Chapter 45 The Mysterious and Noble Amethyst

That large boulder stood abruptly on the mountain wall, weathered by years of wind and rain, already eroded beyond recognition.

It had already been struggling to bear Elena's weight and now faced even greater pressure from Hassan, finally reaching its breaking point.

Hassan held onto the crystal tightly as he slid down with the falling rocks.

Meanwhile, Elena, tied to the ladder, lost support from her feet and hung in mid-air.

"Ah..." she screamed.

Seeing Hassan's life hanging by a thread, she was terrified.

But Hassan remained Hassan. The fall lasted only a few seconds before he skillfully grabbed hold of a pine tree's roots, pressing himself against the rock face to prevent further descent. The cluster of rocks continued to roll down without obstruction, and it took quite some time before the sound of impact reached their ears.

Elena's heart was in knots.

"Descend another five meters..." Nabil calmly instructed the pilot. The horrifying scene had made him break out in a cold sweat, but situations as perilous as this had occurred too many times in his life, becoming almost routine.

The ladder finally brought Elena back to Hassan's side. He grabbed the steel wire safety belt and secured it around his own waist, embracing Elena.

The helicopter slowly descended...

Elena leaned her chin against Hassan's chest. Though they were still flying in mid-air, she felt warmth and reassurance in her heart.

"Look, shooting stars..." Hassan's deep and alluring voice spoke.

Elena quickly turned her head and looked towards the distant sky.

Amidst the ink-blue night, countless shooting stars streaked across, leaving behind beautiful trails. One after another, they decorated the night sky in a dazzling display...

A few minutes later, they sat firmly in the car. Under the car lights, Hassan played with the Leo constellation crystal in his hands, teasing Elena with his dark eyes.

"What is this?" Elena quickly changed the subject, "Your hand is bleeding, let me take a look..." His entire sleeve was torn and his palm was scratched by a stone. The fresh blood had already dried, leaving a gruesome sight.

"What is this?" Hassan remained unfazed and continued to stubbornly inquire.

"This is... a constellation crystal."

"You use a constellation crystal to watch shooting stars?"

"No! It has nothing to do with shooting stars. I simply like crystals, so I carry it with me..." Hassan looked at her suspiciously, then tossed the crystal to her.

"Listen carefully, you are not allowed to leave my sight anymore, understood?"

"Yes, I understand!"

In fact, Elena really had no way of leaving his sight, because she had sprained her foot and could only rest at his house. Both of her hands and knees were grazed, but for Elena, these minor injuries were nothing.

She used to hurt herself often when she was a child. Nevertheless, the servants treated her as if she were facing a major threat, making her a priority for protection. Dr. White layered bandages on her, and she even had a cast on her foot... Elena could only laugh and cry.

It was just a sprained foot, not a life-threatening condition! They even brought meals to her bedside!! Elena lay in bed for three days, and she couldn't bear it any longer. She strongly demanded to get out of bed.

"Noura, Noura, Noura..."

Noura walked in from the door, smiling, and said, "Miss Walker, how may I assist you?" Elena was so anxious that she was sweating profusely.

"I don't want to lie in bed anymore, I can't stand it. My injury has already healed."

"Dr. White said it can be removed tomorrow. Please endure for one more day."

"No, you have to unfasten it for me now. I really can't stand it anymore." Although there was a hint of difficulty in Noura's eyes, she didn't take any action.

"Miss Walker... let me advise you. The master cares deeply for you. You cannot be petulant anymore." Elena furrowed her eyebrows.

"Noura, what do you mean by that?" Noura's gaze flickered.

"Three days ago, Miss Walker disappeared without a reason, and we were all punished."

"Punished?!"

"Did Hassan hit you?"

"No, it's alright. It was my fault. Miss Walker, we serve you wholeheartedly. We don't expect anything in return, just a little understanding from you, the ones who serve." Elena sat up from the bed, hopped on one foot, and limped towards Noura. She grabbed her hand. Her clear eyes stared intently at her.

"Show me." Unable to resist her, Noura reluctantly turned around, unbuttoned her clothes, and took them off...

The entire back was exposed in front of Elena.

With just one glance, Elena felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.

The whip marks on that back were extremely horrifying. Even though the wounds had been cleaned, the long red and black scabs were still very shocking.

"He did this?" Elena couldn't help but gasp in shock.

She truly couldn't understand this man.

When she was in a desperate situation, he appeared like a god without hesitation, saving her, just like a true good person.

