Chapter 978

“Go to Royal Estates, we’ll be there shortly,” Lysander replied to Dr. Everest before ending the call.

Royal Estates? Did that mean she still needed to be examined?

Thalassa’s heart began to race with anxiety.

She had complained to Lysander about a stomachache, asking him to take her to the hospital as a diversion, hoping to prevent him from checking the security cameras.

The truth was her stomach didn’t hurt at all. If Dr. Everest came and found nothing wrong after an examination, Lysander would realize she had lied.

His anger earlier was palpable, and if he discovered her deceit, he would certainly connect the dots to her wanting to avoid the surveillance review.

And then, he would see through her guilt and secrecy.

The mere thought left Thalassa feeling like she was walking on thin ice. Clutching her hands tightly, she lowered her head only to feel the piercing gaze of Lysander, sending shivers down her spine..

“Nervous about something, huh?” Lysander’s deep voice resonated above her.

Startled, Thalassa whipped her head around to meet his deep, piercing eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stammered, “No, I’m not nervous…”

“Really? Just how much trouble are you hiding that you cringe at the sight of me?” Lysander probed.

Thalassa paled, her eyes widening in shock.

His deep gaze held hers, like a vortex threatening to swallow her soul.

It felt like her heart was dangling by a slender thread over a cliff, and at any moment, it could snap, plunging her into an abyss of despair.

Lysander knew her stomachache was a lie, yet he still called Dr. Everest. Was it to expose her falsehood, to embarrass her?

With shaky breaths, Thalassa looked at Lysander and said, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. We don’t need Dr.

Everest to come.” “Really?” Lysander asked, his tone lingering.

Locking eyes with him, Thalassa threw caution to the wind and asserted, “No, it doesn’t! And you’re right. I made up an excuse to stop you from checking the footage, to avoid you seeing how I was brought into that hotel, because it was too humiliating! Is it so wrong not to want you to see me in such a degraded, sorry state?”

Lysander’s gaze grew colder, his presence as frosty as an icy wind. He grasped the back of her head, pulling her closer, his steely eyes drilling into her glistening ones.

With gritted teeth, he said, “What haven’t I seen of you? Why would you keep anything from me?”

Thalassa’s heart pricked with pain.

Indeed, what hadn’t Lysander seen of her?

In bed, could she maintain any semblance of dignity?

He had always left her in disarray, all manner of states laid bare before him.

It was like being stripped naked and paraded through the streets, utterly humiliated and vulnerable.

Her heart trembled, her breath quivering.

With a self-deprecating laugh, she retorted, “Sure, but there are others in the security room. I don’t want them to see me like that. Is that so wrong?”

Lysander’s expression shifted subtly, and his deep gaze fixed on her.

He saw the hurt and anger in her eyes; a pang of something painful stirred within him.

Releasing her head, he straightened up and gazed forward, silently signaling a truce as they continued their journey to Royal Estates.