Chapter 17 Have You Had Your Fill

• At once, Elena snapped her head back.
• At that moment, Raphael had just stepped out of the bathroom with his upper body bared, only a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still dripping wet, water droplets trickling down his bronze chest.
• Intense male pheromones swiftly assailed her, plunging her into a daze for a moment.
• “Have you had your fill?”
• Raphael stared at her, his gaze slowly traveling down to her chest. He chuckled coldly. “It's only been a few years since we last met, and you learned this trick of stripping upon entering a man's room abroad?”
• Elena promptly snapped back to her senses. Her pupils constricted, and she shrieked, clutching her shirt at the chest.
• Conversely, Raphael seemingly disdained the sight of her. He merely turned his eyes away and reached out to snag his bathrobe.
• Such mortification struck Elena that she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. “I didn't know this was your room.”
• “Didn't you know this was my house, then?”
• That single question left her without a retort.
• “How much longer are you planning to stand here?”
• Jolted out of her thoughts, Elena hurriedly picked up the clothes on the bed and headed out. “I'm sorry.”
• It wasn't until after the door slammed shut and her panicked figure disappeared from his line of sight did Raphael slowly let out a breath. His chest heaved, and he grasped his bathrobe tightly.
• After changing into the bathrobe, he sat down at the edge of the bed and took out a pack of cigarettes. Just when he was about to light a cigarette, the sound of a phone vibrating beside him snagged his attention.
• It was Elena's phone which she had forgotten to take with her earlier.
• The sight of the caller ID “Darling” greeted Raphael. Immediately, the look in his eyes turned icy. He swiped a long and slender finger across the screen and tapped the answer button after a second's hesitation.
• A juvenile voice instantly drifted out from the other end of the phone. “When are you coming home today, Mommy? I want to eat cake, but Hex wouldn't let me have some!”
• Raphael was so shocked that he went silent.
• “Sorry, but I forgot my phone...”
• When Elena opened the door and saw Raphael holding her phone in hand, her expression changed in a flash. She rushed over almost instantly and snatched the phone away, ending the call without delay.
• Raphael regarded her with a dark look in his eyes. “You're married?” he asked, enunciating every single word.
• Elena took two steps back, her calf hitting the side of the bed.
• Raphael stalked closer to her, his gaze unfathomable. He pressed, “Who did you marry? Micah?”
• “That has nothing to do with you.” Elena whirled around to leave.
• Verily, she didn't want Raphael to know about the children.
• “Was this why the Truman family kicked you out of the family back then? Well?”
• Raphael seized her wrist. The phone slipped from her hand and hit her instep with a thud. Pain tore into her, and she tripped with a stumble, falling right onto the bed.
• Staggering from the pull on his arm, Raphael fell onto the bed with her. He propped his hands against her shoulders. Subsequently, the aroma of shower gel permeated the air, mixing with the faint smell of tobacco. The tips of their noses collided, and the temperature seemingly skyrocketed in an instant.
• As reason returned to Elena, she shoved at the man's chest, abruptly turning tongue-tied. “W-What are you doing?”
• Raphael's brows creased, and his grip on her shoulders tightened. “Do you think men will cater to your every whim with just a hook of your finger? Where did your confidence come from?”
• “I never thought that.”
• “But you've already put that into action.”
• Raphael's voice went a few decibels lower, stained with a hint of resentment. Inexplicably, it was a touch hoarse.
• Undisguised surprise showed in Elena's eyes. Did I just... just catch torment in his eyes, the agony that he tried his best to suppress?
• Water dripped from his hair and onto her neck. The chill snapped her out of her stupor, and she jolted back to her senses. “You're going to get married soon, Raphael.”
• The word “married” brought a trace of clarity back to the man's eyes. At the same time, it wiped off the hint of pain. Yet, the force of his palms on her shoulders only increased.
• Pain coursed through Elena, making her brows knit together.
• Until this very day, she never gave me an explanation. Or maybe she can't even be bothered to do so. I'm the only one still immersed in our memories while she watches from the sidelines like a mere spectator.
• Irritation swamped Raphael. His gaze gradually grew cold. In the end, he released his grip on her and hissed lowly, “Scram!”
• His voice wasn't loud, but the temperature of the entire room seemingly plummeted in the blink of an eye. Even the air solidified.
• Gritting her teeth, Elena picked up her phone and fled in a panic.
• As the door slammed shut with a bang, it signified a barricade between two different worlds.