Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
She burned up at the slightest touch. Push her too far for a couple days and she might really die.
If Wyatt wanted to test her obedience, he probably couldn’t.
He inhaled sharply, furious. No one had ever gotten under his skin like this.
When he didn’t answer, Yunice turned her head and shut her eyes, her lips tight as tears rolled silently down.
She cried miserably.
Wyatt rubbed the bridge of his nose. He’d had enough.
“Can we finish dealing with the Saunders mess before you start flipping out?”
The situation with the Crawfords wasn’t resolved yet. And at such a critical moment, the two most important people had suddenly gone missing-anyone would get suspicious.
Besides, it mattered to Yunice too. They couldn’t just leave it.
Just then, the same housekeeper from earlier came to the door, clearly uneasy. She said softly, “Sir, the Crawford family called. They asked if you could return their call.”
See? They’d already noticed something was off.
Wyatt turned to Yunice. “Stay home. I’ll handle it.”
She had a fever-best not to go out.
Wyatt went to the living room to return the call.
“Mr. Carl…”
“Yeah, she’s running a fever.”
Carl said, “A fever? Then I’ll send Freya over to take care of her. You come to the Crawford house.”
His tone was calm and polite, but anyone with a brain could tell-he didn’t trust Wyatt. He was sending Freya to check things out.
Wyatt didn’t exactly have a spotless reputation, and Yunice was just a delicate young woman. Who could guarantee nothing would happen to her?
Wyatt’s eyes darkened. He gripped the phone. “…Okay.”
When he returned to the bedroom, Yunice was actually out of bed.
Maybe because of the fever, she looked weak. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she held her forehead, visibly upset.
Wyatt walked over and scowled. “Three days. Can you give me three days?”
Yunice looked up, eyes red and full of defiance. “What’s with your attitude?”
“You tricked me into marriage. You’re the one two-timing. I’m not even making a scene-I just want to understand what I mean to you. What right do you have to yell at me?”
Wyatt stared at her, stunned. It was the first time Yunice had actually complained to him.
But he wasn’t angry at all.
He stepped closer and lifted her chin.
She turned her face away.
Wyatt asked, “This is my first marriage. How’s that a scam?”
“And I’m clean. You’ve always known that, haven’t you?”
“Nora… we weren’t even officially together. At most, we were ambiguous.” At the word ambiguous, Yunice’s long lashes fluttered-barely noticeable. She thought she was rational enough. Rational enough to control her emotions. She thought she could calmly accept Wyatt having been in a relationship with Nora.
But she hadn’t expected that one word-ambiguous-could make her chest tighten.
She cared.
She cared that Wyatt had been involved with another woman. Even more, she cared that he had once truly fallen for someone else.
Ambiguous. That stage when emotions are at their most tangled.
Half-formed feelings, loaded glances, affection blooming in every little moment.
If Nora hadn’t suddenly ended up in a coma, would that relationship have ever ended? Would Yunice even be in the picture now?
When Yunice stayed silent, Wyatt said, “Freya’s coming to see you in a bit.”
He held her hand, fingers gently wrapping around hers. “Don’t say anything reckless. Don’t make trouble.”
Yunice could go tell on him. She could cry and accuse him of cheating.
But if she wanted Carl’s help to get a divorce, Wyatt could also ask Carl for a few tips.
He was never above playing dirty.
The bedroom door opened and closed. Wyatt left.
With his coat in hand, he headed for the living room-where Freya was already waiting by the door.
She raised her hand, fingers fluttering like piano keys as she greeted him. “Morning, Mr. Wyatt.” Wyatt curled his lips into a smile, sharp-edged and dangerous. “You got here fast.”
‘s Being Played
Freya must have already been waiting outside the west wing when Carl made the call. She gave an awkward smile but didn’t say anything. Only after Wyatt walked past her did she quickly step into the living room and ask the housekeeper where Yunice’s room was.
“Yunice?” Freya turned the doorknob and peeked inside.
Yunice looked surprised. “Freya? How did you get here so fast?”
Freya came in and shut the door behind her. Sitting at the edge of Yunice’s bed, she took in her pale complexion and asked with concern, “You really have a fever?”
Yunice nodded. “Yeah.”
Freya let out a breath. “Good thing nothing happened. Yesterday, you and Wyatt both disappeared without a word. No one could reach either of you. We were all worried.”
Recalling Wyatt’s warning before he left, Yunice rubbed her nose and said, “Yesterday, Wyatt got into a fight with Jackson from the Powell family. They started throwing punches. I got scared and ended up with a fever…”
“You scare that easily?”
Yunice lowered her head, embarrassed.
Freya tilted her head, eyes fixed on the red marks on Yunice’s neck. After a pause, she asked hesitantly, “Even with a fever, he still messed with you?”
“Huh?” Yunice didn’t follow.
Freya pointed to her neck. “That wasn’t there last night.”
It was obvious when it had happened, and in such a visible spot. Yunice’s face flushed red, and she covered her neck with one hand.
Freya pointed to her own collarbone. “There’s one here too.”
Yunice covered that spot with her other hand.