Chapter 23 The Woman Kneeling Under Him
Joanna’s mind froze instantly.
Owen’s cold stare made her feel a chill run through her. Her fingers brushed the edge of the vent, barely making a sound.
His face darkened at once. Realizing someone was there, he quickly turned off the shower and grabbed a robe.
“Come out!” he ordered.
There was no response.
The room was unnervingly still, as if the earlier sound had been just in his head.
But Owen wasn’t fooled. The intruder was just behind the vent cover.
“If you come out now, we can still talk,” he said in a frosty tone.
Even with the vent cover between them, Joanna could feel the weight of his presence pressing in on her.
But what if Owen figured out it was her spying on him? The thought terrified her, and she couldn’t bring herself to think
any further.
As she stalled, Owen spoke without a hint of mercy. “You’ve lost your chance.”
With a sharp snap, he ripped the vent cover off.
Joanna’s heart dropped. She tried to scramble away, but Owen’s hand locked onto her ankle.
“Think you can run?” His voice dripped with ridicule. He pulled hard, dragging her halfway out of the vent.
“Ahh!” Joanna screamed, her arms flailing wildly. In the chaos, she grabbed at something.
But whatever it was slipped from her grip just as she crashed to the floor, hitting it with a painful thud. She winced, her
face contorting in agony.
At least she hadn’t hit her head–if she had, she’d be dead or badly hurt.
For a brief moment, she felt a flicker of relief. She tried to push herself up to stand, but then she froze. Right in front of
her were legs. A man’s legs. Strong, bare, and muscular.
But Owen had just put on a bathrobe. He wasn’t supposed to be naked.
Why was he then?
Joanna’s body tensed. Slowly, as if her movements were out of her control, she lifted her head. What she saw would haunt
her forever.
The very thing she had admired just moments ago was now inches from her face. So close that if she even breathed… Her
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mind spun. So the thing she had grabbed onto… Was Owen’s bathrobe belt? She had actually undone his robe!
Joanna wished the ground would swallow her whole right then and there. Anything to avoid facing what was coming.
A heavy silence filled the room. Without saying a word, Owen bent down and fastened his robe.
Joanna swallowed, her voice shaking. “Mr. Harvey, I-”
Before she could say more, a strong hand closed around her neck and slammed her into the side of the bathtub.
Owen loomed over her, his eyes cold, like a judge passing final judgment. “What exactly was your reason for getting close
to me?”
Joanna struggled to breathe, barely managing to whisper, “I don’t understand…”
“Heh!” Owen let out a mocking laugh. “If someone had seen what just happened, do you know what the consequences
would be?”
The woman kneeling before him could’ve been anyone, but it couldn’t be Joanna. If anyone found out he was involved with
his future daughter–in–law, his reputation would be ruined! The thought sparked a dangerous look in his eyes, and his grip
tightened even more.
“Ah…” Joanna gasped, her voice shaky. “It was just an accident…”
Owen believed she had fooled him one too many times. He should have dealt with her long ago.
But as he watched the color drain from her face, a small part of him softened. He finally loosened his hold.
He stepped back, his voice cold. “You’d better have a damn good reason.”
Joanna coughed, struggling to catch her breath as she tried to explain in broken phrases.
Owen’s eyes narrowed. “You got soaked in dirty water, so you thought dressing like this would get you help?”
It wasn’t surprising that Owen didn’t believe her. After all, Joanna was only in her underwear, looking like she was trying
to tempt someone.
Joanna’s voice was laced with bitterness. “If my clothes were still wearable, I wouldn’t be standing here like this.”
She reached into the vent, pulled out the filthy bundle, and shoved it toward him. “If you don’t believe me, take a whiff.”
Owen’s face twisted into an unreadable expression.
The stench hit him like a wall!
Had these clothes been soaked in a cesspool? Owen recoiled, covering his nose and quickly stepping back. His tone became
sharp. “Get rid of it!”
Joanna blinked, pretending innocence. She had warned him, but he hadn’t listened.
She tossed the dirty clothes into the trash. “Now do you believe me?”
With that toxic mess lying there, how could he not?
The stench still hung in the air, filling the bathroom. Owen couldn’t stay another second.
“Get in the shower. I’ll have someone bring you clean clothes.”
Joanna watched him rush off, a strange urge to laugh bubbling up inside her.
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But she couldn’t.
Her fingers brushed her neck, where a deep mark from Owen’s ring still lingered.
At that moment, she knew for sure–Owen had really meant to kill her.
He had been ready to end it all.
A chill of fear crawled up her spine. She cranked the shower to the hottest setting and stepped into the scalding water.
Only then did the heavy, suffocating fear start to ease.
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