Chapter 126
Noelle genuinely wanted to comfort Nicolas, to ease his worries about her. But the moment her words left her lips, it felt like she’d taken a handful of needles and stabbed them straight into his heart.
"Shattered bones? Every joint broken!" What kind of life had Noelle endured? Who could be so heartless, so cruel? Nicolas seethed, his body trembling with rage. His veins throbbed on his forehead as he fought to rein in his fury.
Clenching his jaw, he hissed through gritted teeth. "Who? Who did this to you?"
"Hmm. I can’t say," Noelle shook her head.
The lab—its secrets—were off-limits, even to Nick. She quickly steered the conversation back, her voice soft but firm. "Nick, I’m telling you this because I want you to know I’m strong. I don’t need to go to the hospital. I hate hospitals."
If the hospital discovered her abnormal physiology, or if Nick caught even a hint of it, she’d have no choice but to kill him too. But she loved Nick too much. She couldn’t bear to hurt him. So, no hospitals. Ever.
“Elly babe…” Nicolas had seen enough of the world to think he was immune to its cruelties. He thought his heart had turned to stone long ago. But now, he felt it breaking for this girl, his eyes welling up with tears he hadn’t shed in years.
Noelle noticed the change in his voice and looked up at him. "Nick, are you crying?"
His brown, usually unreadable eyes were now red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears. He didn’t deny it, his voice rough as he said, "Yeah, you made me cry. Happy now?!"
"Hey, don’t be mad," Noelle cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "I might be exaggerating a bit, you know I just wanted you to fuss over me a little. It’s not that bad. Really!"
She paused, then added, "It’s just been a while since I’ve been hurt this badly. I’ll get used to it again."
The worst injuries she’d ever suffered had been in the lab. Back then, the men in white coats had pushed her body to its limits, experimenting on her day after day. They wouldn’t stop until she was barely clinging to life.
Needles piercing her flesh. Bones shattered. Burns. Drowning. She’d endured it all. Back then, she’d wished for death, but somehow, she’d survived. And in the process, she’d gained an incredible ability to heal.
Since leaving the lab, Noelle’s physical abilities had far surpassed those of ordinary people. No one had been able to hurt her—until now. It had been eight years since she’d felt pain like this. That’s why it hit her so hard. But compared to what she’d been through before, a bullet wound was nothing.
"You’ll get used to it again!" Nicolas repeated, his anger flaring once more. "You want to—"
"No, no! I’m just saying," Noelle backtracked quickly. "Through this again—"
"Don’t say stuff like that. I want to live a long life, you know," he grumbled, though his tone softened.
"Nick," she whined, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Nicolas sighed, defeated. "I can’t stay mad at you. Just stop talking, okay? You look like you’re about to pass out from the pain."
"I’m hurt! I was in pain, but now that you’re here, it’s all gone. You’re my painkiller, Nick."
Even in her weakened state, Noelle knew how to charm him. Nicolas couldn’t help but smile, though his heart ached for her.
He knew she was putting on a brave face, but her body told a different story. She was weak, too weak to recover properly at the Anderson house, especially since she didn’t want her family to know about her injury.
An idea struck him. He looked down at her, his voice gentle. "Elly babe, how about you come stay with me for a few days?"
"Stay with you?"
"Yeah. Even if you won’t go to the hospital, you still need a good place to recover. You can’t heal properly here, and you’ll just end up being a burden to your family. So, why not come to my place? Once you’re better, you can come back."
Noelle’s eyes flickered with interest. After a moment, she replied.