Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
“They say having children ties a woman down. I want to see if that works on you.”
Yunice stared at him like he was insane. “You have no bottom line, do you?”
Wyatt was silent for a moment, then looked at her sideways. “Is this your first day knowing me?”
Yunice’s mind went back to the first time they met. Back then, they were just kids. Wyatt had been raised in a little courtyard where [he] couldn’t even get a bite of meat.
Paul had slipped a venomous snake through the door crack to scare him-but Wyatt had sat calmly in the yard, skinned it, gutted it, and turned it into dinner.
That scene left a deep impression on Yunice. A person who wants to survive will grind down the stones thrown at them and swallow the dust.
Someone like that would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
She thought of the snake tattoo on his waist. Maybe from the moment he got it, he had already decided to control everything.
Marriage was a power struggle. For long-term peace, one side had to dominate.
Wyatt wanted to control her-and she wanted to control him too.
If you don’t want to lose, you have to be the crueler one.
Both of them had been scarred by their families. People like them had complicated feelings about children. They’d try to give their kids all the love they never got themselves.
Wyatt might love his children deeply in the future. And he figured Yunice would too.
That was why he wanted to tie her down-with their children.
Wyatt crooked a finger at Yunice, signaling her to come over.
Yunice wasn’t about to lose the upper hand-she walked over.
Wyatt hooked his arm around her neck, his hand brushing lightly through her hair, his fingers pressing faintly against the back of her neck.
“You don’t know how to love, you’re not planning to like me, so why bother fighting with me?”
“Whatever’s going on between me and Nora has nothing to do with you. Why make me angry over something like that? What are you trying to prove?”
Maybe you like me a little-but just don’t realize it?
Yunice frowned. “Women don’t make things harder for other women. If you belong to Nora, then I won’t try to take you.”
Wyatt said, “I don’t belong to anyone. Who I choose depends on how I feel. If I don’t choose her, what can you do about it?”
…That didn’t sound right. Was he seriously trying to justify cheating?
Wyatt’s fingers brushed across the red mark on Yunice’s neck, his gaze darkening.
“You’re not obedient at all. I’ve decided-I’m not letting you go see Nora.”
Yunice said, “You liar!”
Wyatt stood up, unconcerned. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Whether or not he kept his promises depended on his mood. Either way, he had plenty of ways to keep Yunice from running off.
He nudged the disassembled gun parts on the floor and added, “Stop contacting that friend of yours who gave you the gun. Or I’ll take them down too.”
Yunice didn’t respond.
She watched Wyatt’s back and thought, You’re a monster? Well, I’m not much better myself.
Yunice stayed in the room and didn’t leave.
Wyatt headed to the living room. A servant came over to report, “Sir, Ms. Nora has been standing outside for a long time… It looks like it’s going to rain soon…”
Wyatt didn’t reply. He simply tapped his phone and pulled up the security feed for Gardison Residence. The camera clearly showed tears at the corner of Nora’s eyes and her trembling fingers.
It meant that after two years in a coma, the vegetative patient was starting to show signs of waking.
Wyatt’s eyes darkened, and for the first time, his emotions grew complicated.
Suddenly-thud-a loud sound.
He frowned immediately. “What was that?”
The servant said nervously, “It sounded like it came from your bedroom…”
Yunice?
Wyatt shot to his feet and rushed back to the room, flinging the door open.
The room was empty.
The balcony door was wide open, sheer curtains blowing in the wind.
Wyatt rushed to the balcony. There, tied to the railing, was a makeshift rope of bedsheets, its end swaying in the wind.
Yunice had escaped.
Wyatt’s fingers tightened around the railing. “You’re running off with a fever? Seriously?”
Yunice drove away from the west wing. Just as she reached the gates, a figure suddenly threw themselves onto her hood.
She hit the brakes out of instinct.
But the momentum still knocked the person back with a bang-they slammed onto the hood.
Yunice frowned and glanced at her rearview mirror.
She was worried Wyatt might catch up, but she couldn’t just ignore the person she’d hit.
Eventually, she got out to check on them. She helped the person up, and two voices spoke at once: “You?!”
Yunice and Maine let go of each other immediately.
Maine had seen a car coming out and thought it was Wyatt’s. Her first instinct had been to stop it.
Yunice had no idea Maine had been waiting there, which was how she ended up hitting her.
Maine, limping, hobbled over to Yunice’s window and peeked in. When she saw Wyatt wasn’t inside, she scowled. “Just my damn luck!”
Then she snapped at Yunice, “Why is it just you? Where’s Wyatt?”
Yunice gave her a once-over and replied with another question, “You’re here for Nora, aren’t you? Is she waking up soon?”
Maine let out a cold laugh. “So you already know.”
“If Nora wakes up, you think there’ll still be a place for you?”
Yunice replied, “If she’s that important, then why have you been here all this time, waiting for Wyatt but not finding him?”
Maine’s eyes flashed with anger. She gritted her teeth. “Are you gloating?”