Chapter 984:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

One morning, Carole sat perched at the edge of her bed, her bare legs swinging idly in the air. Her gaze fell on Kole, who was kneeling before her, carefully helping her pull on her socks. A trace of irritation crept into her voice. “Kole, have you heard of the Knight family from Zhatwell? Yesterday, Etta Knight came to our house for a gathering. From the way she talked, it sounded like she wanted to set me up with her son.”

The more she spoke, the more her frustration bubbled over. “And the worst part? My mom didn’t turn her down right away. I’ve met her son, Mike, at a few events. He’s not bad-looking, but he’s five years older than me. I could never bring myself to like someone that much older.”

She added, her tone sharpening, “And I once saw him near the restroom hallway, all over his girlfriend — laughing, flirting, acting like no one else existed. He already has someone. So why drag me into this?”

Kole said nothing, his silence steady, almost stubborn.

Annoyed, Carole lifted her foot — now dressed in a delicate white lace sock — and gave his chest a light kick. “Kole, maybe I should just tell my parents outright. I’ll say it plainly: once I graduate, we’re getting married. That should stop them from pushing me toward someone else.”

Kole caught her restless foot before it could pull away and carefully adjusted the ribbon bow on her sock, making sure it sat just right. “Your parents won’t agree,” he responded evenly, as though stating something that could not be changed. “For me, it’s enough to stay by your side. Even if it’s only as your bodyguard, watching over you every day… that’s already more than I could ask for.”

𝖭е𝘄 w𝖾e𝗄𝘭y сh𝖺рt𝘦𝗿𝗌 𝘰n 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝘯o𝘷𝖾𝗹ѕ.c𝘰𝘮

Dissatisfaction flashed across Carole’s face. She hopped off the bed at once. “My parents dote on me — they’ve always given me whatever I ask for. If I tell them I want to marry the person I love, why wouldn’t they agree?”

She waved a hand, brushing off his concern. “Don’t think too much about it. I’ll handle it myself.”

Kole stood where he was, watching her disappear through the bedroom door. An uneasy feeling settled in his chest, spreading quietly but firmly, like a shadow he couldn’t shake.

It didn’t take long for that feeling to prove true.

Before long, Carole’s parents learned about their relationship — and their reaction was swift and furious. Carole was locked inside her second-floor bedroom, the door shut tight against her. In the backyard, Kole was restrained by several bodyguards. Even so, he could still hear her — her fists pounding against the door, her voice breaking as she cried out, each sound cutting deeper than the last.

Pain twisted in his chest. Every instinct urged him to break free, rush upstairs, tear open the door, and take her away from all of it. But he didn’t move. He understood all too well — if he acted recklessly now, the consequences would fall hardest on her.

Carole’s parents were beside themselves with anger, as though their pride had been trampled beyond repair. Without hesitation, they ordered the bodyguards to beat Kole — hard.

Kole did not resist. He lay on the ground, his fingers clawing into the dirt beneath him, teeth clenched tight as blow after blow landed across his back. He endured it all in silence, not uttering a single word.

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