But from a dark perspective, he was also playing the role of a devil.

Although Noura was at fault, she was still a woman. How could he beat a woman like this?

"I'm sorry, Noura. It's all my fault for getting you involved."

Tears welled up in Elena's eyes, and her voice choked. Even though she hadn't been at his house for long, Noura had been very kind to her.

Unlike the pretentious maids in wealthy mansions who abused their power.

Noura calmly dressed herself again, "It's alright. I'll be fine in a few days. The master has always been a person who rewards and punishes clearly. He is very generous when he takes action. Nabil and I have been with him the longest. I can proudly say that I can support my entire family by working for the master alone..."

"If you do something right, there will be rewards; if you do something wrong, there will definitely be punishment. I knew this rule from the first day I entered his house," Noura said with a calm smile, as if those injuries were nothing.

Elena shook her head, "No, this is not right. You guys are too naive. Even if you make a mistake, he can just deduct your salary. Why resort to physical punishment? This is inhumane. How could that bastard treat you like this?"

Seeing Elena's impulsive reaction, Noura quickly reached out to stop her.

"Miss Walker, you shouldn't know all of this. If the master finds out that I've told you, we'll be beaten again. The reason I told you all this, is not to let you stand up for us. I just hope that you can understand us and cooperate with our work in the future."

Noura's words touched Elena deeply, leaving her with no room for argument.

Yes, if it wasn't for her wanting to celebrate William's birthday, Noura wouldn't have been punished. And she wouldn't have nearly lost her life, let alone jeopardize Hassan's life.

In the end, it was all her fault!

She still couldn't let go of William in her heart, nor her teenage infatuation.

"I'm sorry, Noura. I've caused trouble for you, and saying all this doesn't seem to make up for anything. I promise you, I won't let this happen again in the future."

A smile finally appeared on Noura's face, "Then, Miss Walker, can you tell me where you went that day?"

Elena's heart sank slightly, but she quickly smiled, "It's been too long, I don't remember clearly, but roughly, I went shopping with my classmates and then watched the meteor shower..."

"Well, actually, I can accompany Miss Walker for these things in the future," Noura said. It was like being Elena's personal bodyguard.

Elena smiled awkwardly, "I still prefer to stay with my best friend."

Noura didn't continue the argument. "By the way, Miss Walker, the master has instructed me to give you a gift."

"What is it?"

Noura went to the bedside table and took out a silver box, holding it in front of Elena.

"Take a look, Miss Walker!"

A gift!! What the heck could it be?

Elena unwrapped the beautiful box, layer by layer of red fabric.

A beautiful crystal lion in the form of a cartoon emerged.

The lion was as big as a palm and made of precious amethyst, shimmering under the light.

Elena's eyes widened in astonishment!!

Such a beautiful crystal! Among all crystals, her favorite was amethyst. She couldn't really explain why, maybe because she wore an amethyst necklace around her neck.

Even after collecting for so many years, all she had ever seen were clear quartz crystals. She couldn't find amethyst anywhere.

"Do you like it?" Noura smiled. This piece of amethyst was actually carved out from another complete crystal. In order to please Miss Walker, the master actually destroyed such a valuable item.

It seemed that Nabil was right. The master had developed sincere feelings for this little girl.

Elena nodded excitedly, "Noura, where did you get this amethyst? Where did Hassan buy it? Why couldn't I find it in China?"

Noura smiled, "There's nothing that the master can't obtain in this world. However, this amethyst is indeed very precious. Please cherish the heartfelt gesture from my master."

The white crystal lion that Elena had bought was still on the bedside table. She grabbed it and placed the two lions side by side. Clearly, the amethyst lion exuded an exquisite and noble aura, while the white crystal lion seemed very ordinary. Holding the white crystal lion, Elena recalled the scene of falling off the cliff, and her heart still felt a sting.

She was too foolish. She had already rejected William, yet her heart still longed for him.

Let go, Elena! Don't continue to fall deeper, there's no hope.

"By the way, Noura, could you please take me to Mayo Clinic? Don't worry, I have an injured foot, I won't escape, I promise..."

Noura firmly shook her head. "No, Miss Walker, if you want to visit your sister, I can go on your behalf. You must wait another two days, no matter what. Oh, by the way, when I went to look for Miss Walker a few days ago, I observed your sister as well. She is recovering well."

Fine! Hassan, you win this round for now! Elena thought.