Chapter 34 A Line That Can't Be Crossed

In a daze, Yvonne was lifted up by Elijah.

She felt burning hot, tearing open Elijah's shirt and pressing herself tightly against his bare skin.

"Help me, Elijah -" She breathed heavily, her craving growing urgent.

Her period hadn't ended, and her lower body was already soaked in blood.

The car sped along, the flickering lights reflecting in Elijah's dark eyes. "Hold on a little longer."

Yvonne felt as if she was on fire, with her sanity on the verge of collapse.

She held onto Elijah tightly, and Elijah's cold hand landed on her forehead as he gently closed her torn coat.

Yvonne felt like she had been roasted over the fire in a dream.

When she woke up, her body was sore and weak, and she had an IV in her wrist.

She remembered it was Elijah who saved her, but now only Hannah was in the hospital room.

"Yvonne, you finally woke up after two days and two nights of sleeping!" Hannah let out a sigh of relief and whispered, "Those scumbags injected you with the latest aphrodisiac. If Mr. Harper hadn't found the antidote overseas, you would have been done for!"

"There weren't any other illegal substances in the medicine, right?" Yvonne recalled the clear liquid with lingering fear.

"Mr. Harper had the doctors conduct two detailed blood tests on you and didn't mention anything else." Hannah placed a cup of water with a straw near Yvonne's lips. "Have some water to soothe your lips."

Yvonne drank half a cup of water and remembered something. "I had sent you a voice message. Did you inform Elijah?"

"I was originally going to call the police." Hannah's cheeks reddened slightly. "When I received your message, I was talking to Philippe at the entrance of the residential area. He stopped me from calling the police and contacted Elijah immediately."

Yvonne didn't delve into Hannah and Philippe's ambiguous relationship and changed the subject. "Where is Elijah?"

For some reason, she unexpectedly felt a longing to see Elijah. She touched the bedside table and remembered that her phone had been smashed by those scumbags.

"Mr. Harper stayed by your side. The doctor said you were out of danger this morning, so he left." Hannah opened her phone and said, "Let him know you're safe."

Using her memory, Yvonne recited Elijah's phone number, and Hannah dialed it for her, placing the phone in Yvonne's hand.

"Is something wrong with Yvonne again?" Elijah didn't expect it to be Yvonne and sounded a bit flustered.

"I… I'm fine…" Yvonne suddenly choked up.

Elijah paused for a moment, then regained his usual cold tone. "You're awake?"

"I'm awake." Yvonne struggled to find words.

Hannah couldn't bear it anymore and whispered a reminder, "Quickly say thank you!"

Yvonne snapped out of her daze. "Thank you, Mr. Harper."

"If there's nothing else, hang up." Elijah's voice was curt.

He was as cold as a stranger who had no connection with her. Yvonne handed the phone to Hannah and said, "Hannah, go buy me a new phone and get a new SIM card. I'll pay you back for the hospital fees."

"The money for your hospitalization was paid by Mr. Harper, it has nothing to do with me. This is Winslow's best private hospital. If you really want to repay the money, your wallet will get empty." Hannah glanced at the IV drips. "I'll go after the drip is done."

Half an hour later, the nurse removed the needle from Yvonne's arm, and Hannah left the hospital to buy a phone for her.

Yvonne walked to the restroom, feeling a bit lightheaded. She didn't dare lie down again. Instead, she stood by the window and moved her limbs around.

The door suddenly opened, and Elijah entered with two leather bags in his hands.

Their eyes met, and Yvonne smiled, licking her dry lips. "Mr. Harper still cares about me."

"What about Hannah?" Elijah put down the bags and went to wash his hands in the restroom.

"She's gone to buy a phone for me." Yvonne could already smell the aroma of the food. She took out the meal box from the bag and said, "Thank you for saving me."

"Verbal thanks are too cheap." Elijah sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Yvonne who was devouring her meal. "This time, I don't want to be brushed off."

"Not interested in thank yous? Then let me give you something real. Right now, combining all my bank accounts, I have less than thirty thousand dollars. When the commission from Ryan's villa renovation comes in, it will be at least a hundred thousand dollars, all of which I can give you—"

"Yvonne, I saved your life," Elijah interrupted her sternly.

"Saving someone's life—" Yvonne looked up at Elijah and chuckled. "Means offering myself to you?"

"That can be tried." Elijah's eyes softened.

"In what way can I repay you? For how long? What benefits can you give me?" Yvonne became intrigued.

She now had two enemies, Grace and Abigail. If she didn't find a powerful backer, she might lose her life one day.

"During the day, we won't interfere with each other. At night, you'll return to Rhode Hills. Once I decide to end this, we'll go our separate ways." Elijah was not one to mince words.

Yvonne marveled at Elijah’s composure. Only he could present a clandestine relationship with such an air of righteousness.

"Can you do it or not? Speak up." Elijah's gaze was fixed on Yvonne. "During this period, I will protect you and provide you with financial compensation."

If this accident hadn't occurred, Yvonne would have refused without hesitation.

Now... she needed to think carefully.

In fact, she already had an answer, but she asked reluctantly, "Was it Grace or Abigail who planned against me this time?"

