Love Unspoken

Through a veil of tears, Quinn looked up to see Walter's cruel smile."Are you still holding out hope for him to rescue you?" he taunted.Quinn was rooted to the spot.

Walter crouched before her, ruthlessly shattering her illusions. "Do you understand why we're in this situation?"

Quinn's breath hitched, her gaze locked onto him."Do you really not understand?""Those three days you vanished, do you think he was unable to locate you?"

He leaned in, his voice a soft whisper. "No, he knew exactly where you were. He simply chose not to come for you. He was laying a trap for me."

A chuckle escaped Walter as he toyed with a lock of her hair. "You poor, naive girl, your presence here is all his doing."Tears spilled from Quinn's eyes, like pearls slipping from a string, splashing onto the plate beneath her chin."Do you want to know what he's doing now?""He's likely preparing for the shareholders' meeting the day after tomorrow.

He's occupied with trying to overthrow his father, plotting his sister's downfall, and as for you, well, you'll have to wait your turn."

Quinn clutched the plate tightly, her chest rising and falling rapidly."Now, if he wants to negotiate with me for your sake, he knows he can't meet my demands.""So, it's simpler to just cast you aside, effectively refusing to negotiate with me.""But that's to be expected. What's a woman worth in the face of personal gain? He may have feelings for you, but he wouldn't sacrifice everything he has for you, would he?"She knew she shouldn't believe Walter's words, yet they seemed to pierce her heart relentlessly.

Like shards of glass stabbing her heart, each bite Quinn took was a stab of hollow pain. She sat with her head bowed, mechanically eating the tasteless food, indifferent to its flavor yet unable to stop. Walter squatted beside her, silently observing as she finished her meal.

After a moment, Quinn sniffled, set her plate on the floor, and lifted her tear-streaked, reddened eyes to meet Walter's gaze. The twilight outside faded, casting a dim haze inside the room. Walter tenderly stroked her cheek, wiping away the tear that clung to her eyelash.

In that moment, Quinn was reminded of Alexander's similar gestures, which had once made her surrender to his will time and time again. However, it wasn't until now, with Walter's tender touch as a contrast, that she realized how cheap and presumptuous Alexander's actions had been.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Men could be masters of deception, capable of feigning tenderness and passion even towards those they despised. Alexander had been such a man, and so was Walter.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! For them, these displays cost nothing-an effortless flick of the wrist. Only when faced with real stakes would their true colors be revealed.

Eventually, Walter stood up and said, "Well, that's done."Without a backward glance, he left the room, the untouched meal on the table still lying as it was.Quinn wiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve and obediently began to clear away the dishes.

Down below, at the Astor Estate Kyle Astor stood outside the lit study, hesitating before he finally knocked on the door.

Engrossed in his documents, Alexander beckoned without looking up, "Come in."Kyle rushed inside. "Alexander, I've secured the shareholders' support-there shouldn't be any issues.""Mmhm."Kyle opened his mouth, then hesitated. After a pause, Alexander suddenly looked up, "Something else?""Are we... really not going to continue searching for Quinn?"Alexander stilled, then fell silent.It was some time before he spoke, "Have you found her?""No, that's my point. Shouldn't we double up our search efforts? At this rate, it's like finding a needle in a haystack. "Alexander set down his paperwork and looked at Kyle, contemplative and silent."Leave," he finally said. "But Alexander, about Walter-""Get out!" The sharp rise in Alexander's voice, laced with a chilling ferocity, immediately silenced Kyle.Kyle pursed his lips and quietly retreated.