Chapter 1042

In the dimly lit basement, a slender man in a khaki coat stood before me. As I frantically apologized earlier, he held my shoulders and softly uttered, "I'm sorry, Nance. I scared you, didn't I?" "Douglas?" I gazed at his gentle face under the soft glow of light. Surprised, I blurted out, "Why are you ambushing me, too, like he always does?" I thought it was Bruce, that bastard, who tried to sneak up on me, but to my surprise, it was Douglas. He really did give me a fright. "Huh? Who are you talking about?" Douglas was slightly taken aback and appeared curious, still holding my shoulders. "No one." I regained my composure and deflected the question. "Why are you here? Are you here because of me?" I wasn't sure if he was here to look for me. If he was, why didn't he text me in advance? He wasn't acting like his usual self. Instead of answering my question, he fixed his gaze on me, his once gentle eyes now clouded with a deep melancholy—enough to read my thoughts. His stare made me