Chapter 686

Chapter 686:
A surge of desire coursed through him, catching him off guard. Suddenly, he felt warmth building in his nose. He reached up to touch it and discovered he was having a nosebleed.
Unable to face her, he covered his nose and hastily retreated to the bathroom once more.
Damn it! It seemed a cold shower was in order this time.
Bettina didn’t stop dancing until the early hours of the morning. Exhausted, she dropped off to sleep instantly, deep and uninterrupted.
Overwhelmed with fatigue, Raul felt on the brink of collapse. He lacked the energy to make it back to his own room. Collapsing onto the couch, he lay down horizontally and swiftly succumbed to a deep slumber.
It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that he stirred awake. Raul abruptly sat upright, running his fingers through his hair as memories of the previous night flooded back. A sense of regret washed over him at the thought of what had happened to Bettina.
He rose, prepared breakfast, and brewed a pot of coffee for her.
Having set everything, he returned to the living room only to find Bettina already awake.
She ran her fingers through her short hair, gave Raul a puzzled look, and glanced down at her clothes.
“Is this your T-shirt? Did you bathe me last night?” she asked, knitting her brows.
Raul’s voice escalated instantly as he exclaimed, “You really think I’d want to do that? You threw up on me and I didn’t hold it against you, yet you hold this against me?”
“I don’t despise you. I’m okay with you having bathed me.” Bettina’s discomfort stemmed from the fact that Raul must have seen the bruises on her body—remnants of Bart’s rough handling.
Night after night, Bart would take her to a hotel room. His aim was to dominate her, but she resisted. When she pushed back, his temper flared again and again. No matter what he did or how he threatened her, she didn’t want things to be that way between them.
Lɑtєѕτ cнαρτєrs ιn
She knew Bart’s ultimate goal was to exploit her.
“Ahem.” Bettina cleared her throat awkwardly. “Now that you’ve seen, promise me you’ll keep it a secret. Especially from Candice.”
Raul was at a loss. “Why? What happened? Does your brother know about this? That you’re being treated this way?”
Suddenly, anger flared in Bettina. “Enough! No one needs to know about this! Got it? This is my business, and I’ll handle it.”
A glint of danger flickered in Raul’s eyes, though he choked back his rage.
Realizing her harsh words, Bettina softened her voice and said, “I apologize. I let my temper get the best of me. I need to talk to you about something.”
“What’s wrong?” Raul asked, his expression darkening.
Bettina rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to shake off the drowsiness. “I’ve been thinking about leaving my apartment and moving in here. We can split the rent evenly. Are you okay with that?”
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