Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Yunice raised a brow. Were they trying to infiltrate the station from the inside? The fighters were taken in.
Outside, the reporters were still chattering away, exchanging mockery, sarcasm, and backhanded compliments like it was a sport. Yunice found it oddly entertaining.
The only downside was the cold. Her feet were freezing. She had on little leather shoes, and within minutes, her toes had gone numb in the winter night air. Her eyes flicked down to where her hand was tucked into Wyatt’s coat pocket. So warm. If only she could sneak her frozen feet into the heat of his waistline…
She noticed Wyatt move, and quickly turned her gaze away!
“Here.” Wyatt held out a steaming can of pear juice-label removed, lid popped.
Yunice blinked. Where had that come from? She looked him up and down. How had she not noticed him carrying something that big and hot?
Wyatt said, “If you don’t drink it now, it’ll get cold.”
Without thinking too much, Yunice took it. She’d barely taken two sips when a woman nearby began rummaging through her bag, shouting, “Hey! Where’s my pear juice?! Who took my pear juice?!”
Yunice froze, staring down at the warm can in her hand. As the woman’s voice rose, the juice suddenly felt like a live grenade. Wyatt! You lunatic-you stole this for me?!
The woman sniffed the air, and her gaze snapped toward Yunice like a heat- seeking missile.
Panicked, Yunice grabbed Wyatt and buried her face in his chest.
“Ah-” Wyatt hissed, stumbling back.
Yunice had wedged the can of juice between them, trying to hide it. But she moved too fast-the can tipped and spilled right onto Wyatt’s shirt, soaking his abdomen. She clung to him, giving him frantic side-eyes. She could handle death-but not public humiliation!
Their commotion had already drawn the woman’s full attention. Her gaze swept over both of them like a radar scanner. She sniffed again and slowly crept toward Yunice.
Wyatt, pressed so close, could hear how fast her heart was racing. The corners of his mouth twitched upward. He pulled her even closer.
The woman definitely suspected her-but one look at the tall man beside Yunice made her hesitate. She was clearly intimidated. After a few tense seconds, the woman slapped her forehead. “Oh! Wait-I put my pear juice in my other bag!” She crouched down and rummaged through a different bag near her feet, eventually pulling out a different bottle of pear juice, clearly from a different brand.
Yunice was stunned speechless. As the woman happily tipped her pear juice and raided her bag, Yunice stood stiff as a board.
Wyatt’s voice brushed her ear. “You really don’t trust me, do you?”
She turned, flustered-and her soft lips accidentally grazed Wyatt’s cheek.
He smiled faintly, then slowly straightened. Only after she stepped away did he lower his eyes to glance at the wet patch on his shirt.
Pear juice wasn’t like water-it was thick and sticky with sweetness.
Soaking through his shirt, it clung unpleasantly. Worse, the night air quickly turned that warmth into a freezing, clammy chill.
Yunice felt her cheeks heat with guilt. She had spilled it. She had wronged him. She couldn’t just let Wyatt freeze like this.
“Do you have a change of clothes in the car?” she asked, face flushed.
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “Who keeps spare clothes in their car?”
He was looking at her the way he always did-predatory and intent, as though constantly plotting how to devour her.
Yunice met his gaze. That line-who keeps spare clothes in their car-lingered in her mind, and her throat tightened involuntarily.
When she didn’t come up with a solution, Wyatt said in a low voice, “Let’s buy something. There’s a store nearby. It won’t take long.”
Yunice hesitated. What if news broke while they were gone?
But Wyatt stood there, pitifully damp, his soaked shirt shivering in the breeze.
Yunice sighed in defeat. “Fine, but let’s be quick.”
The nearby shop wasn’t a luxury brand-just a basic clothing store.
Yunice darted in, scanning racks of clothes. Wyatt followed, casting one disdainful glance at the store’s tragically tasteless layout.
But trying another shop would waste time.
To make up for her mistake, Yunice threw herself into the task of sifting through piles of shirts like she was panning for gold.
At checkout, the total came to 150 yuan.
She shot a sheepish look at Wyatt. The man normally wore socks that cost several grand…
Whatever, she thought. He’s only wearing this once.
After paying, she handed him the new outfit and suggested he change in the car.
Wyatt refused.
“You think water stays where it’s supposed to?” he murmured.
Yunice’s gaze followed the water stain down his shirt. It wasn’t hard to guess how far the stain had spread.
It must’ve been miserable the whole way here.
“Let’s go back to the car,” she muttered.
She pulled the car into a shadowed spot. Wyatt climbed into the back to change.
“Wet wipes.”
Yunice passed them back without turning around.
Rustling sounds followed-Wyatt wiping off, changing-and then his voice came again. “What, you can’t even look at me?”
Yunice gripped the steering wheel, eyes forward. “Nothing worth looking at.”
Staring would be way weirder, she thought.
A moment passed. Then, “Pass me my coat.”
She reached back to hand him the coat on the passenger seat.
Her hand brushed something unexpectedly firm and warm.
Startled, she turned-and saw Wyatt half-dressed in the wine-red shirt she’d picked. The buttons weren’t done. He’d leaned forward, and her hand had ended up right against his chest.
Wyatt tugged at the shirt. “Didn’t you notice when you picked this? It’s missing two buttons.”
She frowned and reached for the collar, inspecting it herself. Sure enough-two buttons were gone.
“I checked before I bought it,” she muttered. “You probably popped them off.”
Wyatt arched a brow. “There you go again-always assuming the worst of me.”
Okay, maybe she had jumped to conclusions about the pear juice, Yunice admitted silently. But the buttons? No way.
She looked up and said dryly, “If you’re trying to seduce me, don’t play these roundabout games.”
Wyatt didn’t even try to deny it. Instead, he caught her wrist before she could pull away. “So you prefer things direct? However you like it-I can do that too.”
“I like the kind of man who can clear my brother’s name,” she replied without missing a beat.