Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Madison held him and did not say anything, only her grip tightened as if she tried to drag him down with
her.
The thunder outside the window quietened, but the rain poured heavier and heavier, hitting down on
the eaves.
Leo looked down at Madison beside him and pursed his thin lips tightly. He finally could not bear to look
at those scars and reached out his hand to try to pull her clothes up.
The moment his warm fingers fell on her shoulder, Madison, who was lying on the bed, suddenly
opened her eyes and sat up.
“What are you doing?” She stared at him.
Leo’s hand was still in midair when Madison’s gaze caught him completely off-guard. He didn’t know
whether to retrieve his hand or not.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand and looked away. “You’re not dressed well. Please tidy up your
clothes.”
Madison stood up abruptly. The white shirt slid down her shoulders, and her pale body loomed in the
darkness, making it uncomfortable to gaze at for too long.
She seemed to be a little puzzled, lowered her head dully, and then raised her eyebrows slowly as if
she could not understand his words. She did not move at all.
Leo realized something was wrong with her.
“Madison?” Leo raised his hand and waved it in front of her.
There was another flash of lightning outside.
In the light, Madison blinked. Her exceptionally clear eyes fixed on him, devoid of any
emotion.
It was as if her soul had been stripped away, leaving only a shell.
Leo pursed his lips and was no longer in the mood to look at the originally alluring scene. He silently
tidied her clothes, fastening the undone buttons.
Madison was obedient. She quietly knelt in front of him and allowed him to serve her.
When the top button was about to be fastened, her soft voice finally spilled the words.
“I don’t want this. It’s uncomfortable.”
She moved her neck to avoid Leo’s action. The expression on her face, with furrowed brows,
resembled that of a child who hadn’t yet grasped the situation.
Leo raised his hand, feeling the impulse to pat her head, but ultimately restrained himself.
He looked at her silently for a while and asked, “Madison… how old are you now?”
In psychological psychoanalysis, instances have been documented where individuals, under extreme
fear or specific circumstances, temporarily experience partial memory loss as a self-protective
mechanism, allowing them to enter an altered state.
Leo did not know what she had experienced to become like this, but he was certain that what she had
suffered in the past was more cruel and terrifying than anything he could imagine.
Another clap of thunder exploded outside, scaring the woman in front of him.
Madison trembled, glancing around as if searching for something to hide under. Her eyes betrayed a
hint of confusion, and all she could do was tightly hug her legs.
The summer rain fell urgently, seemingly pounding on Leo’s heart, causing a momentary ache.
He bent down and picked up the thin blanket, trying to cover her. However, just as he approached,
Madison suddenly hugged her head and whimpered like a baby animal.
“Don’t hit me. I can give you money. All of it. All of it…”
She first spoke in English, then quickly spoke in another language.
Leo froze in mid-air.
His throat tightened, and each word emerged with an almost painstaking effort. “I will not hit you. Don’t
be afraid, okay?”
Madison lifted her head slightly from between her arms, fear filling her pitch-black eyes. “Really… you
won’t hit me?”
She probed carefully.
Leo hummed in a h oar se voice and pulled the blanket up. “No one will bully you anymore. Don’t be
afraid. You’re safe now.”
He patiently coaxed her. “If you don’t believe me, look around. Is it your room? There are no bad
people.”
Madison followed his words and looked around. She slowly let her guard down but still
did not completely relax.
But compared to before, she was now in much better shape.
“My room.” She repeated emotionlessly, slipping under the covers.
Leo relaxed a little and agreed with her. “Yes, it is your room. There will be no bad guys coming in, and
there will be no one to hit you. Go to sleep, okay?”
The rain outside lessened, and there was no more rapid hammering. Just the occasional large
raindrops that fell and hit the eaves.
Madison did not sleep. She looked at Leo with her clear eyes. “Were you the one who chased the bad
guys away?”
Without waiting for Leo to respond, she suddenly reached out her hand to grab him. Her watery deer-
like eyes look at him expectantly.
“I’m still so scared. Can you sleep with me? I’m afraid to sleep alone.”
Leo frowned and looked hesitant.
Madison had already made space for him on the bed. She said pitifully, “I’m not nestled up to you, Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.
okay? As long as you’re beside me, it’s fine.”
Leo lowered his eyes to meet hers. After a moment, he heard a low sound coming from his chest.
“Okay.”
A smile bloomed on Madison’s beautiful face. She immediately lay down and even took a pillow and
placed it between them. She vowed, “Don’t worry. I won’t touch you.”
It was as if she was afraid that she would take advantage of Leo.
Most of the gloominess in Leo’s eyes had disappeared. He could not help but smile. Then, he took a
pillow and laid down beside her.
Perhaps because she was no longer afraid, Madison quickly closed her eyes and fell asleep holding
the pillow she had taken from the sofa.
Leo glanced sideways at her under the dim light outside the house.
His gaze fell on the small scar on her forehead, which made his heart sink. He thought it would be the
only scar on her body, but it turned out to be the smallest one.
He retracted his gaze and watched the ceiling, emptying his mind. He listened to the sound of the rain
outside. He was not sleepy at all.
He did not know how long it had been. When he finally felt sleepy, a head of hair
suddenly wiggled into his arms, carrying a soft fragrance.
Leo frowned and subconsciously raised his hand. However, he thought of something and put it down.
That slight drowsiness completely dissipated.
Madison’s arms were wrapped around him tightly as if he were a large doll. Her soft limbs were
wrapped around him, and her head was resting on a comfortable spot.
Leo was no saint, and the area where Madison was pressed against felt like it was on fire, making him
unable to resist the urge to lift the blanket.
He pursed his lips and carefully tried to pull her away.
There was a low rumble of thunder. The woman in his arms shuddered again, and her arms tightened
even further.
Leo stopped moving.
And just like that, he listened to the rain for the entire night, not thinking about anything. He finally fell
asleep just before dawn.
Madison had a good night’s sleep.
When she woke up the next day, the sky had already cleared up. Only the rainwater from the trees and
branches gathered and fell, making a sound when it hit the eaves.
It was quite calming.
Madison listened to this sound seven to eight times before she opened her eyes in satisfaction.
Then, she let out a sharp scream as she kicked away the man she had hugged the entire night!