"Telling you the outcome will only add to your troubles. Because with your strength, you can't shake those who want to harm you." Elijah raised an eyebrow. "You're a smart person. You don't need me to teach you how to choose, right?"

"Then it's all up to you." Yvonne smiled and kicked Elijah's shoe with her right foot.

Elijah's eyes deepened. He took a step closer to her and extended his hand.

She leaned into Elijah's embrace and murmured, "Mr. Harper—"

As Elijah leaned in for a kiss, Hannah pushed the door open.

"Yvonne! I bought a phone—" Hannah caught sight of their embrace and quickly averted her gaze. "I didn't see anything!"

"We were hugging tightly, and you claim not to have seen anything? Are you blind?" Yvonne let go of Elijah and smiled as she extended her hand toward Hannah. "Quickly give me my new phone!"

Although Yvonne was the one kissing, it was Hannah who felt embarrassed.

Hannah's cheeks flushed slightly as she handed over the brand-new phone box.

"I have some matters at the law firm, so I'll leave now." Elijah glanced deeply at Yvonne and prepared to leave.

"Goodbye, Mr. Harper." Hannah bid farewell politely.

Yvonne was too engrossed with her new phone to even raise her head.

After Elijah left, Hannah closed the door to the hospital room and started complaining to Yvonne.

"When Mr. Harper left, you didn't even say goodbye! He's your savior, Yvonne!"

"We've already gotten intimate, and you want me to please him?" Yvonne said before realizing her slip of tongue. She quickly changed the subject. "He acts aloof in front of others, so I won't pamper him."

"I've known about you two for a long time," Hannah retorted with a smirk.

Yvonne smirked knowingly. "Did Philippe tell you that?"

Hannah closed her mouth guiltily and handed an authorization letter to Yvonne. "Without your signature, even with your ID, I can't get a replacement SIM card."

"Then my lovely Hannah will have to work hard for me one more time." Yvonne pinched Hannah's cheek, teasingly. "I want to see who's the lucky person who could win over gentle Mary like you!"

"I don't want a man!" Hannah glared at Yvonne and opened the lunchbox to start eating.

"The interview results will be out after two days. If I rank low, I'll be a full-time web novel writer."

Since she was young, Hannah liked writing. She majored in literature in college and started writing online novels in her sophomore year, a hobby she has persisted with until now.

After graduating in June this year, Hannah worked for three months as a salesperson in a real estate company, but she quit because her performance was always below par. She then decided to study for exams and write novels at home.

"Always think of the best outcome," Yvonne comforted.

Hannah put the signed authorization letter into her bag and went to the nearest mobile company.

In less than an hour, Yvonne's new SIM card was placed into her new phone.

She transferred the money for the phone to Hannah, then logged into her frequently used apps.

She scrolled through WhatsApp, only to remember that Elijah had removed her.

She tried adding Elijah as a friend, and it was instantly accepted.

Excitedly, Yvonne sent him a "hello" emoji.

Elijah didn't reply.

At four in the afternoon, the doctor notified Yvonne that she could be discharged.

Hannah went to handle the paperwork.

Elijah was paying for the medical expenses, so Yvonne felt it was necessary for him to know.

Afraid that he would continue to ignore her on WhatsApp, she tried dialing Elijah's mobile number.

She was still on Elijah's blacklist yesterday, but now the call actually went through!

"I received the discharge notice. Arthur will come pick you up. For now, you will stay at Rhode Hills." Elijah's end was noisy, and Yvonne heard the boarding announcement in the background.

"Are you in the airport?"

"I'm going to Norway for a while. I'll be back next Monday." Elijah's tone suddenly carried a hint of tenderness. "Don't worry, I've taken care of everything. Just focus on work."

"Alright."

He always made Yvonne feel inexplicably at ease.

"Arthur will leave his contact information for you later. I won’t be in Winslow, so call him immediately if you need anything."

Elijah paused. "Yvonne, you can benefit a lot from this relationship, but I also have a bottom line."

"Tell me." She prepared herself to listen.

"The woman I sleep with must be clean, both physically and emotionally." Elijah's tone turned slightly cold. "Starting now, you are not allowed to get involved with any other man."

Elijah didn't say it explicitly, but Yvonne knew it was about Anthony.

"Okay," she readily agreed.

"Remember to keep your distance from Ryan, and don’t provoke anyone from the Winston family." Elijah's attitude was tough.

Yvonne immediately explained, "My cooperation with Ryan hasn't ended yet!"

"Figure it out yourself and end it quickly. If it's about money, I'll help you out." Elijah didn't leave any room for negotiation.

She continued arguing, "Ryan is too kind-hearted, he has helped me so much. I can't just end it!"

"The consequence of not ending it with him is only one thing—ending it with me. Think about it carefully, hmm?" Elijah's words made Yvonne feel a bit frantic.

"Elijah, we are clearly in a forbidden relationship. We’re not lovers, and we’re not husband and wife! We only need to remain faithful to each other physically during our relationship. Why are there so many demands?"

"This is my bottom line," Elijah said softly. "If you can't do it, I won't force you. From now on, you and I are strangers."

"Let me think about it!" Yvonne didn't have the confidence to confront him at all.

A few seconds later, she gave in.