A smile tugged at Betty's lips as she listened to the exchange between Kris and Thalassa, but when Thalassa shot her a sharp glare, she quickly wiped it away, replacing it with a stern expression. "What were you thinking, young man? You could catch pneumonia standing in that storm," she scolded, shaking

her head.

Kris shrugged, his teeth still chattering. "Wouldn't have had to if this stubborn woman here had just come out to talk to me once."

Thalassa's nostrils flared. "You wouldn't have had to stand there if you'd just accepted that you're not needed here."

Sensing the rising tension between them, Betty interrupted, glancing at Kris with concern. "You're shivering. I'm going to get you a blanket. You should probably take off your shirt to warm up quicker." "Thank you." Kris smiled gratefully as he watched the woman leave, then he turned to Thalassa, hesitantly pointing at his shirt.

"Mind helping? I may not be wearing the sling anymore, but I'm not allowed to overwork my shoulder."

When Thalassa issued him the coldest glare, Kris decided not to test her patience any further. Painstakingly, and with his hands quivering from all the cold that had seeped into them, he unbuttoned and took off his shirt. The pain was worth it when he noticed her briefly eying his chest. "Can I sit?" he asked, gesturing toward one of the couches.

Thalassa turned her back on him without answering, but Kris took that as permission. He sank into the couch, shivering as cold air swept over his bare skin. Watching her closely, he couldn't help but notic how she kept stealing anxious glances upstairs, her posture tense. "Why did you follow me here, Kris?" she suddenly demanded, turning back to glare down at him.

"I was just...worried because of how abruptly you left for New York." Kris answered.

Her eyes narrowed, suspicion lacing her words. "I left in the afternoon, and you only went to see Luisa in the evening. So how could you possibly know I left 'suddenly'?"

"1..."

"Unless...." Her mouth twisted. "Unless you still have your men following me, even after I told you I don't need your protection!"

Kris let out a breath. "I didn't know how long you'd be gone, Thalassa. The thought of you being far away from me again... I couldn't stand it."

She scoffed. "Well, I want exactly the opposite. For you to be far away from me. The only reason why I allowed you in is because Betty insisted. But as soon as the storm lets down, and I don't care what time it is, you're leaving."

She was breathing hard by the time she stopped speaking. At first, Kris thought it was anger, but then he soon realized it wasn't. It was fear. She was afraid of something.

"Thalassa..." he whispered, rising to his feet, concern lacing his voice. "You know I'd never hurt you. Why are you so nervous and tense?"

"I'm not!" she snapped, but Kris didn't miss how her eyes darted toward the staircase again.

Just then, Betty returned with the blanket, wrapping it around Kris's shoulders.

Observing Kris for a few seconds, the older woman soon shook her head. "No. This won't be enough," she muttered. "You need a warm shower, or you're going to get sick." Thalassa stiffened, turning to Betty in alarm. "He can shower when he leaves."

Betty frowned, looking between the two of them. "But with this storm, it doesn't look like it's letting up any time soon. What's wrong with him taking a quick shower here? "He wouldn't have anything to change into," Thalassa retorted, her voice tight.

"Sir Zeke left some of his clothes. I'm sure he wouldn't mind Kris borrowing something for the night."

Kris grimaced slightly. First he'd had to eat Zeke's food. Now he had no choice but to wear his clothes. Great.noveldrama

Before Thalassa could protest further, Betty gave her a determined look. "I can't just stand by and watch him get ill. I'm taking him upstairs so he can take a shower."

"Fine!" Thalassa cut in sharply. "I'll take him myself."

"Good." Betty smiled approvingly and turned to Kris. "I'll prepare something for you to eat after your shower."

Thalassa spun on her heel and began walking upstairs. Kris took.taht as his cue to follow. Still shivering, he followed in tense silence. As they reached the landing, he noticed her stiffen even more, her eyes flicking nervously toward a specific door before she looked away too quickly.

Kris frowned but said nothing as they reached another door. Thalassa opened it, and coldly told him, "You can shower here. This is Zeke's bedroom. There should be clean towels. Take something from his closet when you're done."

Sighing, Kris stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Zeke's room was as he expected; minimalistic, with beige walls and barely any decorations. He wondered what Zeke would if he found out that he was singing his house.

Stripping off his remaining clothes, Kris headed to the bathroom. The warm water soothed his cold, stiff muscles, and by the time he finished, the chills were gone. After drying off, he reluctantly pulled on a pair of Zeke's trousers and a shirt. Thankfully, they fit him well enough.

As he was making his way through the hallway to go back downstairs, he paused when he got to the door in front of which Thalassa had tensed up.

Why did she become so uneasy when she got to the door?

Just then, he heard a sound. Kris could've sworn that it was a giggle, but he couldn't be sure because the storm. was still raging outside.

Slowly he inched towards the door, curiosity getting the better of him. He placed his hand on the doorknob, but just as he was about to open it, Thalassa's voice hissed behind him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"