Chapter 97 - Trapped in the Rain

The rain showed no sign of stopping as the sky grew darker. Thunder and lightning accompanied the night. Bryan and Angeline were at the home of one of Bryan's employees who was taking care of the garden. "Please, have something to drink. You must be cold," the servant said, handing them a small towel. "Thank you," Angeline said, sipping the hot tea, which made her feel a little better. "Will the rain stop?" Bryan asked, also enjoying his hot drink. "Sorry, Mr. President, but it doesn't seem likely that you two will be returning to town tonight." "What? Why not? I can drive back," Angeline asked in surprise. "The problem is that during heavy rains like this, the bridge we usually cross is flooded because the river overflows. So it's better for you to stay overnight. I'll prepare a place for you to sleep," the servant explained. Bryan seemed pleased with the staff's explanation because it meant that Angeline would be staying with him. Bryan then pretended to be tired and sat down. "Ah, this is really nonsense." "I'm sorry then. I'll see if there's another way for you to get back to town. It's better if you two stay here temporarily. Excuse me." After being alone with Angeline, Bryan looked out the window. "Rain like this will probably last a long time," Bryan said with a hint of joy. Then Bryan turned his attention to Angeline. "Angeline, you could catch a cold, so I want you to dry yourself. Ellie is an asset to the company, so I need to make sure Ellie is healthy. As a contractor, I have a duty to take care of you," Bryan said, knowing that his concern might seem strange to Angeline, so he added, "I will take care of myself as contracted, so don't worry. Suddenly the lights went out, startling Bryan, though it was only for a moment. But after that, Bryan seemed to light a candle to provide illumination for both of them in the room. In that dim light, the atmosphere between the two of them was awkward. When Bryan was caught staring at Angeline, he quickly looked elsewhere. Since they were both silent, Bryan tried to start a conversation. "Doesn't the sound of rain seem like music to you? What does it sound like to you, Angeline?" "Well, the sound of rain is pretty musical too." "When I was a child, I liked the sound of rain very much. When it rained at night, I would close my eyes, make a wish, and fall asleep listening to the sound of the rain. You should listen to the sound of rain now. Bryan imitated the sound of raindrops, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Angeline stared out the window, looking uncomfortable being alone with Bryan like this. "Doesn't rain sound like sizzling meat to you, Angeline? You must be hungry," Bryan continued, trying to keep the conversation going. "I'm not hungry," Angeline replied spontaneously, but her stomach was growling. "Angeline, you're still the same, you don't want to admit it even though your stomach just growled." "No, the growling wasn't coming from my stomach, it was Bryan's stomach." "Really?" Bryan asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at his stomach. Angeline was reminded of her past memories with Bryan. Memories of her stomach growling with hunger after attending prenatal classes. But Angeline quickly pushed those memories aside and didn't want to dwell on the past. "It's better to eat when you're hungry. You can bring a lunch box," Angeline suggested. "A lunch box?" Bryan remembered the lunch that Angeline used to bring to his office when they were still together. Back when he and Angeline were still together. Suddenly, Bryan imitated the sound of raindrops. "The sound of rain is like a sentence that says, 'It's not your fault; you're okay now,' right?" Angeline froze when she heard this; she probably knew that Bryan was referring to her accident. Unable to stand the atmosphere, Angeline decided to leave. She tried to get up, but her body felt weak. Bryan immediately held Angeline's body, and Angeline instinctively pushed away Bryan's touch. "I'm fine." "You're not fine, don't go anywhere," Bryan insisted. Angeline insisted on leaving, and Bryan also insisted on stopping her. He accidentally touched Angeline's hand and felt that her body was very hot; it seemed that Angeline had a fever. Bryan panicked. "See, you have a fever. Don't move and just rest," Bryan said. Angeline, who didn't want to be carried away by these emotions, pushed Bryan's hand away. "You don't have to worry about me, I don't want you to. We're strangers now, so don't worry about me." Bryan was stunned by Angeline's words and couldn't believe that Angeline would say that to him. Angeline tried to get up and leave. She didn't care if she fainted on the way, but not in front of Bryan. Of course, Bryan couldn't let Angeline go in such a weakened condition. He stood up as well and pulled Angeline's body towards him. Now they were facing each other. "Is Angeline being foolish? Daring to leave in this condition?" They looked at each other in silence and Bryan unconsciously moved his face closer to Angeline's. It was as if he wanted to kiss Angeline tonight. Angeline, on the other hand, didn't seem to resist. Maybe it was because of her weakened body, or maybe it was because of the longing that had been buried deep inside her for so long. Maybe she had been waiting for moments like this, even if only in her dreams. Bryan had moved his face closer and wanted to kiss Angeline. But Angeline's weakened body made her faint immediately. Fortunately, Bryan caught her right away. He laid Angeline down on the bed and began to cool her forehead with a compress, hoping it would break her fever. "Jason," Angeline mumbled, delirious and thinking of her son. Bryan heard her clearly and held Angeline's hand. "Do you miss Jason? I do too... every day since I met him. But I know you probably wouldn't like it if I saw him without your knowledge. If you ask me to stop, I can stop." The next morning, Angeline's phone rang, startling her. "Hello." "Angeline, where are you? I've been worried about you all night," Alex asked, sounding worried. "Alex, I'm sorry. I'm out of town, but I'll be back soon." "Are you okay?" "Yes, don't worry about me." Angeline hung up the phone and saw that Bryan was still holding her hand. Meanwhile, Bryan was sleeping beside the bed. Angeline pulled her hand out of Bryan's grasp. "Bryan... Bryan," Angeline called, gently shaking Bryan's body, hoping that he would wake up. But it seemed that Bryan was exhausted and didn't stir in his sleep. Seeing Bryan sleeping peacefully for some reason made Angeline want to put her hand back into Bryan's grasp, just like before. Angeline just looked at Bryan without saying anything. Only her eyes and her heart could express what she had hidden for this man.