hapter 176 The Morning After


    Chapter 176 The Morning After


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    Lily was so anxious that her forehead was damp with sweat, yet she still couldn’t put any distance between them.


    It was already deep into the night.


    She’d been through so much–tired, exhausted–and eventually, she just didn’t have the strength anymore. In the end, she fell fast asleep in his arms….


    It felt like he was hugging a fluffy cloud–soft, sweet, unbelievablyforting. James held this faintly fragrant cloud in his arms and slept better than he had in years.


    When he opened his eyes, it was already broad daylight.


    Thanks to the two hangover candies he’d eaten, he wasn’t suffering from any headache or nausea.


    Sunlight poured through the sheer curtains, spilling over him in waves of warmth and ease, wrapping him in a gentle, drowsy bliss.


    He let out a low, satisfied sigh–and then, like a reel of film unraveling at high speed, everything from the night before rushed into his mind.


    Last night, when he returned to his room… he thought he saw


    He’d kissed her like a madman, bitten her, and his hands had-


    But Le didn’t live at the Luke family estate.


    Le.


    And the way it had all felt… too real, too vivid to have been just a dream.


    Then who exactly had he been holdingst night?


    That’s when he realized something else wasn’t right.


    This wasn’t his bed in the study.


    And why was there something so soft still pressed against him?


    Had he lost it and grabbed some kind of plush toy like a little kid? But plush toys didn’t have skin like this<b>–</b>smooth, warm<b>, </b>silky soft. The more he thought, the worse the feeling got. His gaze dropped. Sure enough, the person locked tightly in his arms… was Lily.


    And then he saw her clearly.


    The girl nestled against his chest, pale as snow, waspletely bare–curled up against him like a peeled lychee.


    Chapter 176 The Morning After


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    No-


    Her clothes weren’t just missing.


    They had been torn offst night–by him, in his drunken haze, mistaking her for Le.


    And his hand was still-


    The sensation under his palm was unmistakably soft, and James‘ fingers trembled violently. His entire body felt scorched, like he’d been shoved into open me.


    He shoved her away with force.


    “Lily, stay away from me!”


    The words came out ice cold. But even as he said them, shame and guilt surged in his chest, and he closed his eyes in silent torment.


    He hadn’t cked out. He remembered.


    He remembered how she cried.


    How she kept trying to tell him he had the wrong person.


    How she’d struggled and tried to push him away.


    But his strength was overwhelming–more so in that drunken state. She hadn’t stood a chance.


    Everything that happenedst night… was his fault. He had no right to me her, much less feel disgusted by her.


    Lily had wandered the city for hoursst night beforeing home. Then she’d fought to push him off for even longer. Completely spent, she’d fallen asleep against him like the dead.


    She only woke when she heard his voice.


    And the moment she opened her eyes, everything from the night before–those wild, frenzied moments -came crashing back.


    She hadn’t meant to cross a line.


    But in the end, she had once again be someone he couldn’t stand to look at.


    “James, I’m sorry.”


    Realizing she was almostpletely exposed, she hurried to grab the nket nearby and tightly wrapped it around herself.


    He didn’t say a word–just sat there, his face dark, his whole body radiating coldness.


    She knew that likely meant he remembered everything. Remembered their bodies so close. And now, was so repulsed, he probably doubted reality itself.


    he


    Like a child who’d done something wrong, Lily lowered her head, bit her lip, and quietly added, “I


    19.34 ue<b>, </b><b>22 </b>Jul


    Chapter 176 The Morning After


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    promised you that if it wasn’t necessary, I wouldn’t appear in front of you again. Last night I didn’t mean to touch you. I saw you drunk and barely able to stand, and I had some hangover candies… I just wanted to give you a couple. I didn’t think you’d grab my wrist and then…”


    She trailed off, voice getting smaller and smaller. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”


    “It’s not your fault.”


    James hadn’t expected Lily to apologize.


    She was the one who’d been wrongedst night.


    There was no way he could ept her apology with any decency.


    He’d heard people say drunk men lose control. That intoxication made them do things they wouldn’t normally do.


    But he’d never epted that as an excuse.


    Being drunk didn’t give a man the right to vite a woman.


    Yetst night, he had–against her will–kissed her, held her down, torn her clothes… even touched her…


    He only had eyes for Le, but he’dpletely lost control with Lily. He’d made her cry for so long.


    He was worse than scum.


    The more he thought about it, the more revolted he became with himself.


    And if he did something wrong, then he should take responsibility for it.


    “Last night, I drank too much and did a lot of awful things to you. Lily, you should call the police.”


    “I…”


    Lily had been bracing herself for his disgust–for the coldest, cruelést words he could throw at her,


    She never imagined… he would tell her to call the police.


    She would never do that.


    He had saved her–more than once. She couldn’t repay kindness with betrayal.


    Besides, they weren’t divorced yet. Even if she did call the cops, the police wouldn’t haul them in just for something like this.


    And to be honest… she wasn’t exactly the victimst night.


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    16:54 Tue, 22 Jul <b>ō </b>


    Chapter 177 I Don’t Mind