Chapter 665
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
He nodded, and I continued, âIâve known you for a while now, but I know nothing about the business
you run.â
He stopped for a moment. âPetroleum. And weâre dabbling in tech now.â
âPetroleum?â I was reminded of Mr. Murphy, whom I met during Emeryâs wedding, then I looked at him.
âYouâre a Murphy?â
He arched his eyebrow silently, then I was reminded of the auction in J City. âHave you held an auction
in J City before?â If the answer was yes, then thatâd explain his appearance in the cemetery and his
âcoincidentalâ help.
I gazed at him sternly, then he said, âYouâre going to kill me at this rate.â
I looked down and was shocked to see the cotton swab poking his wound and drawing blood. I pulled
my hand back and apologized, âSorry. I didnât mean it.â
I rubbed the salve on his wound and bandaged it. Then I realized he wasnât wearing anything else but
his boxers. Awkward, I covered his body with the towel. âItâs getting late. Sleep tight.â
He grunted. I kept the first aid kit and left the room without saying anything.
Nora and the girls had the kyanine extracted from them, but they were just ladies after all, so needed
the rest to recuperate. Armond had a lot to deal with, so he had no time for me. In that case, I took up
the job of caring for Nora and the girls.
I was going to call Ashton and tell him about my situation, but it couldnât get through. He must have set
up call forwarding. I gave up after a few tries, then I tried to call Emery, but my phone was taken by the
female officer when I was in Venria. I lost all my contact, and I forgot their numbers, so it was
impossible for me to call them.
Nora and the girls were almost all healed up after a week. Armond was done with his affairs too, and
the girls moved into the villa the night before our return.
The brush with death seemed to have taken Noraâs lively attitude away. Tabitha and Laurel refused to
speak, while Tessa kept reciting mantras as usual. Noticing the awkward silence around the table,
Laurel said, âWe can go back home tomorrow, guys. Letâs drink to it.â She raised her glass and smiled
at us.
Nora looked surprised, but she raised her glass and looked at me. âWe owe our lives to Scarlett this
time. She saved us all. If it werenât for her asking for Mr. Murphyâs help, we would have been shark
food by now.â
âYeah.â Tessa stopped reciting her mantra and smiled at me. âAll thanks to Scarlett. A toast for her.
Bottoms up, girls.â
Everyone raised their glasses and finally started to chat. Good. At least the ice is broken.
Everyone started chatting, and Nora huddled closer to me. âAre you friends with Armond?â she
whispered. âAre you related to the Stovalls, Fullers, and the Moores?â
Her barrage of questions stunned me, and I paused for a moment. âNot an easy question to answer, so
I refuse to say anything, Nora.â
âWhy? Worried we might be a hassle?â Tessa grinned.
I answered a moment later, âNo. I just think itâs hard to explain. Weâve been through life and death. I
wonât think of you guys as a hassle.â
âOh, stop right there. The girls were the ones who have been through life and death with me, not you.
You relied on men and your connections along the way, and you were never hurt, so give me a break,â
Tessa mocked, but she was telling the truth, so I took no offense.
I smiled awkwardly, trying to continue the conversation, but I was at a loss.
âTessa, thatâs rude. We wouldnât have survived if not for Scarlettâs connection with Mr. Murphy. Donât
look the gift horse in the mouth.â Nora glared at Tessa angrily.
Tessa sneered. âYou think Iâm the one whoâs looking the gift horse in the mouth? The horse was never
there to begin with. Do you really think sheâs the one who saved us? She could have stopped the
surgery in Venria if she wanted to, but no. This hypocrite only âhelpedâ us after Abe stuck that thing in
us. That caused unnecessary pain, and I bet sheâs just trying to win our favor.â
Tabitha frowned, upset. âYou could have gone off on your own when we landed if you didnât want her
help. But I believe you went to Scarlettâs room one night and showed her the scar, obviously begging
her to help. Do you really think she owed you?â