Chapter 9

Hunter was certain that Estrella knew nothing. Afterward, he got out of bed and entered the bathroom again. Estrella heard the sound of running water. When he returned, steam still clung to his skin, his body radiating warmth. He said, "Honey, I've cleaned up." Estrella deliberately ignored him, and Hunter let out a quiet sigh before planting a kiss on the back of her head. Then, he pulled her into his arms. It was clear that Hunter had planned everything carefully for this trip. But Estrella only realized the truth the next day. Every single place they visited was somewhere that she had once dreamed about, back when they were broke and living in that tiny, run-down apartment. Hunter had kept every word in his heart, and this trip was his attempt to make her dreams come true. Estrella lowered her gaze, her smile cold. As she looked at Hunter's expectant face, she stayed silent, pretending to forget. After all, Hunter had thrown his loyalty to her out the window long ago. Yet, he had the nerve to use their precious memories against her. Meanwhile, Hunter had also quickly deleted Rowan's comment from that day. What he was unaware of was that Estrella had already seen it. After being reprimanded by Hunter, Rowan directed all her anger toward Estrella and sent the latter numerous photos of her rose garden. Every word she said was filled with threats and warnings. "Did you know that Hunter likes excitement? We spent a very long time in this rose garden... "Estrella, do you really think he loves you? He only pities you because you're deaf and mute. Stop fooling yourself!" Estrella did not delete a single message. In fact, she kept scrolling through them repeatedly. Hunter had no parents and was known as the homeless child from nowhere in Ambleside Lane. He spent his childhood rummaging through garbage, surviving on scraps. As he grew up, people still saw him as trash. When Estrella first received the mission from the system, she refused. She was afraid to approach someone as dangerous as Hunter. The way his eyes narrowed when he locked onto someone was like watching a predator fixate on its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But Estrella had no choice. In another world, she was in the late stages of cancer, desperately clinging to life with her last breath. She wasn't ready to die yet, with so many unfinished matters and places still unexplored. Memories of the past flashed before her. "Hi, I'm Estrella Lovell, and I'll protect you from now on! "Ouch! Why did you bite me?" Estrella looked angrily at the teeth marks on her wrist. Hunter smirked, completely unfazed. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting me? I'm just leaving my mark, making sure you're mine." ... Nonetheless, Hunter had given Rowan the same mark as well. That night, Estrella came down with a fever. Hunter rummaged through the entire medicine kit, but he had forgotten to bring fever medicine. Without hesitation, he scooped her burning-hot body into his arms. "Hang in there. You'll feel better soon. I'm taking you to the hospital." However, the lodge Hunter had booked was too far from the city, and outside, a blizzard raged on. Thick layers of snow blanketed the roads, making them nearly impossible to navigate. The more anxious he became, the more mistakes he made. Hunter gripped the steering wheel with one hand while tightly holding Estrella's hand with the other. As he felt the heat radiating from her palm, panic clawed at his chest.