Chapter 264: I Won’t Let Anyone Hurt Her

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: I Won’t Let Anyone Hurt Her

Nolan Forrester strode forward and steadied her by her slender arm.

Shiloh grabbed his wrist, her voice urgent and filled with concern.

"Where are you hurt? Is it bad? Quick, let me see!"

"Is this you being worried about me?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"How can you still be joking at a time like this!" Shiloh was both frantic and furious, reaching to lift his shirt.

He had already changed into soft, loose cotton pajamas. They were clean and neat, showing no sign of injury.

Nolan gently caught her flitting hands. "Stop that," he chuckled reassuringly. "It’s just a flesh wound on my arm. I’m really fine."

Shiloh didn’t believe him one bit. She was stubborn and headstrong.

"I want to see!"

She had a bullheaded nature; once she made up her mind, she wouldn’t budge an inch.

Nolan sighed in resignation. In the end, he couldn’t win against her.

"Fine, you can look. But let’s go back to the bedroom first."

"Okay, I’ll help you." Shiloh carefully supported him by the arm.

Nolan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, teasing her softly.

"Anyone who didn’t know better would think I’d hurt my leg."

"Don’t laugh!" Shiloh’s face was tight, her expression uncommonly serious.

He was bleeding and needed stitches, yet he could still act so nonchalant and joke around.

The bedroom light was a warm yellow. Nolan sat on the edge of the bed.

Shiloh stood before him, carefully rolling up his sleeve.

The sight of the thick gauze on his forearm, dotted with dark red bloodstains seeping through, made her nose tingle and her eyes instantly well up.

Hot tears fell without warning, drop by drop, splashing onto the cool skin of Nolan’s arm.

The smile on Nolan’s face vanished. A flash of panic crossed his eyes as he raised a hand to gently wipe the tears from her face, his voice barely a whisper.

"Why are you crying?"

"I’m sorry... It’s all my fault you were hurt so badly." Shiloh’s voice choked with guilt and heartache, a painful tightness filling her chest.

Nolan reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

"If you really feel like you owe me, then you can make it up to me. Master Shaw said I can’t get my arm wet or strain it. I’ll have to rely on you to take care of me while I recover."

"But you just said it wasn’t serious," Shiloh mumbled into his chest.

"The anesthetic hadn’t worn off then, so it really didn’t hurt." He pressed his advantage, speaking softly. "If you don’t object, I’ll take that as a yes. Starting tonight, I’m moving in with you. It’ll be more convenient for you to take care of me."

Shiloh looked up and glared at him. "You give an inch, you take a mile."

"Hiss..."

Nolan’s brow furrowed, a genuine flash of pain crossing his face.

Shiloh immediately panicked. "What is it? Has the anesthetic worn off?"

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, the anesthetic’s worn off and this wound really hurts."

"Fine! I promise! You can stay here until you’re better!"

"Deal." A triumphant glint flashed in Nolan’s eyes.

’From now on, whether or not I move out won’t be up to her.’

Shiloh’s gaze caught the wet, messy tracks on the floor. "You rest," she said softly. "I’ll clean this up."

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll have the cleaners handle it tomorrow." Nolan reached out and stopped her. "That man tonight... have you ever seen him before?"

"Never." Shiloh shook her head gently, a lingering fear in her eyes.

"He was extremely familiar with the layout of this alleyway. He’s either a local resident or he’s been casing the place for days," Nolan analyzed in a low voice.

If it was neither of those, then there was only one other possibility...

At his words, Shiloh’s heart tightened once more.

"But I’ve never done anything to him. Why would he target me?"

"He was most likely hired. A targeted attack," Nolan said, his gaze deep and his tone certain. "I’ll go to the police station tomorrow and check for any similar home invasion cases."

"I’ll go with you," Shiloh said at once.

Whispering Breeze Lodge was in a bustling part of the city, a quiet oasis amid the noise. With its dense population and good security, it should have been perfectly safe. A malicious home invasion and assault like this should never have happened.

She decided she would take the police sketch of the suspect and ask around the neighborhood tomorrow, determined to find a trace of him.

After the terrifying incident, Shiloh had no desire to sleep.

She pulled up all the security footage from the lodge and reviewed the details frame by frame with Nolan.

