Facade of Love

Chatper 285

Chapter 285 Abandoned

Charlie propped himself up and casually asked, “Have you been to the southern mountain forests? The remote, uninhabited ones.”

I was not sure why he brought this up, but I nodded reluctantly. “Yes, I’ve been there, and…” I had escaped from there. It happened five years ago, but it felt like it happened just yesterday.

I did not have a habit of sharing my past with strangers, especially not the events from five years ago. I turned to him and asked, “What’s on your mind?” Why was he suddenly asking about this?

He looked at me with a distant gaze and replied, “I’ve been there too. Those mountains are even larger and deeper than these. In those mountains, you’ll find snakes, poisonous creatures, clinging vines, and dangerous wild animals.”

I pursed my lips, somewhat intrigued. “Did you go there for an adventure?” I had heard that wealthy people often enjoyed wilderness adventures for the thrill.

“No,” he began, his deep black eyes locked onto mine. “I was abandoned there by someone.‘

I was taken aback. I had not expected this revelation. I looked at him and asked, “Abandoned? Why?” Were all wealthy families raising children in such a cruel manner?

Perhaps sensing my curiosity, he smiled slightly but did not continue with the story. Instead, he turned the conversation toward me. “What about you? How did you end up in such a primitive forest?”

I did not expect that he would suddenly turn the topic back to me. I was slightly stunned. After hesitating for a moment, I took a slight breath and said, “It was a desperate escape. I didn’t go there willingly.”

He did not seem surprised and asked, “Alone?”

I could not help but think of the moment five years ago when I had been forced to fall from the cliff with Lucas. Even though so many years had passed, the fear still lingered.

Pushing aside these unsettling thoughts, I looked at Charlie and said, “These mountains are vast too. We need to find a way out quickly.”

Charlie seemed to sense that I did not want to talk about it further. He gave a slight smile, scanned the surroundings, and prepared to get up. I reached out to help him, but before he could stand, he suddenly knelt.

“Hiss!” I clearly heard him gasp in pain.

Panicking, I crouched down and asked, “What’s wrong?” I reached out to check his injured leg.

However, for some reason, he abruptly pushed me away. He then lowered his voice, but the tone of resistance was unmistakable. “Don’t touch me.”

His sudden resistance startled me, but I quickly composed myself. I was puzzled and hesitant. His leg was clearly injured, so why would he not let me examine it?

Perhaps realizing that his previous reaction had been too rough, Charlie raised his gaze to meet mine, his movements stiff and unnatural. He said, “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

Chapter 285 Abandoned

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I pressed my lips together and did not move, watching him struggle to get up. My suspicions grew stronger. I remembered last night when Inch tried to touch his leg, and he had the same reaction. What

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“Charlie!” I spoke up, this time not addressing him as Mr. Yates but using his name.

Upon hearing my voice, he lowered his gaze and turned to look at me, his face slightly contorted. It seemed that the effort of standing up had caused him a great deal of pain, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

He asked, “What’s wrong?”

My expression was serious, and I replied calmly, “Your leg is injured. Why won’t you let me take a look?”

He furrowed his brows, and for a moment, a shadow of irritation and displeasure flashed across his face. “I said it’s fine.”

“If it’s really fine, then why won’t you let me see?” I questioned, noting his efforts to suppress his emotions.

It was strange. For a moment, his expression seemed to show more than just annoyance —it was almost hatred. However, this feeling lasted only for a few seconds, and I wondered if I had misinterpreted it.

He looked at me, and his thin lips curved slightly as he said, his voice soft, “Let’s go. We need to get out of this mountain before daybreak, or we’ll freeze to death here at night.”

He was speaking the truth, but his current condition did not seem that of someone who could walk for long.

Perhaps it was due to my inherent stubbornness, but the more he resisted, the more determined I became to find out what was wrong. In a split second, I reached out and lifted the leg of his pants. But at that moment, I froze. My whole body went rigid, and my stomach was churning. I merely stood there, stunned and horrified.

“What are you doing?” Charlie’s voice was a mix of low anger and fear, and I was pushed away as he retreated in alarm, falling back to the ground in an undignified manner.

I stared at him, my mouth agape, not knowing what to say for a moment. It took me a while before I finally managed to ask, “How did this happen?”

Chapter 286 You Might Lose This Leg