Chapter 94

Just like last time, a heap of clothes got tossed out of the bathroom first, followed by the sound of running water and heavy breathing.

When Isabella finally stepped out of the bathroom, her face was all flushed. She gave Michael's muscular chest a playful slap before flopping down on the bed.

"You jerk! You promised you wouldn't mess with me!" Isabella glared at Michael, a mix of shyness and anger in her eyes.

Just a moment ago in the bathroom, Michael had her leaning against the wall, holding her waist while he stood behind her, finishing their intimate moment in a rear-entry position.

Michael chuckled and patted Isabella's thigh. "Alright, alright, don't be mad. Now that you've had a hot bath and your pores are open, let me put some ointment on you."

Blushing, Isabella nodded and lay down.

She felt pretty shy because most of her injuries were on her arms and legs. Her back was fine since she had been carrying a backpack.

She could've taken care of these wounds herself, but for some reason, watching Michael search for the ointment made her heart flutter.

As Michael gently applied the cold ointment to Isabella's legs, it stirred up the desire she had just quenched.

'If Michael wants to get frisky while applying the ointment, should I go along with it or not?' Isabella wondered, her face still flushed.

To her surprise, after Michael finished with one leg, he had her turn over to do the other side.

Isabella lay there, watching Michael. His eyes showed no desire, just concern.

"Sorry, I promise I'll never let you get hurt like this again," Michael said, his eyes slightly reddening.

Isabella looked into Michael's eyes and was shocked to see he seemed on the verge of tears. It moved her deeply.

"I'm okay now. It's no big deal. Please don't cry, or it'll ruin the image I have of you!" Isabella quickly covered Michael's eyes, trying to stop the tears.

Suddenly, Michael laughed. He wasn't crying. "Can you tell me, what kind of image do you have of me?"

Michael grabbed Isabella's hand, letting her palm rest on his cheek.

Isabella touched Michael's face and smiled gently. "You're my hero! You'll always protect me."

"Seeing you hurt breaks my heart," Michael said.

His words were like a flame, almost melting Isabella.

They gazed into each other's eyes, the air thick with intimacy. Their faces drew closer, almost touching.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Isabella's phone rang.

Michael took a deep breath, annoyed, and glared at the phone. Isabella blushed and awkwardly picked it up to check the caller ID.

"It's Amelia. She might need something urgent. I should've called her back when I landed yesterday, damn it, I forgot." Isabella regretfully tapped her forehead and then answered the phone.

"Isabella, you didn't call me. You should have landed already. Have you been having too many sweet moments with Michael that you forgot about me?" Amelia's teasing voice came through, making Isabella blush even more.

"Sorry, I totally forgot to call you back. There are just too many fun things to do here," Isabella joked. She didn't tell Amelia about the danger she encountered in the forest today, not wanting to worry her.

After some banter, Amelia's tone suddenly became serious.

"By the way, I need to tell you something about your parents," Amelia said, her voice turning somber.

Isabella froze for a moment. Ever since her parents tried to force her to marry John, she had been utterly disappointed to them. After she announced the cancellation of the engagement with John, she had not contacted her parents.

"What happened to them?" Isabella asked calmly.

"Do you remember Pearl? When she was found, it was horrifying. The news showed a photo of her with a mosaic over it, but even with that, it was terrifying! Pearl's father, Paxton, has gone mad. He believes you are responsible for what happened to Pearl. After hearing that you went abroad, he turned his anger towards your parents and had them captured." Amelia's words startled Isabella.

Before going abroad, Isabella had heard about Pearl being found, but she hadn't paid much attention to it. However, hearing Amelia's words now made her realize just how tragic Pearl's situation must have been.

Michael, who was lying on the side, had a flash in his eyes, but he didn't say a word.

"What happened to Pearl and my parents?" Isabella asked urgently.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Amelia spoke. "If you really want to know what happened to Pearl, you should check the news yourself. It's too horrific for me to describe! I can only tell you that after Paxton captured your parents, he planned to bury them alive out of revenge. But at the last moment, John, Bianca, and the police arrived and saved them."

Amelia's tone turned angry as she continued, "That Bianca is so infuriating. After she saved your parents, they hugged her and cried, even going as far as telling the media that Bianca is their closest family. Now the news is portraying you as a coward who abandoned your parents to save yourself."

Isabella's eyelids grew heavy, but she felt no sadness. She had long since lost hope in her parents. As for the media's slander, she couldn't care less.

"After the police arrived, was Paxton arrested?" Isabella was actually more concerned about this.

"No, it wasn't that simple. The police only arrested some of his subordinates. Paxton was not at the scene, and there was no evidence to prove that he ordered those people. His men all claimed they were planning to kidnap your parents for ransom. As for the pit they dug, they said it was just for staging photos to make the whole kidnapping thing seem legit." Amelia's words made Isabella feel pressured.