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NORA POV

When we got back to the house, the silence between Derek and me was thick. I didn’t want to say anything about what happened, not like I had anything to say.

 “Nora, about tonight…”

He said slowly, but his eyes stayed on me. “I just want you to know, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

I looked away. “It’s not your fault.” I didn’t want him to feel responsible, even if part of me wished he could fix everything.

 “I never took the whole thing seriously,” I said, looking away. “So it doesn’t get to me like that.”

He frowned, clearly confused. “What... what is that supposed to mean?”

 “Goodnight, Derek,”then started walking quickly toward my room.

“Nora, wait. Talk to me,” he called after me.

I closed the door behind me and locked it, pressing my back against it as I let out a shaky breath. I was trying to calm the storm inside me. After a moment, I pushed myself away and walked toward the mirror. I stared at my own reflection, trying to make sense of everything. I let out another breath, almost like a whisper to myself. "Nora, a lot has changed since you met him. Your look, your smile, even your laughter. You have friends now—Lyra and Mira. No one calls you 'Debt Girl' anymore. And he promised to protect you."

But then the voice came, loud and harsh inside my head. “You’re going to hurt him. You’ll bring chaos to his life. You’re just a rag. You’ll stain him.”

“Leave”

“He deserve better..leave…rag”

I held my head to control myself from screaming, My eyes dropped to the suit Derek had taken off earlier, the one he had covered me with. I reached out and squeezed the fabric, bringing it close to my nose, breathing in his scent. The weight of everything hit me suddenly. I started crying, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe.

The next day, I did everything I could to avoid Derek. I didn’t want to talk to him or even see his face. Mira tried to ask me about the dinner, but I told her I didn’t want to talk about it, and she respected that. I even asked if I could eat my food in my room from now on. I couldn’t explain why I was doing this, but I just needed to stay away from Derek.

It actually worked. Derek knocked on my door three times, but I never answered. The last time, he lied that Lyra was downstairs waiting for me. I knew that was a lie because Mira had already told me Lyra went on a date with her mate, Gerrick, so there was no way. Derek even threatened to use extra keys, and the way he said it made me chuckle quietly.

Not long after, I heard a light knock—three firm knocks. I recognized it was Mira because that’s how she signaled me. I opened the door, and Mira was standing there with a forced smile, but she looked tense.

“What?” I asked quietly.

Suddenly, Derek appeared behind her like a shadow. I was startled and screamed. I tried to step back, but I tripped on the edge of the rug. I slipped and my leg hit the floor hard. I fell.

Derek’s face changed immediately. He looked shocked and rushed to me.

“My leg… my leg,” I murmured, feeling the pain.

“Get the doctor now!” Derek shouted while Mira stood frozen.

Without hesitation, Derek lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bed, laying me down gently.

“Why are you doing this to yourself?” he said, his voice angry but filled with worry. It sounded like he wanted to cry.

He ran out of the room and came back quickly with ice. Carefully, he placed my leg on his lap.

“Does it hurt that much?” he asked softly, watching me closely.

Derek held the ice carefully on my leg, his strong hands steady and gentle at the same time. I could feel how tense he was,his jaw tight, his eyes full of worry. Now this is another side of him, he looked so …….pure concern

He looked up at me a few times, like checking if I was okay. When I tried to move, he quickly stopped me, “Don’t move too much, the Doctor will soon be here” he said quietly. His voice was softer than I expected.

The doctor arrived not long after, carrying his bag and greeting us politely. Derek helped me sit carefully on the bed while the doctor examined my leg with gentle hands. He told me he was going to stretch my leg a little and that it might sting just a bit but nothing too painful. I nodded, trying to stay still and not tense up. When the doctor moved my leg, I heard a faint cracking sound. I only made a small noise—a quiet wince really—but I could see Derek’s face change. He actually closed his eyes for a moment, like he was feeling the pain for me. His jaw was tight, and he kept looking between me and the doctor, clearly worried. The doctor assured Derek that it was just a slight dislocation and nothing serious. With some rest and care, I would heal quickly. Derek didn’t say much but stayed close to me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder as if to offer support. When the doctor finished, Derek helped me lie back down and gave me a small, relieved smile.

 He reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair from my face. 

“You don’t have to run away from me,” he said, his voice low. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I wanted to tell him so many things—how scared I was, how I didn’t think I deserved him—but I couldn’t find the words.

So, I just nodded. That was all I could do.