He and Jude Shaw slowly sat down; seeing that he was okay, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did you find anything over there before? I heard there were two pieces of plane wreckage, probably all gone now after all this turmoil?"
The discovery of those two pieces of wreckage took a lot of effort, and before any useful information could be gathered, the typhoon and tsunami hit.
Hugo Quinn got up, leaning against the head of the bed, and rubbed his temples.
"Everyone is speculating that the plane crashed in the South Sea. I guess someone will check out that area later on."
Julian Sterling and Jude Shaw furrowed their brows. Salvaging a plane lost at sea is no ordinary task; that internationally renowned shipwreck abroad never got fully recovered after so many years.
There are just too many challenges in underwater operations, not least of which is dealing with the pressure, which requires a lot of expert attention.
"That’s all we can do now. I guess the old man has given up."
Hugo felt deeply troubled. Despite everything, he had been holding onto a glimmer of hope.
Julian and Jude fell silent with him.
Julian took off his hat and mask, placing them to the side.
Being a celebrity, going out isn’t easy, having to constantly guard against the paparazzi.
"Hugo, you should recover first; maybe it wasn’t even a plane crash."
He offered consolation, knowing that the Quinton Family had been seeking the plane’s whereabouts for years. Learning of this outcome was likely hard to accept.
Jude pulled out an apple, peeling it for Hugo, his eyes lowering gently.
"Grandpa is discussing your marriage to Claire with Grandpa Quinn. I can’t stop them; Claire’s obsession with you runs too deep, she’s always threatening to harm herself in front of the old man. I suppose you’ll be busy soon."
Hearing this, a sharp expression crossed Hugo’s brow.
Jude was also helpless. Claire being safe until now was a miracle, and now she’s colluding with the old man to pressure Hugo together.
Hugo replied calmly, knowing that given Grandpa’s temperament, he would likely agree and then try to persuade Hugo.
"Take care; Grandpa seems quite fond of you. If things go wrong, you might really have to marry Claire."
At this moment, Eleanor Hollis, nestled in Hugo’s arms, woke up. She had overheard Jude’s words and, realizing she was lying in bed with Hugo, her face flushed with heat, and she didn’t dare open her eyes. She decided to keep pretending to be asleep.
Upon hearing Jude mention Claire, Eleanor’s hand clenched slightly, and Hugo seemed to know she was awake, so he intertwined her hand with his comfortingly.
Beneath the covers, no one knew what they were doing; knowing that Julian and Jude were nearby made her feel both shy and exhilarated.
"Well, rest well; we won’t disturb you any longer."
Julian tactfully noted Hugo’s frequent glances at the woman in his arms, figuring Eleanor was awake.
He exchanged a look with Jude, who stood up as well, and after a few more reminders, they left.
"What do you plan to do about Claire?"
As soon as they left, Eleanor opened her eyes and asked, feeling deeply upset. That Claire was indeed the most exasperating woman she had ever encountered.
Previously, she thought Grace Lynch was the worst, but now another had emerged.
Hugo caressed her face, sensing her jealousy, feeling oddly sweet inside.
"Will you stay with me tonight?"
Initially, Eleanor was addressing the issue of Claire, but he suddenly shifted topics to this.
Her face reddened, and she slowly nodded.
Dinner was served by the villa’s maid. Marcus had been fussing to come over, but Hugo didn’t want him disrupting their time together. So he called to ensure Marcus stayed at home.
"Isn’t it inconsiderate? Marcus cares a lot about you."
As Eleanor sipped her bowl of porridge, she voiced her concern.
Hugo placed a piece of yam on her plate, his expression soft.
"There’s nothing wrong; I asked him not to interrupt my time with you so I can marry you sooner, and he agreed."
An unexpected confession...
Eleanor felt entirely out of sorts, her neck beginning to blush along with her face.
After dinner, with nothing to do, they lay in bed playing on their phones.
"The internet is still buzzing about the island incident. I don’t know who leaked that you were on the island too; now many media outlets are eager to interview you."
Hugo’s status was invaluable. If anything happened to him on the island, Grandeur would be without a leader, likely shaking up the entire Serenford economy. Therefore, the media was fervently covering his story, claiming he was still missing.
Displeased, Hugo tossed her phone aside, tracing circles on her back, eyes smoldering.
Eleanor wasn’t a child and understood his meaning.
She firmly declined, shifting herself away. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
"You still don’t want to?"
The light in Hugo’s eyes gradually dimmed. Since they’d been sharing a room, he’d raised the topic countless times, but Eleanor always rejected him. Claiming he wasn’t dejected would be untrue.
It’s said if a woman is unwilling to share her body with a man, it means her love isn’t enough; she doesn’t want to give herself to him.
Eleanor thought he was utterly insane. Many parts of his body were bandaged up, yet he was still thinking about such things, unafraid of tearing his wounds.
That would truly be a battle bathed in blood.
"You’re still injured; it’s not suitable for strenuous activity."
"I’ll be gentle. Eleanor, I want to."
Hugo’s voice was hoarse, inching closer to hold her as he spoke, breath warm against her skin.
Perhaps it was the profound emotion in his eyes that moved her, or perhaps she had wanted to give herself to him for a while. Faced with Hugo’s request, she unexpectedly agreed.
In his excitement, Hugo flipped over, pressing her down fiercely, as if he wanted to devour her whole, bones and all.
As he kissed her breathless, she didn’t feel uncomfortable; a kind of indescribable joy sprouted in her heart.
She held him tighter, clutching at his clothes.
Everything unfolded naturally; they both rarely let go like that, the small ward echoing with restrained breaths.
Afterward, Eleanor was feeling quite sleepy, but then a pungent metallic scent hit her nose, jolting her awake.
She sat up, pushing him away.
"It’s nothing; let’s continue."
Hugo said, attempting to turn over again, obviously not satisfied with just once.
As Eleanor felt his back, she realized her hand was damp. Looking down, she was shocked to see it covered in blood.