Chapter 773: Impatience

In the dimly lit basement room, Nathaniel Monroe’s hands trembled as he read through the string of emails one by one.

He clenched his jaw, unable to accept that Walker—the man he had always trusted—had betrayed him. But the evidence was staring him right in the face, delivering a vicious blow to reality.

He squeezed his eyes shut in agony. The thought of Iris Yates being imprisoned by this scumbag, and Walker Grant knowing about it all along... Wasn’t Walker afraid that Chloe Reed would find out? Or did he firmly believe that his alliance with William Quinn would never break?

He scoffed. Human nature was truly unpredictable.

William Quinn took another shower to wash away the lingering stench of blood. After changing into fresh clothes, he finally made his way to the bedroom.

Iris was sleeping soundly. She lay on her side, one leg draped over the duvet, leaving her smooth back exposed.

William leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder, his blue eyes brimming with undisguised obsession and deep affection. Pulling her into his arms, he greedily breathed in her scent and murmured, "I love you, baby."

When Iris woke up again, she found herself trapped in William’s embrace. His towering frame almost completely engulfed her, treating her like a body pillow.

She frowned immediately, rolling over to slip out of his arms. However, before she could even get out of bed, a warm body pressed against her back. William rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Baby, why didn’t you sleep a little longer?"

He was clearly still tinged with sleepiness, his voice thick and overly clingy.

Iris pried his fingers apart and replied coldly, "I’m not tired anymore."

But William simply pulled her back in, kissing her neck. "Then stay with me a little longer. We’ll go look at your gifts later."

Impatience flared on Iris’s face. She abruptly sat up and shoved him away. "I said I’m not tired! Don’t you understand? Why do you always have to force me?"

William knelt on the bed, his eyes snapping open as he stared at her in a daze. He then leaned forward to appease her. "I’m sorry, baby. It’s okay if you don’t want to sleep. I won’t sleep either, then."

The dark bags under his eyes were prominent. It was rare for him to get a good night’s rest, yet he insisted on staying awake just to be with her.

Standing by the bed, Iris dodged his reach and snapped, "You sleep. Leave me alone. I want to be by myself for a while."

With that, she headed straight for the walk-in closet, intending to change into some clothes and go outside for some fresh air. The moment William returned, he became like cling wrap, suffocatingly adhering to her and leaving her unable to breathe.

Watching her retreating figure exude annoyance, William’s lips curled into a smile. "Baby, you feel bad for me, don’t you? You want me to get some proper rest, right?"

Iris furrowed her brows. This man was definitely sick in the head. Couldn’t he see the pure annoyance written all over her face?

She changed her clothes and hurried out of the room, refusing to spare him another glance.

The sky had grown dark, and the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore drifted from afar. Iris strolled through the castle’s garden, followed closely by two expressionless maids who monitored her every move.

Even though she was breathing fresh air, she still couldn’t feel any sense of freedom. She was like a bird with clipped wings, locked inside this luxurious cage, living a life devoid of hope.

A heavy sigh escaped Iris’s lips. Just then, she noticed a bodyguard running off in the distance, clutching something in his hand.

Frowning in confusion, she walked in that direction, but before she could take more than a few steps, the maids hurried forward to block her path.