Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young) novel Chapter 388

My nerves were on edge, and at this moment, they reached their peak. I abruptly turned around, my face pale as I stared at Charlie. I was frozen in place with my body feeling numb.

He looked at me with an expression that revealed neither joy nor anger, scanning the room and then resting his gaze on the open cabinet I had been examining. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "You seem to like gold bars."

I shook my head, realizing that I had been too nervous and had trespassed into someone's private space without permission. It was indeed impolite. I quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I accidentally walked in here. I didn't take anything, really..."

He curved his lips into a faint smile and said, "You can have anything you like here. Don't be nervous. I'm not angry."

I pursed my lips, but I could not shake off the eerie feeling. As I looked around the room, I asked, "Do you… sleep here?"

He was quite frank and nodded, saying, "I can't sleep well anywhere else. I find it comfortable here." With that, he took out a red sandalwood box from the cabinet and handed me a rectangular small box from inside it, saying, "A New Year's gift."

I reached out and took it, casually glancing at the contents of the sandalwood box. There was a half-eaten piece of candy and a superhero mask. The mask looked somewhat familiar, but I could not recall where I had seen it before.

Without thinking too much, I looked at the rectangular box in my hand and asked him, "What is it?"

He smiled gently and said, "Open it and see."

Out of curiosity, I opened the box, and inside was an exquisitely crafted dagger. It was only ten centimeters long, with a sharp blade that gave the impression of being able to strike a fatal blow.

I was bewildered and looked up at him, asking, "A dagger?"

He nodded and explained, "I've been carrying this dagger with me for many years. It's for self-defense and convenient to carry around. Keep it with you, and use it to protect yourself when needed."

Receiving a dagger as a gift was a first for me. My tense mood relaxed slightly. I looked up at him and said, "It's the first time someone has given me a dagger. Thank you. But I haven't had a chance to prepare a New Year's gift for you."

He smiled and brushed it off, saying, "You've already given me quite a few gifts."

Knowing that he was being polite, I did not insist. I could not help but glance at the strange bedroom again, especially at the guns on the shelf. I asked, "Are these part of your collection, or..."

He calmly replied, "Both."

I nodded, feeling a lingering fear in my heart. I did not want to stay here any longer.

I headed back up the stairs and returned to the cat's house.

It was getting dark outside, and the sky was overcast, hinting at the possibility of rain. I had been here for quite a while, and the recent incident left me feeling uneasy.

I said my goodbyes to Charlie and prepared to leave.