The Returned Heiress Who Never Fit In

If she kept squirming like that, something serious was bound to happen. Victor’s rough, low voice–stern and slightly hoarse–froze Tessa in place.

But just a heartbeat later, she turned her head, looking up at him with wounded eyes.

Maybe it was the fever; her eyes shimmered wet and glassy…

And that sight cracked open something inside the man who’d always been cold and unyielding.

His hard expression softened. “You have to take the medicine, sweetheart. Be good.”

Victor, who had never in his life known how to coax a woman, somehow found the patience to speak to Tessa in the gentlest way imaginable.

At last, under his persistent care, Tessa sipped the medicine little by little until she finally finished it. It took nearly half an hour to drink just that small cup–half an hour of grimaces and protests.

If it had been anyone else, Victor would’ve kicked them halfway across the room for being so slow.

But the truth was–he wasn’t incapable of gentleness; he’d just never had anyone to be gentle

with.

And now that he had someone who’d carved out a place in his heart, how could he ever bring himself to be rough with her? Even if she made a fuss all night, he’d still hold her and soothe her until she quieted down.

When the medicine was gone, Tessa pouted, whining softly, “It’s bitter… I want an orange.”

She looked up at Victor with pleading eyes.

“An orange?” he repeated.

Tessa sniffled pitifully. “Orange. I want an orange.”

“You’ve got a cold; you can’t eat something that cold.”

“I want it!” she insisted.

she couldn’t shake–whenever she took bitter medicine or had too much to drink, she always craved oranges. Only that cool, bright burst of citrus could cut through

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Chapter 81

the next,

thought hazily. I’m drying out

front desk to send up some oranges,

fruit.

Tessa ignored everything else–she only

eating one, she held out her

was full of that blissful satisfaction that only came from something she truly loved.

slightly at the bowl beside them. “You sure you

If I eat them, my cold will get better

that was true or not, Tessa said it with total confidence–she’d

didn’t quite

have her way earlier–insisting on cooking soup out on the terrace in the

pulled out his phone

oranges.

assured him that vitamin–rich fruits were

did he

second orange

“That feels so good.”

her mouth; for the first time

watched her, shaking his head with a helpless

Dale still

gotten anything useful out of Tessa,

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was already in

if he didn’t at least manage to ease the conflict

to