C3 I will never abandon you

He rushed toward her, but when he realized she was naked, he quickly turned around.

He swallowed hard and grabbed the white towel from the counter. Then, he took a small step backward.

With his eyes closed, he turned toward her and bent down to scoop her up.

He wrapped the towel around her and effortlessly carried her in his arms.

He returned to the bedroom and gently lowered her onto the bed, only to find her eyes wide open.

He was startled and stepped back. She glanced at her half-covered body before looking back at him.

Her face turned red.

[Another emotion detected. It's called embarrassment.]

[In a term you understand, it's called...]

[No need. I'm already human. I can feel it now. I'm not that clueless.]

Draven stared at her. "Are you okay? You passed out in the bathroom."

She shook her head.

'I'm all right.'

Once again, her voice refused to come out.

Seeing that she wasn't saying anything, he sighed and patted her hair.

"Get dressed and eat something. Then, we'll talk. Or do you want me to help you get dressed?"

Her eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head, still experiencing the new sensation.

He laughed and walked out of the room. She sighed, stood up, and pulled the duvet over her body.

She grabbed a shopping bag and entered the walk-in closet.

Meanwhile, Draven was already seated at the dining table, reviewing a document with Noah beside him.

He raised his head and saw Cara walking downstairs in a simple white gown and sneakers. Her long, beautiful hair flowed loosely down her back.

She walked toward him, while Diana, standing in the corner with the other maids, frowned.

Draven smiled and patted the chair beside him. Cara walked over and sat down.

Her eyes were glued to the dishes on the table, and her mouth watered. She was extremely hungry.

Noticing her gaze, Draven picked up the chopsticks. He lifted a flaky, golden pastry and placed it on her plate.

She swallowed and stared at the pastry. He handed her the chopsticks, and she took them, attempting to use them. However, they slipped from her hand.

Diana scoffed inwardly.

'She can't even use chopsticks? Seriously, what lowlife wolf did the Alpha bring home?'

Draven glanced at Cara and helped her break the pastry into smaller pieces.

She picked up the spoon within reach and ate the pieces one after another.

He smiled, but he couldn't help thinking, 'Cara can't use chopsticks? I taught her how to use them for the first time in her life, and she'd been perfect at it ever since. She's so different now.'

He studied her, deep in thought.

'The last time I saw her, she was telling me to mind my own business and leave her alone. But now, she hasn't said a word. She's so quiet and behaving strangely. Is she okay?'

Cara moved on to the fluffy pancakes. She had no time to study anyone's reactions.

She had seen countless dishes through the eyes of her thousands of hosts, but tasting them herself was a completely different experience.

Within minutes, she had finished everything on the table.

Draven smiled.

"What a big appetite! Would you like some more?"

She shook her head.

He patted her head and poured some milk into his mug.

"Here, have some milk."

She took the mug and gulped down the milk. Draven smiled when he noticed a little milk staining the corner of her lips.

He wiped it away with his thumb, and she experienced two emotions at once.

[Love and embarrassment.]

[42F, your core is heating up again.] Her system colleague said in her mind.

[It's none of your business.]

"Cara, let's talk," he said.

She blinked.

---

His study was even larger than the dining room and incredibly spacious. He took her hand and led her toward the sofas, then helped her sit down.

He sat across from her and clasped his hands together.

"Cara, I know you told me never to show my face to you again, but I had no choice. As soon as I heard that Elias had gotten married, I rushed back to the country."

She stared at him without blinking.

"He betrayed you, so I have every right to reclaim what was mine. I know it'll be hard for you to get over him, but I can wait. Can you give me a chance? I promise I'll treat you better."

'Get over him? I don't even know him,' she thought.

Of course, her voice still refused to come out.

When he continued waiting for her response, she simply stared at him.

[42G, could it be that he can't hear my voice?] Cara asked her system colleague.

[You need to master human speech. Otherwise, people will think you're mute.]

Draven sighed and took her hand.

Her heart immediately began racing again.

'So soft and warm. I love his touch.' Cara thought.

"I know you're sad and devastated right now, but it's okay if you don't want to talk about it yet."

She shook her head and began using sign language. Fortunately, she already had the necessary knowledge.

She had once helped a mute host communicate with high-ranking officials, enabling her to pass her first interview before her voice returned.

Draven understood sign language.

"You want to write something to me? What happened to your voice?"

She lowered her head and shook it.

Draven felt his heart ache.

'Elias got married a year before I returned. Could my Cara have suffered so much that she lost her voice?'

His hands clenched tightly. He stood up and walked to his desk, where he retrieved a small notebook and a pen.

He returned to her side, sat down, and handed her the notebook.

She took it, wrote something, and handed it back to him.

He read what she had written, and his eyes widened slightly.

I'm done with him, and I won't push you away again. Please don't abandon me.

He stared at her and shook his head.

"How could I ever bear to leave you? I will never abandon you."

He kissed her forehead, making her heart race again.

He studied her face and smiled.

"Why is your face so red?"

She shook her head and looked away.

He chuckled.

"Cara..."

She turned back toward him.

'She probably lost her voice because of an accident. If I ask her about it, she might not want to talk about it. Maybe I should give her some time.'

He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Never mind. So, are you saying you've agreed to be my woman?"

He asked, silently praying that her answer would be yes.

She nodded, having no idea what she had just agreed to.

His eyes lit up. Suddenly, he pulled her onto his lap, making her sit sideways as he smirked.

His Cara had finally fallen into his trap.

Cara could feel her heart beating so hard that she could hear it pounding in her ears.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear that answer from you, Cara? Now that you've agreed, you can't back out."

His hands moved from her waist to her chest, and he cupped her left breast like a starving beast finally set free.

She swallowed hard. The sensation was strange, but she liked his touch.

He captured her lips and deepened the kiss.

Cara's eyes remained wide open. After a while, however, the overwhelming sensation became too much for her, and she finally closed them.

She had never kissed anyone before, so she was completely inexperienced.

He pulled back and stared at her.

"Baby, don't tell me you were with that jerk for over five years and never kissed him?"

She shook her head, recalling Cara's memories. She knew that Cara and Elias had never kissed.

He smiled.

"Good! I hate sharing. These lips..." He traced the shape of her lips with his thumb, then squeezed her breast. "And your body are all mine."

She swallowed again as he captured her lips and parted them, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

Her eyes flew open. She could feel her head spinning from the kiss.

Just as his hand moved toward the zipper at the back of her dress, someone knocked on the door, interrupting them.