Chapter 718

The servant who had brought breakfast could only stand there awkwardly.

“Miss… you should at least eat a little,” she said softly.

“I’m not hungry,” Naomi replied without turning around. “Take it all back.”

“At least -”

“I said no,” Naomi cut in, sharper this time.

The servant finally retreated, stepping out of the room quietly. She hadn’t expected to find Lydia standing there, and her surprise showed for a brief second before she lowered her head. “Um… Miss Naomi still hasn’t touched her breakfast, ma’am,” she reported.

“All right, I’ll try to persuade her. Please make some potato soup. She likes it,” Lydia said, and the servant immediately nodded and left to carry out the order.

Once the servant was gone, Lydia knocked gently on Naomi’s door. “Naomi, it’s me.”

There was no answer. Lydia pushed the door open slightly, about to step inside, but her movement halted.

Cale stood behind her.

His gaze rested on Lydia, heavy and subdued. The dark circles under his eyes were impossible to miss. Had he not slept at all last night? What had he been doing? Working on his project again? Did he not even consider resting for a moment?

Damn it. Why hadn’t she insisted on stopping him from leaving last night?

“I’ll talk to her,” Cale said.

Lydia frowned. “Cale-”

“Trust me,” he said gently.

That tone alone made her pause.

But before she fully stepped aside, Lydia spoke in a low voice, “She’s not fighting you.”

Cale didn’t respond.

“She’s just scared,” Lydia continued. “And she’s not thinking about herself.”\

Cale looked at her.

“She’s really worried about me,” Lydia added more quietly. “When the doctor came yesterday, she was the one asking all those questions about my condition. Even though… she’s the one who went through the trauma, Cale. And I’m sure she’s being stubborn because she wants to leave, so we don’t get dragged any deeper into this.”

Cale drew a slow breath. “I know,” he said at last. “That’s exactly why…” His voice dropped, steadier now. “I’m not going to let her go.”

Lydia held his gaze for a few seconds, then finally gave a small nod and stepped back.

The door closed as Cale entered the room. Naomi was still sitting there, unmoving.

“I’m not going to eat,” she said without turning.

Cale walked closer. “You have to eat.”

Naomi let out a soft, bitter laugh. “What, are you going to force me too?”

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“I have to, I will Hesides, I don’t want my wife going out of her way to take care of you”

Naomi turned then, her eyes meeting his “You don’t understand anything.”

“Then explain it ”

Naomi fell silent for a moment before speaking again, her voice low. “This is all because of a debt.”

Cale didn’t respond right away.

“He doesn’t want anyone to pay it off,” Naomi continued. “He wants me back “The words came out with difficulty, her voice trembling as her eyes began to glisten. “He just wants me to belong to him again.”

Silence settled between them. Even so, Cale didn’t look surprised by anything Naomi had said. Instead, he studied her more closely. The figure he had seen in his dream last night now stood before him, no longer a child but someone far more grown. Her clear eyes, though clouded now with fear and hesitation, still held a trace of quiet courage. The once adorable face had changed into that of a striking, young woman with distinct oriental features.

If Don Falcon was chasing her because of her beauty, Cale could understand it. Who wouldn’t be drawn to someone as beautiful as Naomi? But was that really all there was to it?

Cale didn’t think it was that simple. “No,” he said quietly.

Naomi frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If it were only about a debt,” Cale continued, “he wouldn’t chase you this far,”

Naomi clicked her tongue, irritation flashing across her face. “Then what is it?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out.” Cale pulled a chair closer and sat down near her, his gaze steady. “Is there something you haven’t told me? Something about your relationship with him that I don’t know?”