Whispering Breeze Lodge hadn’t been open long, so the recordings only covered the past few days, but the footage was clear and complete.

They watched it back twice. They clearly saw the suspect appear near the lodge at nine o’clock the previous night. He had paced back and forth, probing the alley entrance and the outer courtyard wall, waiting until she had closed up, seen her last guest out, and the lodge was completely empty before making his move.

This was a precise, premeditated attack, not a random act of opportunity.

"What do you think?" Nolan looked up at her.

"I agree. This was no coincidence."

"Don’t dwell on it if you can’t figure it out. Get some rest. I’ll handle things in the morning."

"Okay."

She planned to call Magnus and Craig Lawson to the lodge tomorrow. She’d also hire workers to raise the courtyard walls and install broken glass and a high-voltage electric fence on top.

...

In a rundown part of the old city, inside a dark and damp apartment building.

A heavy iron door was kicked open with a dull THUD.

The man pulled off a soaking wet raincoat, revealing a face covered in hideous scars. He looked up at the mottled, cracked mirror on the wall, his eyes churning with malice.

He walked to a table, grabbed a beer, and chugged more than half the bottle.

The thought of the soft, warm body he had held moments ago made the man lick his lips.

He had been so close.

The shrill ring of a cell phone suddenly shattered the silence.

He answered the call, and an indifferent male voice came through the line.

"Is it done?"

"It fell short. A man showed up at the last second. He fought dirty, nearly took me out. I had to stab him just to get away."

"You hurt him?" The voice on the other end suddenly grew heavy.

"If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten away."

The line went silent for a moment.

"Don’t hurt him again. Try to make your move when he’s not around. I want her to disappear from Northolme for good."

"She’s already called the police. The heat is on right now. I’ll find another chance to make my move."

...

「The next morning.」

Nolan accompanied Shiloh to the police station, arriving on time to review all the case files.

The police confirmed that there had been no recent reports of similar home invasions, harassment, or intentional assaults in the precinct.

This confirmed what the two of them had suspected the night before.

The target had been Shiloh all along. This was a precise, targeted, and premeditated attack—not a random act.

’So who was the mastermind?’

’Was it the overbearing Mrs. Forrester, who was so vehemently against their relationship? Or was it the deeply obsessive and jealous Summer?’

Back in the car, Nolan held her cool hand firmly in his. His palm was warm and strong, his voice steady.

"Don’t be afraid. I will find out who is behind this."

"Okay," Shiloh replied softly.

When they drove back to Whispering Breeze Lodge, the construction crew was already at work, methodically raising the height of the courtyard walls and installing the security electric fence.

Shiloh got out of the car to coordinate with the workers, carefully going over the details of the job.

Nolan walked to a quiet corner and made a call.

The call connected quickly.

Mrs. Forrester’s elegant yet self-assured voice came through the receiver.

"Have you come to your senses? Ready to come back to the Forrester Family?"

In her eyes, Nolan leaving the Forrester Family and giving up his position as CEO of Forrester Corporation was just a temper tantrum, a momentary impulse.

He had been pampered since childhood, enjoying a life of wealth and luxury. It was impossible for him to truly give up everything within his grasp for some woman.

He’d throw a fit for a few days, then come crawling back.

"Was it you?" Nolan’s voice was ice-cold.

The abrupt question stunned Mrs. Forrester.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone broke into Shiloh’s home last night and tried to assault her. Did you hire him?"

Mrs. Forrester’s voice rose in anger. "Nolan Forrester, did you call me just to accuse your own mother?"

"I won’t let anyone hurt her! Not even you. Three years ago, you threatened me with her safety. It’s hard not to suspect you first."

"I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me."

"You’d better be telling the truth. Otherwise, don’t blame me for cutting you off."

With that, he hung up.

Mrs. Forrester listened to the dial tone, her expression turning foul. ’What did he just say? He’d cut ties with his own mother for some woman?’

’He didn’t even address me respectfully?’

’What kind of spell has that Shiloh Sloan cast on him? To have him so bewitched that he’s willing to throw everything away?’

"Someone, get in here!"

The butler entered.

"Madam, your orders?"

Mrs. Forrester said, her face cold, "Find out exactly what happened to Shiloh Sloan last night."