Chapter 17

Hudson found himself lost in thought after leaving the rundown building with Winona. Earlier, she mentioned that the Twilight Revenants worked with the government. However, it didn't feel like it at all. As Hudson was thinking about the situation, Winona suddenly stopped. She turned around, hands clasped behind her back, and looked straight at him. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Close your eyes," she said calmly. Seeing his hesitation, she frowned slightly and ordered, "Hurry up and close your eyes. I have a gift for you." A gift that required him to close his eyes? Hudson couldn't help but wonder if the gift was a kiss. Although this wouldn't be their first kiss, those previous ones had been part of her little charades. If this was an actual kiss, it would undoubtedly feel different. His cheeks flushed slightly at the thought, but he still obediently closed his eyes. He didn't even remember to ask why she was giving him a gift in the first place. In the darkness, he felt Winona approach. She was so near that he could catch the faint fragrance of her hair. Then, something touched his lips. But the sensation was too stiff to be a kiss. The next moment, Winona shoved the object into his mouth. Startled, Hudson opened his eyes. She had already taken a step back, and he finally noticed the sweet taste spreading in his mouth. It was a lollipop. "One for each of us." Winona unwrapped another lollipop and placed it in her mouth. "Even though I'm not sure what happened last night, I know you saved me." She turned away from him and added gently, "I won't force you to tell me the details, but thank you, Hudson." The sugary flavor lingered on his tongue, mingling with her appreciation, making this simple gift unexpectedly meaningful. Hudson chuckled helplessly at the thought that he was fooled by her again. That said, he noticed something unusual about Winona. She seemed so upset that even the sweets in her mouth couldn't brighten her mood. It was unlike her typical aloofness. She seemed to be suffering a loss. "What's wrong?" Hudson asked. "Nothing. I just wanted to congratulate you on not becoming infected and officially joining the organization." "You don't sound very happy to me," he said with a smile. "Well…" She glanced up at him briefly. "The 24-hour monitoring period is over, so… I won't be staying at your place anymore." Hudson froze. He finally realized what she meant. "I'll head back now. You can get home on your own, right?" The smile on his face disappeared. "Yes." "Alright… Well, bye." Winona lowered her head slightly. As she passed him, he impulsively reached out and grasped her arm. "I just remembered that you can't leave yet." Winona was startled by his sudden action and looked up at him, only just realizing the tears flowing from the corners of her eyes. Hence, she quickly averted her gaze again. "You haven't cleaned up the mess you made." Hudson brought her closer to him. "Did you forget about it?" "What mess?" she whispered. "You told my parents you're my girlfriend, and they believed it. If you leave now, how am I supposed to explain it? Do I tell them we've broken up? He stared at her with feigned seriousness. She hadn't thought about this and stammered in response, "I-I didn't think about that. What do you expect me to do?" "Keep up the act." She asked, "For how long?" "I'm not sure yet, but you're not going home right now." Winona's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't meet his gaze. "But… but Mr. Jennings wouldn't agree." Before she could continue, Owen's voice burst out from the second-floor window. "Hey! What nonsense are you spouting? How are you still using me as an excuse at a time like this? When did I ever disagree? "Do you think I like sharing the space in our tiny home? I won't have to sleep on the couch if you leave. Get lost already!" Upon hearing his words, Winona puffed her cheeks furiously and looked at the man smoking outside the window. "You're a heartless man, Mr. Jennings! I'm the one who does your laundry!" "Ha! I'm going to get a washing machine shortly. You're too old to be clinging to me like this. What are you, a giant baby? Hudson, take her away already!" "Mr. Jennings!" She stomped her foot in frustration. "That's enough." Hudson held her hand without hesitation. Winona looked at their intertwined hands. "What are you doing?" "Let's go home. I'm hungry." Winona hesitated for a moment before letting out a long sigh. She wiped her tears away before sticking out her tongue at Owen. "Just so you know, I eat a lot. If you want me to keep up the act, you must include meals and a place to stay." Hudson replied, "As long as you play your part well, I'll keep you fed." Owen chuckled as he watched them leave. "What a stubborn girl." Kevin appeared at the second-floor doorway, arms crossed. "She needs to start being independent. It's Tiago's fault for pampering her so much that she hasn't passed the Awakened test for three years. But Owen, are you fine with leaving Winona in the hands of some rookie?" Owen didn't respond but sighed heavily. It didn't matter if he wasn't okay with it because Hudson was the reason Winona was still alive. "If Hudson dares to hurt her…" Owen patted the gun on his hip. "I'll show him my bullets." … That night, after returning home, the two began establishing ground rules for their relationship. "Can I have three meals a day?" Winona asked. "Of course. I'll even include a midnight snack for you." "That won't work. I need to go to bed at exactly 10:00 pm. I can have a snack now since it's 8:00 pm." As she spoke, she began removing her clothes. Hudson was startled and turned around instantly. "What are you doing?" "I'm going to shower, have my snack, then brush my teeth and get ready for bed." "Sure. What do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you." Hearing the rustle of clothes behind him, Hudson's cheeks heated up instantly. "Barbecue ribs? It's been a year since I had it." He didn't understand why she made it sound so tragic. Still, he replied, "Alright. You take your shower, and I'll get the ribs for you." With that, he picked up his jacket and walked toward the door. "Are you sure?" Her hesitant voice came from behind. "You don't have to. Although I get hungry easily, I can handle it. I'm used to it." He almost wept at her statement. "Don't worry. I have money. Some rich kid gave me half a million dollars earlier today." "Rich kid?" She paused for a while before realizing what he meant and smiled mischievously. "I thought you'd be the type to throw the money back in their face and ask them to get lost." With his back to her, Hudson awkwardly scratched his head as he didn't know what to say before remembering what Owen said. "Only a fool wouldn't take free money."