I Stopped Waiting and Started Loving novel Chapter 59

"Parrish!"

Seraphina, who had been hiding in the back, gasped. She quickly trotted over and wrapped her hands lovingly around the hand Parrish had just used to strike Bonnie.

"Parrish, are you okay? Does your hand hurt? Please don't be angry."

Seraphina's eyes grew red-rimmed as she turned to look at Bonnie, her voice laced with forced restraint and sorrow.

"How about... I just give this apartment to Bonnie."

"After all, she's been with you longer. I've only been with you for two years, I can take a step back."

"As long as you two don't fight, I can move out and live in the campus dorms. Parrish, please don't ruin your mood over me."

Listening to the gentle, considerate words of the woman beside him, and then looking down at Bonnie—who was radiating sheer defiance on the floor—the fleeting guilt in Parrish's chest was instantly wiped away.

He squeezed Seraphina's hand in return and glared down at Bonnie with icy condescension.

"When are you going to learn to be as sensible as Seraphina?"

"If you were just a little less arrogant and a bit more humble like her, I wouldn't have just given her an apartment while refusing to give you a single dime."

But Bonnie seemed entirely oblivious to his cruel mockery.

Her gaze bypassed Parrish's pant leg, locking onto the bottom shelf of the bookcase, right in a corner almost entirely buried beneath clutter.

There, resting quietly, was a thick, square object wrapped in old brown paper.

Without even bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, Bonnie scrambled over on her hands and knees and yanked the bundle out from the bottom of the shelf.

With trembling hands, she tore off the rough outer layer of brown paper.

On the yellowed cover, the familiar, bold handwriting of her grandfather was clearly visible.

Tears instantly spilled from her eyes, splashing onto the dry pages and blooming into dark stains.

But she smiled.

She clutched the book tightly to her chest, as if holding the most precious treasure in the entire world. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she murmured.

"I found it... I finally found it."

Hugging the book tightly, she pushed herself up from the floor. Unwilling to stay a second longer, she kept her head down and headed straight for the door.

"Bonnie Hayes, apologize to Seraphina!"

Parrish's cold, hardened voice echoed behind her, carrying an absolute command.

Bonnie's footsteps paused.

She slowly turned around. The swollen half of her face was prominent, but her bright, large eyes were filled with a chilling, dead silence.

Seraphina tugged at Parrish's sleeve and murmured weakly, "Parrish, it's fine. Let her go, she was just anxious..."

"You don't need to speak up for her!"

"You don't need to explain anything."

Parrish cut her off coldly, pulling Seraphina behind him.

He stared at Bonnie's stubborn defiance, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"She's the one who broke in and trashed the place."

One of the officers stepped inside and scanned the room.

Taking in the scattered books and the upended drawers, his brows furrowed tightly as he turned to Bonnie.

"What's that you're holding? What was your motive for breaking in?"

Bonnie bit down on her bloodless lip, her knuckles turning white from her grip.

"I came to get my own property back."

She pointed at Parrish and Seraphina, her eyes bloodshot. "They're the ones who stole it first! They hid the heirloom my grandfather left me, and that's the only reason I came in looking for it!"

The officer then turned to Seraphina.

Seraphina's eyes welled up, and tears fell flawlessly on cue, her voice trembling with fear and victimhood.

"Officer, I genuinely didn't know the book belonged to her. Parrish gave it to me."

"If I knew it was hers, I would have absolutely returned it. But she didn't even ask. She just kicked the door in and tore through all my things. I was so scared..."