Page 35 of Noah

On reflection, she realised that the only thing that truly brought her joy was painting.

However, when she had to do it on demand, it became a chore. In her view, the pressure of releasing new work within a certain time ruined her enjoyment.

“Yes, happy.” She almost winced at the obvious lie but continued regardless. “The thing is, it’s still my life and I have to get back to it eventually.”

“Beautiful life,” he said sarcastically.

Her mouth dropped open. “For someone who has trouble putting a sentence together, you have sarcasm down pat. Thanks for that.”

He rubbed his face. “Sorry, Ren.” She didn’t know if he understood why she was upset or if he simply apologised for it.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, gazing around the clean and comfortable room. “It’s probably just a combination of emotional exhaustion and fatigue. I’m being sensitive.”

A snort escaped him. Her eyelids drooped, and she forced them open with effort. He remained silent. An irrational urge prompted her to ask, “You’ll stay?”

“Yes,” Noah replied at once.

It should have felt uncomfortable or voyeuristic with him guarding and watching her, but that’s not how she felt. Her whole body was relaxed, even relieved. Her heart melted that he would watch over her in this unfamiliar place.

She drifted off to sleep with the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Chapter 6

Noah

Watching her fall asleep, he knew he couldn’t let her go.

Different, he scoffed. It didn’t matter how things were with governments and Numbers, she wasn’t happy with her outside life. It would be better if she stayed with him.

In any case, she was given to him. That was why he had such strong feelings.

It must be, otherwise, Noah didn’t know how to describe this madness and it was madness. Gripped by its clutching claws that refused to let go, it was like an arrow piercing him.

He could only guess that his strange desire to watch her, to protect her, stemmed from a sense of ownership, and considering that he had been owned up until a few days ago, he knew it was a crappy thought.

He couldn’t own another person. Maybe if she liked him enough or he used his charm, he could convince her to become his.

Noah tapped his chin, wondering did he have charm.

His approach was more straightforward. See what he wants, grab it, keep it, and never let it go. That was definitely him.

She couldn’t survive that way; she would end up suffocated by him and his need to be close to her hadn’t diminished.

Doctor Myers’ insistence on taking him into a separate exam room, away from her, threatened his need for closeness so strongly that he felt like he wanted to tear him apart. Then, Lila stepped in and suggested Noah be examined in a chair away from the bed while they worked.

How did he keep Ren in Moon with him?

There had to be something believable, a reason to keep her there. When his hair became entangled in the band, he realised what he was doing, dropped his hand, and growled.

Looking around the room, he made what he would later realise was a rash decision.

His decision made sense to him right now, and Numbers would give him what he wanted so he planned it out.

From the Numbers’s faces, they felt guilty as hell, thinking they should have found him sooner. Noah didn’t feel guilty about using that against them because Ren was all Noah cared about.

It was important to him that Adrienne was near him. She was needed.

Her scent lingered around him even after he left the room, almost impossible to ignore. It didn’t irritate him. It was appealing and he wanted to keep it.

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