Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 1168:

Yvonne’s fingers froze on her phone, her heart plummeting as she stared at the screen. The loan repayment date glared back at her, days past due.

Panic clawed at her throat. The trip with Norton—the beaches, the laughter, the fleeting escape—had swept her so far from her troubles that her debts had slipped her mind entirely.

The absence of debt collectors at her door these past weeks baffled her.

A sharp rap at the door shattered her thoughts. When she eased it open, Norton stood there, a glass of milk in his hand.

“Here, drink this,” he said, brushing past her with a casual stride.

Yvonne’s lips curved into a faint smile. She took the glass and settled at the table. For a moment, she pushed her fears to the corners of her mind.

Norton leaned against the counter, watching her with a quiet intensity. When she drained the last of the milk, he tilted his head, a grin tugging at his mouth.

“That’s my wife,” he murmured, his voice low and warm.

cheeks. She was not accustomed to this side

fingers fidgeted with the edge of the bowl, and she ducked her head, muttering a shy, “Goodnight.” She shuffled to her room, her heart a strange mix of flustered and fond. As she sank onto her bed,

sleep betrayed her. In the depths of her

a darkened living room, the air thick with dread. The pounding of fists on the door echoed like

materialized through the wood—grim, hollow-eyed debt collectors, their voices a chilling chant. “Why have you not paid us? Why

reached for her, cold fingers grazing

her sleep, her body tensing as she battled the specters in

of the night, Norton slipped into her room, part of his nightly ritual to check

cold. He knelt beside her bed, his

chapter

the tension in

the dream’s shadow

searched for the right moment to ask

she could speak, her phone buzzed, a flurry of notifications lighting up