Anastasia was surprised. "Your work isn't even finished, so why did you come back—"
Before she could finish, a realization dawned on her. Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to him. "You didn't rush back just because of me, did you?"
By then, they had entered the room. Harrison casually shrugged off his coat, pulled her down onto the bed that was still warm from her, and kissed her forehead. "Isn't Ana more important than my work?"
"But nothing even happened to me…" Anastasia said, a little exasperated. "Or do you really think anyone could actually bully me?"
Besides, hadn't he already asked Barnett to look out for her?
Harrison caressed her cheek with his slightly calloused palm, his gaze unfathomably deep. "But I was afraid you would leave me."
"What?" Anastasia looked up. "Why would I…"
The words died on her lips as she met his dark, intense eyes, and her breath caught.
Suddenly, she remembered that time in Fairhaven—the memory of stumbling upon him punishing someone and being so scared she had turned and fled…
Considering what had happened before, it was no wonder he'd been scared enough to fly back in the middle of the night.
A wave of guilt and compassion washed over her. She hugged him tightly, reassuring him, "I didn't understand you before, but now I know who you really are. Why would I be afraid of you?"
Harrison rested his forehead against hers, looking deep into her eyes. "Really?"
Anastasia nodded eagerly. "Of course, it's true!"
"Then… do you know how Rodney died?"
*So that's what this is about,* she thought, then said at once, "However he died, he deserved it! If he hadn't died, who knows what would have happened to you!"
The fact that Anastasia wasn't afraid of him and instead felt compassion for him was deeply pleasing, but that didn't mean he had any intention of thanking the people who had schemed against them.
He gently stroked her hair, but a chilling, murderous glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Anastasia didn't see it; she held nothing back as she told him everything about Crystal and her companions.
"...and she actually tried to convince me to leave you. Does she think I'm some kind of idiot?" Anastasia said, her face a mask of disbelief.
She hadn't taken the matter to heart; after all, she hadn't believed a word of Crystal's lies and had already taught her a lesson.
But as Harrison listened, a towering, murderous rage swelled within him.
Telling Anastasia to leave him—that had crossed the one line he would never tolerate.

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