warm, and it made her heart race.
Staring at the door he’d just walked through, she whispered softly, "I feel so helpless... the more time I spend with you, the more my heart refuses to listen."
She didn’t know how long she could hold herself back.
Everything about William is so damn attractive that she was losing the control she has built in the two lifetimes.
A twenty-one year old working woman’s maturity and the fragile heart of a teenager...both were losing to his charm. And Emma was quite happy about it.
She was hopelessly falling deeper in love.
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. I want this book in your collection if you have seen them flirting already.